Senior Quality Assurance Manager (Footwear)

Senior Manager Quality (Footwear)

Frido | Quality & Manufacturing Excellence

Who We Are:

Founded in 2015 and headquartered in Pune, Frido is a leading ergonomic comfort and wellness brand committed to helping people walk, sit, and sleep better. Starting with mobility aids, Frido has evolved into a holistic comfort brand offering footwear, insoles, cushions, pillows, and ergonomic accessories that combine science, design, and technology to deliver everyday comfort.

Our Vision:

Redefining Comfort for Modern Living

What We Offer:

• Ergonomic Footwear & Insoles Designed for superior comfort, posture support, and longterm wear
• Cushions & Backrests Enhancing sitting comfort at work and home
• Sleep & Rest Products Orthopedic pillows and supportive sleep solutions
• Mobility Aids Products enabling independence and better movement
• Experiential Retail & Custom Comfort Solutions Foot scanning, posture analysis, and personalized recommendations

Role Overview:

The Senior Manager Quality (Footwear) will lead endtoend quality assurance and control for Fridos footwear category, ensuring products meet the highest standards of comfort, durability, safety, and aesthetic quality. This role owns supplier quality, inprocess and final inspections, testing protocols, and continuous quality improvement, while closely collaborating with Product, Sourcing, Manufacturing, and Operations teams to uphold Fridos brand promise.

Key Responsibilities:

• Own endtoend quality strategy for footwear products, from design validation to postmarket performance
• Define and implement footwear quality standards, SOPs, and inspection checklists aligned with Fridos ergonomic and comfort benchmarks
• Lead incoming material inspection, inprocess quality checks, and final product audits for footwear
• Drive vendor quality management, including:
• Factory evaluations and onboarding
• Process audits and capability assessments
• Quality scorecards and corrective action followups
• Ensure compliance with footwear testing norms such as:
• Sole bonding strength
• Flexing and abrasion resistance
• Slip resistance
• Material durability and comfort parameters
• Conduct root cause analysis (RCA) on quality failures and implement CAPA
• Monitor field feedback, returns, and customer complaints, converting insights into quality improvements
• Collaborate with Product Development teams for new footwear launches, pilot runs, and PP approvals
• Lead and mentor the quality team, building a strong culture of ownership and continuous improvement
• Drive cost optimization through quality improvements without compromising comfort or performance
• Ensure consistent quality across domestic and international manufacturing partners

Requirements:

• Bachelors degree in Engineering / Footwear Technology / Manufacturing / Quality
• (MBA or postgraduate specialization is a plus)
• 1015 years of experience in Quality Control / Quality Assurance, with strong exposure to footwear manufacturing
• Handson experience with:
• Footwear quality inspections
• Material testing (EVA, PU, rubber, uppers, adhesives)
• Line and final audits
• Deep understanding of QC tools RCA, CAPA, FMEA, SPC, PPAP
• Strong experience in vendor quality management and factory audits
• Experience with consumer brands, D2C products, or comfort/wellness footwear preferred
• Excellent communication, crossfunctional coordination, and leadership skills

Good to Have:

• Exposure to ergonomic or orthopedic footwear
• Experience scaling quality systems in a fastgrowing D2C or retail brand
• Familiarity with international quality standards and export compliance
• Datadriven mindset with strong reporting and dashboarding skills