Specialist, Footwear and Equipment, Testing Services

Under close supervision, the Specialist, Product Stewardship – Footwear & Equipment Testing Services supports material and product testing for the Footwear and Equipment product categories. The role ensures applicants, including vendors, factories, and material suppliers, complete required electronic Test Request Forms (eTRFs) accurately and on time. It also coordinates with assigned in-house certified laboratories and nominated third-party laboratories to complete testing and upload results to the testing platform. The Specialist reviews test reports, follows defined procedures for exceptions and failures, supports corrective actions and retest approvals, and issues test report dispositions to support shipment decisions for materials and finished products. The role also supports stakeholder training on testing requirements and provides testing data and insights to the Product Stewardship Standard Setting team to support updates to standards and requirements. 

PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTABILITIES 

Testing Request and eTRF Coordination 

• Set up and track testing requests for Footwear and Equipment materials and finished products in the testing platform. 

• Ensure applicants complete required eTRFs accurately and on time, following established procedures. 

• Verify that testing requests are complete before routing them to assigned in-house certified laboratories or nominated third-party laboratories. 

• Maintain accurate testing records and status updates in the platform. 

• Laboratory Coordination and Testing Support 

• Coordinate with assigned in-house certified laboratories and nominated third-party laboratories to support timely testing completion. 

• Monitor the upload of complete test results to the testing platform. 

• Follow up on missing information, delayed reports, and basic report issues in line with standard procedures. 

Test Report Review and Corrective Action Support 

• Review test reports for completeness, accuracy, and compliance with applicable testing requirements. 

• Identify exceptions and failures and follow defined processes to obtain corrective actions from applicants. 

• Support the review of corrective actions and retest requests using established guidelines. 

• Escalate non-routine or unresolved issues to the supervisor or appropriate internal stakeholders. 

Disposition and Shipment Support 

• Issue test report dispositions based on test results, corrective actions, retest outcomes, and established requirements. 

• Communicate approval, hold, or rejection decisions clearly and on time to support shipment decisions for materials and finished products. 

• Maintain complete documentation of disposition decisions for traceability and review. 

Training and Stakeholder Support 

• Support training for internal stakeholders and external partners on testing requirements, processes, and platform use. 

• Provide clear technical guidance to support understanding and execution of testing requirements. 

Standards Support and Data Input 

• Provide testing data, recurring issues, and factual input to support the Product Stewardship Standard Setting team. 

• Share testing observations and stakeholder feedback to support continuous improvement. 

KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS (KPIs) 

• Accuracy and timeliness of eTRF completion and testing request setup. 

• On-time completion of testing requests and report uploads in the testing platform. 

• Turnaround time for test report review and disposition. 

• Timeliness and quality of corrective action closure for exceptions and failures. 

• Turnaround time and effectiveness of retest approvals. 

• Timeliness of shipment support decisions for materials and finished products. 

• Training coverage and stakeholder adoption of testing requirements and platform processes. 

• Quality of testing data and insights provided to the standard setting team. 

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS 
Technical and Professional Expertise 

• Working knowledge of material and product testing gained through education and/or relevant experience. 

• Knowledge of standard practices, procedures, and workflows related to testing requests, report review, corrective actions, and disposition support. 

• Understanding of Footwear and Equipment testing requirements, product safety expectations, and laboratory coordination. 

• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to communicate technical information clearly to internal and external stakeholders. 

• Proficiency in testing platforms and standard business tools. 

Analytical and Problem-Solving 

• Addresses recurring issues that require fact finding, clarification, and basic analysis within established processes and policies. 

• Determines appropriate actions based on established guidelines, procedures, and precedent, and escalates non-routine issues when needed. 

• Uses prior experience and basic problem-solving skills to support corrective action follow-up and issue resolution. 

QUALIFICATIONS 

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Chemistry, Environmental Science, Material Science, Textiles, Product Compliance, or a related field. 

• Equivalent experience in a substantially similar industry may be considered in lieu of a degree, based on the requirements of the role and hiring manager criteria. 

• One to two years of relevant experience in material or product testing, quality, product stewardship, regulatory compliance, or a related field is preferred. 

• Experience working with vendors, factories, material suppliers, or laboratories is preferred.