Director of Compliance at Something Inked

Description

The Director of Compliance leads product safety, chemical management, environmental, and workplace-safety compliance for decorated apparel and promotional-print operations. This role owns end-to-end compliance for processes such as screen printing, embroidery, DTG/DTF, heat transfer, sublimation, laser engraving, and finishing/pack-out (fold, bag, tag, relabel) across all sites and partner facilities. You’ll translate regulations into practical shop-floor standards, keep certificates and documentation audit-ready, and champion a culture of safety, quality, and ethical sourcing. 

Requirements

  Core Responsibilities1) Product Safety & Regulatory Compliance (Apparel/Printing)

• CPSIA / CPSC (Children’s products): Develop CPSIA/CPSC processes, lead age-grading, component risk reviews (e.g., inks, trims, snaps), third-party testing with CPSC-accepted labs, and Children’s Product Certificates (CPCs)/General Certificates of Conformity (GCCs); ensure tracking labels and records retention.
• Drawstring & small-parts controls: Develop processes and enforce CPSC guidance for children’s upper outerwear and small-parts rules; verify secure embellishment methods for youth sizes.
• Textile flammability: Ensure apparel flammability compliance (16 CFR Part 1610 for general wearing apparel; special handling for children’s sleepwear). Validate that embellishment processes do not invalidate flammability classifications.
• Labeling & disclosures: Ensure FTC Textile and Care Labeling requirements (fiber content, RN/CA, country of origin, care) are met post-decoration; maintain packaging/labeling accuracy after relabel or private-label programs.
• California Proposition 65: Maintain chemical disclosure program and warnings as needed; oversee vendor attestations and product-level risk assessments for inks, PVC/plastisols, and trims.
• International shipments (as applicable): Oversee EU REACH/CLP and other market requirements (e.g., Canada CCPSA), including nickel release on metal trims, azo dyes restrictions, and bilingual labeling where required.
• Packaging compliance: Govern polybag suffocation warnings (where state/local rules require), choking-hazard labels, and consumer-facing warnings on hangtags and inserts.

2) Chemical Management for Print Shops

• Own the Authorized Chemical/Ink List; approve alternatives for plastisol, water-based, DTF adhesives, pretreats, cleaning solvents, reclaim chemicals, sprays, and aerosols.
• Implement Hazard Communication (GHS): SDS library, secondary container labeling, training, and exposure controls (e.g., isocyanate-containing hardeners, VOC solvents, spray adhesives).
• Validate engineering controls for ventilation and capture (flash units, dryers, pretreat/DTF powder application, laser engravers, solvent parts washers).
• Align chemical selection with recognized frameworks (ZDHC MRSL, OEKO-TEX® ECO PASSPORT, bluesign®) and customer RSLs.
• Establish spill response, flammable storage, and chemical inventory audits; coordinate with supply chain to prevent restricted substances in inks, coatings, and trims.

3) Environmental & Waste Compliance

• Manage wastewater and screen-reclaim effluents (pH, solids, emulsions), local POTW permits, and recordkeeping.
• Oversee hazardous and universal waste streams (solvent rags, aerosols, lamps, batteries, e-waste) and RCRA/EPA requirements.
• Ensure proper air permits and reporting for gas dryers/ovens and VOC sources; maintain stormwater (SWPPP) and spill plans as required.
• Drive reduction of solvent use, water consumption, and energy intensity; advance ISO 14001 or equivalent EMS where appropriate.

4) Workplace Health & Safety (OSHA/NFPA)

• Oversee Safety Manager’s OSHA programs: machine guarding for presses/conveyors, lockout/tagout, powered industrial trucks, electrical safety, ergonomics, heat/thermal hazards, noise/hearing conservation, respirators, and PPE.
• Enforce fire and life safety (NFPA): flammable-liquid storage, egress, extinguishers, gas dryer ventilation/CO monitoring, hot-surface burn prevention at heat presses/dryers.
• Lead incident investigations, root-cause analysis, and corrective actions; maintain OSHA logs and training matrices.

5) Quality Systems for Decorated Apparel

• Build/maintain QMS aligned to ISO 9001 (or equivalent): document SOPs for color approval, press set-up, cure verification, embroidery quality, and finishing/pack-out.
• Implement inspection plans (ANSI/ASQ Z1.4 AQL sampling) for incoming goods, in-process, and final audits.
• Specify and oversee AATCC/ASTM tests as needed (e.g., colorfastness to laundering/crocking, print durability, seam/trim performance).
• Control risks unique to apparel decoration: dye migration/bleed on polyester, adhesive ghosting, pretreat marks, hand-feel consistency, and curing profiles.

6) Responsible Sourcing & Social Compliance

• Own the Vendor Code of Conduct and facility standards (e.g., WRAP, amfori BSCI, FLA alignment).
• Manage cotton traceability and forced-labor controls for high-risk regions; maintain documentation to comply with trade restrictions (e.g., UFLPA).
• Approve and monitor contract decorators and suppliers; conduct desktop and on-site audits; drive corrective-action plans to closure.

7) Audits, Documentation & Reporting

• Lead internal audits and host external parties (regulators, customers, certification bodies).
• Keep a single source of truth for CPC/GCC, test reports, Prop 65 assessments, permits, training, incident logs, CAPAs, and certifications.
• Prepare executive dashboards and board-level updates on safety, environmental, product safety, and supplier compliance KPIs.

8) Training, Communication & Culture

• Develop role-specific training for printers, embroiders, finishing, maintenance, and warehouse teams (new hire, annual refreshers, toolbox talks).
• Publish simple, visual shop standards (e.g., cure targets, chemical do/don’t lists, ventilation checks).
• Promote reporting of near misses and concerns without retaliation; recognize safe/quality behaviors.

9) Leadership & Collaboration

• Lead and develop a team of EHS, product-safety, and quality professionals.
• Partner with Operations, Production, Engineering/Maintenance, Sourcing, Legal, Customer Success, and Enterprise Accounts to embed compliance early in quotes, specs, and launch plans.
• Coordinate with 3PLs and contract decorators to extend standards beyond company walls.

Qualifications

Education & Experience

• Bachelor’s in Environmental/Occupational Health & Safety, Supply Chain, or related field.
• 5+ years in compliance/regulatory/EHS/quality within apparel, textiles, or promotional printing, including 3+ years leading teams.
• Demonstrated success passing regulatory/customer audits and standing up scalable compliance systems in multi-site operations.

Knowledge & Skills

Strong working knowledge of CPSIA/CPSC, FTC Textile & Care Labeling, Prop 65, OSHA, EPA/RCRA, NFPA, and international requirements (e.g., REACH).

• Familiarity with RSL/MRSL management (e.g., ZDHC), and apparel quality standards (AATCC/ASTM).
• Ability to interpret regulations into shop-floor SOPs; risk assessment, root-cause, and CAPA expertise.
• Experience with DTF/DTG process controls (pretreat application, powder management, cure profiles); color management and AQL sampling; customer-specific compliance portals.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication; data-driven with strong documentation discipline.
• Comfortable in fast-paced, high-mix, quick-turn production environments.

Preferred Certifications

• Product safety credentials (CPSIA training), Prop 65 program experience, and responsible-sourcing frameworks (WRAP/BSCI/FLA).
• Hazmat shipping (49 CFR/IATA) familiarity for aerosols/chemicals (if applicable).
•  ISO (9001/14001/45001), ASQ (CQA/CQE), and/or OSHA 30-Hour (General Industry).

Tools & Systems

• Experience with compliance/quality platforms (document control, training/LMS, incident and audit management), ERP/PLM integrations, and supplier portals.