About the role
Position Summary
The Quality Assurance Specialist: Hand & Machine Cutting serves as the primary technical authority and quality gatekeeper for all hand and automated cutting operations in our high-end upholstered furniture manufacturing facility. This role ensures premium fabric and leather yields, flawless pattern matching (plaids, stripes, motifs), and strict compliance with luxury quality standards. The candidate must be a Master Hand Cutter, possess expertise in hard pattern management, and serve as both a pre/post-cut quality inspector for peer cutters and a certified backup operator for our Lectra automated cutting systems.
Essential Duties & Responsibilities
1. QUALITY ASSURANCE & PRE-CUT LAYOUT REVIEW
* Layout Auditing: Pre-review and advise hand cutters on their layouts prior to cutting to optimize fabric utilization, match direct/railroad requirements, and avoid material flaws or natural hide defects.
* Post-Cut Inspection: Perform rigorous quality checks on completed hand-cut cut-sets (checking notches, grain lines, pattern symmetry, and precision tolerances) before parts advance to sewing.
* Standard Enforcement: Serve as the final authority on standard operating procedures for pattern placement, stretch directional alignment, and fabric handling.
2. PATTERN MANAGEMENT & LIBRARY CONTROL
* Hard Pattern Maintenance: Organize, catalog, and maintain all physical hard patterns for standard, semi-custom, and custom luxury upholstery styles.
* Pattern Integrity: Routinely inspect hard patterns for wear, edge degradation, or missing markings; coordinate with the development team to re-cut or update damaged patterns.
* Inventory & Access: Maintain an orderly storage system ensuring fast retrieval and seamless workflow on the cutting floor.
3. MASTER HAND CUTTING & CRAFTSMANSHIP
* Master Execution: Execute complex, high-difficulty hand-cutting jobs (custom pieces, high-end velvets, delicate silks, complex pattern-matching fabrics, and premium leathers).
* Mentorship: Provide guidance and technical advice to junior and mid-level hand cutters to elevate the overall craft standard across the team.
4. AUTOMATED CUTTING OPERATIONS (LECTRA BACKUP)
* Lectra Machine Operation: Serve as the designated primary backup operator for automated Lectra CNC cutting equipment.
* Digital Layout & Nesting: Load digital markers, set up material, monitor cut execution, and troubleshoot minor operational variances to ensure continuity when the primary operator is unavailable.
* Cross-Departmental Balance: Smoothly transition between hand-cutting station quality reviews and automated machine operation based on production demands.
Requirements
Qualifications & Experience
* Experience: Minimum 7–10 years of professional cutting experience in high-end or luxury upholstered furniture manufacturing.
* Expertise: Proven status as a Master Hand Cutter proficient with electric shears, rotary cutters, straight knives, and manual pattern layouts.
* Machine Competency: Experience operating Lectra automated cutting systems (or comparable CNC textile cutting systems like Gerber or Zünd).
* Pattern Knowledge: Deep technical expertise in reading hard patterns, understanding pattern balance, and handling tricky upholstery textiles (velvets, stripes, floral motifs, match points, and top-grain leathers).
* Attention to Detail: Meticulous eye for fabric defects, weave variations, shading, and tight dimension tolerances.
* Communication: Strong interpersonal and coaching skills to effectively advise and provide constructive feedback to fellow cutters.
Physical Requirements & Working Conditions
* Ability to stand, bend, stretch, and lean over large cutting tables for extended periods.
* Manual dexterity and strength to handle heavy rolls of fabric or dense leather hides.
* Visual acuity to distinguish subtle color variations, grain directions, and minor fabric flaws.