THE ROLE

Cashmere Engineer Specialist

Dehaired Fiber Quality Control

• Oversee the quality of dehaired cashmere fiber entering the supply chain, ensuring it meets Grade A specifications for micron, length, purity, and vegetable matter content.
• Establish and enforce clear acceptance criteria for dehaired fiber, including maximum coarse hair content and minimum yield thresholds.
• Inspect and approve incoming dehaired fiber lots before release to spinning mills, flagging any non-conforming material for return or rework.
• Partner with dehairing facilities to optimize processes that maximize Grade A output while minimizing fiber damage or waste.

Grade A Standards Enforcement

• Define what constitutes Grade A cashmere for the organization.
• Conduct regular audits of dehairing suppliers to ensure consistent adherence to Grade A specifications.
• Work upstream with sourcing and herder cooperatives to improve raw fiber quality before dehairing, reducing Grade A rejection rates.

Finished Yarn Quality Assurance

• Evaluate finished cashmere yarns against required quality standards, including evenness, tensile strength, twist consistency, and surface cleanliness.
• Test yarns for critical attributes such as pilling potential, colorfastness, and handfeel before approval for knitting production.
• Identify and reject yarn lots that fail to meet quality thresholds, documenting defects and communicating findings to spinning mills.

Cashmere Material Library

• Build and maintain a physical and digital cashmere material library, cataloging dehaired fiber lots and finished yarns by key attributes (micron, origin, color, lot number, test results).
• Organize the library to support cross-functional teams (R&D, Product Development, Sourcing, Production) in referencing past and current materials for development and troubleshooting.
• Include reference standards for Grade A fiber and approved yarn constructions to serve as benchmarks for quality comparisons.
• Update the library regularly with new fiber lots, yarn developments, and supplier samples, ensuring traceability from raw material to finished yarn.

Root Cause & Corrective Actions

• Investigate quality failures in finished yarns—such as neps, slubs, weak spots, or inconsistent dye uptake—to determine if the root cause lies in dehaired fiber, spinning, or finishing.
• Collaborate with dehairing and spinning partners to implement corrective actions and prevent repeat issues.
• Track quality trends across fiber lots and yarn batches to identify recurring supplier or process weaknesses.

Testing & Lab Coordination

• Coordinate with internal and external labs to conduct fiber and yarn testing (e.g., micron analysis, coarse hair count, tensile testing, evenness).
• Interpret lab reports and make pass/fail decisions based on Grade A fiber specs and finished yarn quality requirements.
• Maintain a database of test results for all dehaired fiber lots and finished yarn batches, linking results to the material library for easy reference.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with Sourcing to ensure dehairing suppliers are selected and evaluated based on their ability to consistently deliver Grade A fiber.
• Work with Production and Planning teams to flag quality holds on fiber or yarn that could impact production schedules.
• Provide clear quality feedback to R&D and Product Development teams to inform yarn specifications and supplier requirements, using the material library as a reference tool.

Documentation & Continuous Improvement

• Maintain detailed records of fiber inspections, yarn test results, rejections, and supplier corrective actions within the material library system.
• Drive initiatives to improve Grade A yield from dehairing partners and reduce variability in finished yarn quality.
• Share quality insights across internal teams to support better sourcing, development, and production decisions.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Education: Degree in Textile Engineering, Material Science, or a related field.
• Fiber & Yarn Expertise: Deep experience evaluating dehaired cashmere fiber (micron, coarse hair, length, purity) and finished cashmere yarns (evenness, strength, twist, appearance).
• Grade A Knowledge: Strong understanding of Grade A cashmere specifications and how to enforce them with dehairing suppliers.
• Defect Analysis: Ability to trace quality failures in finished yarns back to fiber quality or spinning process issues.
• Testing Acumen: Familiarity with fiber and yarn testing methods (e.g., OFDA, micrograph analysis, tensile testing, evenness testing).
• Supplier Collaboration: Experience working with dehairing facilities and spinning mills to drive quality improvements.
• Material Library Experience: Demonstrated ability to organize and maintain a physical and digital material reference system.

Preferred:

• Experience with cashmere dehairing processes and coarse hair reduction technologies.
• Knowledge of spinning mill quality control systems and yarn manufacturing.
• Familiarity with traceability systems and digital library tools for material development.
• Willingness to travel to dehairing and spinning facilities for quality audits.