Quality · Saigon, Vietnam · Full-time · On-site

QC Lead - Apparel

Own apparel quality from pre-production through shipment release: standards, inline and final inspections, and corrective action with factories.

Based in Saigon, Vietnam. On-site, no relocation.

UNCVRD is a full service product design and sourcing company partnering with modern brands on apparel, bags, and accessories, operating as a seamless extension of internal brand teams from first sketch to delivery. A pod operating model gives every phase one accountable owner, and the Saigon team connects premium brands to global manufacturing.

This is a full-time QC Lead role that owns apparel quality across every client program. The QC Lead sets the quality standard for each brand, runs inspections at the factory from pre-production through final, and has the authority to hold a shipment until issues are closed. The role works alongside Product Developers, who own the style, and is the independent check on whether the product that ships matches the approved sample and the tech pack. Approved AI tools are part of the workflow. Reports to the Merchandising Director.

Standards and pre-production

  • Build and maintain the quality standard for each brand: AQL levels, measurement tolerances, workmanship, labeling, and packaging requirements.
  • Review the approved sample, tech pack, and BOM before every pre-production meeting, and attend the meeting to align the factory on critical points.
  • Confirm fabric and trim test results (shrinkage, colorfastness, pilling, seam strength) and the approved pre-production sample before bulk cutting starts.

Inspections

  • Plan and run inline, during-production, and final random inspections to AQL, either personally or through third-party inspectors.
  • Check measurements against spec, workmanship, trims, labels, packaging, and carton requirements, and run 4-point fabric inspection when required.
  • File photo-documented inspection reports in UNCVRD OS within 24 hours of each visit.

Corrective action and release

  • Log defects, find the root cause with the factory, and drive corrective action plans through to closure.
  • Co-sign shipment release with the Product Developer, and hold shipment until open issues are resolved.
  • Track quality performance by factory and feed the results into factory reviews and sourcing decisions.

Team and process

  • Coordinate in-house and third-party QC inspectors, and keep inspection schedules aligned with the production calendar.
  • Train factory QC teams on UNCVRD standards for each brand.
  • Feed recurring quality issues back to Design and Product Development so they are fixed at the tech pack, not caught at final.

Tools

  • Communication and files: Slack, Gmail, WhatsApp, Zalo, WeChat, Google Drive.
  • Operations: Google Drive as system of record, UNCVRD OS as PLM.
  • AI: Claude and ChatGPT for company-approved automation, drafting, summarizing, translation, and reporting.

What you bring

  • 5+ years in apparel QA or QC, including at least 2 years leading inspections or an inspection team, ideally at a manufacturer, sourcing office, third-party inspection company, or a brand's Asia-based team.
  • Strong knowledge of knit and woven cut-and-sew construction, including technical and performance fabrics.
  • Hands-on experience with AQL sampling, measurement checks, 4-point fabric inspection, and reading tech packs and spec sheets.
  • Working knowledge of fabric and garment testing standards (AATCC, ISO) and common market compliance requirements.
  • The confidence to hold a shipment and the communication skills to resolve issues with factories without damaging the relationship.
  • Technology curious, comfortable filing reports digitally and using AI tools to speed up reporting.
  • English and Vietnamese proficiency required, elementary Mandarin a bonus.
  • Organization, including strong attention to detail and disciplined documentation.

Engagement and compensation

  • Commitment: full-time, salaried position.
  • Location: Thao Dien, Saigon, Vietnam.
  • Reports to: Merchandising Director.
  • Collaborates with: Product Developers, Technical Designer, Sourcing Lead, factory QC teams, third-party inspectors, and test labs.
  • Travel: frequent travel to factories and inspection sites in and around Saigon, with occasional travel to other provinces on reasonable notice.
  • Base salary: competitive monthly base salary in VND, set on experience.
  • Benefits: statutory benefits including social, health, and unemployment insurance, annual leave, and public holidays.
  • Bonus: performance bonus tied to a seasonal KPI scorecard and paid twice a year, plus annual thirteenth-month payment.