Senior Specialist, Product Safety

The Senior Specialist, Product Safety harnesses the power of internal standards set by the global product stewardship team to proactively have a positive impact on the development and manufacture of products and is responsible for helping ensure products VF places in the market globally comply with applicable product safety regulations and requirements. The Senior Specialist shall be proficient in legislation and regulatory requirements along with product development strategies, using this information to implement a comprehensive approach to ensure materials and finished products are compliant and safe across Apparel, Accessories, Equipment, and Footwear product categories. This role partners with cross-functional teams and external partners to manage control-related standards and procedures and to regularly evaluate, update, and educate internal and external teams, as needed. 

PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTABILITIES 

VF Product Safety Policies & Requirements (All Product Categories) 

• Support development, maintenance, and effective implementation of VF product safety policies, standards and supporting governance documentation (e.g., Product Safety Manual, Restricted Substances List (RSL) policy, and related guidelines as applicable, etc.) across Apparel, Accessories, Equipment, and Footwear product categories. 

• Translate global standards into clear, practical requirements and execution guidance for internal stakeholders, vendors, factories, suppliers, and laboratories. 

Design Safety Reviews & “Close-the-Loop” Execution (Development → PRM → Seasonal Reviews) 

• Partner with sourcing development, sourcing operations, planning, and material sourcing teams to conduct product safety line reviews to identify and eliminate foreseeable safety defects across all categories that were flagged during design safety review stages. 

• Conduct design safety reviews with the team during development stage and Production Readiness Meetings (PRM), ensuring risks are identified, documented, and mitigations are driven to closure. 

• Take feedback provided during Final Design Review (FDR), Initial Seasonal Review (ISR), and Final Seasonal Review (FSR) and drive follow-up actions to close the loop with internal stakeholders and suppliers/factories. 

• Chemical Safety Testing Governance (RSL-driven) Integrated into Product Line Review 

• Use the product line review stage in supply chain/sourcing to drive chemical safety testing of products and materials based on VF Restricted Substances List (RSL) requirements and required test packages. 

• Ensure testing scope and required test components are complete and aligned to internal standards prior to disposition decisions. 

Factory & Supplier Facility Engagement (Chemical Management, RSL, Chem-IQ) 

• Conduct factory and supplier facility visits to understand chemical management practices and verify implementation of chemical safety expectations and Restricted Substances List (RSL) requirements. 

• Verify and validate Chem-IQ program elements during factory visits, including Chemical Inventory List (CIL) implementation and phase-out of red-rated chemical substances, and document gaps and corrective actions. 

• Train and educate vendors, factories, and suppliers on VF requirements and provide support to achieve consistent compliance execution. 

• Test Report Review, Corrective Actions, Retesting Approval, and Shipment Disposition 

• Review and evaluate material and product test reports for completeness, accuracy, and compliance to required test packages and internal standards; provide risk-based disposition (approve/hold/reject) and document decision rationale. 

• Work with internal teams and suppliers to support corrective actions for failures, including requesting and validating corrective action plans and root cause analysis as needed. Approve retesting when corrective actions meet requirements and evidence supports retest readiness; validate retest scope and outcomes. 

• Provide shipment approval/hold decisions based on material and product safety test results and risk assessment; escalate exceptions and repeat/high-risk failures per governance expectations. 

Compliance Documentation & CPSC eFiling (CPSIA CPC / GCC) 

• Responsible for successful submission of CPSC CPSIA CPC / GCC information for eFiling using the Testing platform, ensuring accuracy, completeness, and on-time submission aligned to shipment readiness and compliance governance. 

APAC Targeted Testing Program Management 

• Manage VF’s Targeted Testing program for the APAC region, including planning, implementation, execution coordination, and communication of outcomes. 

• Drive corrective action governance and closure for targeted testing findings and support continuous improvement actions. 

Training, Education, and Stakeholder Enablement 

• Train and educate internal stakeholders and external partners (vendors, factories, suppliers) on physical and chemical safety requirements and VF product safety governance. 

• Translate technical requirements into clear guidance for non-technical audiences and support capability building and consistent execution across all product categories. 

QUALIFICATIONS 

• Bachelor’s degree in a technical field such as engineering, chemistry, environmental science, material science, textiles, product compliance, or related discipline (or equivalent experience). 

• 3–5+ years of relevant experience in product safety, product stewardship, regulatory compliance, testing, quality, or related fields. 

• Experience working with global supply chains and cross-functional product teams preferred. 

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS  

• Proficient communicator with strong written and verbal skills; able to translate technical topics into actionable guidance. 

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills; capable of risk-based judgment and disciplined decision-making. 

• Strong attention to detail and system/process discipline. 

• Effective stakeholder management and collaboration across internal teams and external partners (suppliers, factories, laboratories). 

• Ability to proactively influence relevant stakeholders. 

• Proficient Microsoft Office skills (PowerPoint, Excel, Word). 

SPECIAL PHYSICAL AND/OR MENTAL REQUIREMENTS 

• Ability to travel domestically and internationally as required for factory and supplier facility engagement. 

• Ability to work effectively across cultures and time zones and manage multiple priorities aligned to seasonal calendars. 

TRAVEL (%) 

Domestic and international travel up to 20%.