Field Quality Manager

Responsibilities

Key Responsibilities & Objectives

• Lead operational due diligence evaluations to assess suppliers operational capabilities, compliance, readiness, and quality systems
• Set up, coordinate, and execute the comprehensive Operations Supplier Due Diligence and Audit Roadmap.
• Apply standardized risk management methodologies to identify operational risks and enforce proactive mitigation plans.
• Lead and contribute to strategic initiatives and process optimization projects within the Supplier Quality and Quality Operations domains.
• Support with investigation and escalation of quality issues to suppliers
• Provide support to team members responsible for downstream suppliers to ensure end-to-end quality across the network.
• Establish closed-loop feedback mechanisms linking real-world smartphone and audio field issue data directly back to supplier process controls.
• Partner closely with internal stakeholders (such as Strategic sourcing, Manufacturing Operations, Product, Engineering) to drive quality improvements.
• Ensure timely and successful delivery of audio device programs with ODM partners. Managing ODM deliverables such as project timelines, prototypes, testing, validation, and product ramp-up.
• Translate Fairphone’s sustainability and product quality standards into actionable plans with external partners.
• Coordinate across internal teams (Audio Design, Software, Hardware, Operations) to support ODM execution.
• Drive continuous improvement in ODM collaboration practices, processes, and product outcomes.

About your role

The Supplier Quality Manager plays a pivotal role in establishing, maintaining, and elevating the quality standards across our suppliers network for audio products and smartphones. Embedded within the Quality Operations team under Global Operations, this role is responsible for leading operational due diligence during supplier selection, overseeing quality risks from suppliers and field quality, and ensuring a closed loop resolution.

Serving as the key operational link between internal cross-functional stakeholders and external suppliers, the Supplier Quality Manager executes continuous improvement initiatives to build a resilient, high-performing supplier quality ecosystem. Crucially, this role bridges post-launch field quality analytics directly back to supplier processes, translating real-world consumer defect trends into targeted preventive actions and continuous supplier improvements. Additionally, this position acts as an operational support for team members who focus on downstream suppliers to ensure aligned quality standards.

Based in China with the core Quality Operations team located in the Netherlands, this role requires strong autonomous responsibility on the ground to drive local supplier accountability while maintaining seamless remote collaboration and alignment with Amsterdam Headquarters team.

Your Key Responsibilities

Key Objectives

Your Skills & Experience

• You have a minimum of 5 years of experience in Supplier Quality or Quality Operations, with a proven track record in consumer electronics (smartphones, audio, or IoT devices) and supplier networks.
• You have some formal training in Quality Management / Operations
• You have excellent written and verbal communication skills in English and Mandarin.
• Preferably, you are familiar with working with macOS, Google Workspace, and Basecamp.

What Fairphone can offer you?

• The opportunity to create an impact on the electronics industry around the world.
• A diverse work environment full of international, passionate, warm-hearted team members.
• Competitive salary aligned with market standards.
• Statutory paid annual leave (10 days upon joining), public holidays, and rest days in accordance with the labour law.
• Social benefits & contributions made by both employer and employee as required under Chinese law.
• Professional development opportunities for training, skill development, and career advancement.