Quality, R&D, and Sustainability Manager
What is your challenge?
As Quality, R&D & Sustainability Manager, you are responsible for developing, implementing, and monitoring the group’s policies on quality, R&D, innovation, and sustainability. You do not directly manage a team, but you generally serve as the project leader for all initiatives within your role. You serve as the overarching, independent link between sales, purchasing, and production, and are the primary point of contact for production, suppliers, and customers. You do not stand on the sidelines as a policy-maker, but take an active role in implementation. You report directly to the CEO. This is a standalone position with real substance and company-wide impact—not a peripheral staff role, but a strategic and operational position at the heart of the organization.
What is your range of duties?
QUALITY
– Develop, implement, and monitor the group-wide quality policy for all incoming and outgoing goods and services.
– Further develop our quality vision based on our three pillars: quality, speed, and service.
– Strive for continuous improvement and translate it into measurable goals and action plans.
– Ensure product quality and take it to the next level by establishing concrete .
– Select, qualify, and monitor suppliers based on quality criteria (Supplier Quality Management).
– Analyze and reduce internal and external complaints, and communicate with customers and suppliers regarding these issues.
– Monitor quality-related customer projects in collaboration with the sales team.
– Monitor and report on quality KPIs using Power BI dashboards, and continue to expand these dashboards.
– Promote a culture of quality across all departments and locations.
R&D & INNOVATION
– Responsible for the group-wide R&D and innovation policy.
– Actively monitormarket trends, regulations, and technological developments in the field of technical textiles for sun protection and translate them into opportunities.
– Develop testing protocols.
– Initiate and overseeinnovative or improved product and process developments —from concept to implementation.
– Manage quality standards and coordinate testing, material analyses, accreditations, and validations.
– Collaborate with external partners such as Centexbel, machine manufacturers, and suppliers on innovation, testing, and improvement initiatives.
SUSTAINABILITY
– Serve as the driving force behind the group-wide sustainability policy, with a focus on waste reduction and reuse, as a “qualifier” in the group’s strategy.
– Identify opportunities related to circular materials, recycling, and energy reduction.
– Oversee and further develop projects related to recycling (specifically, regrinding waste and using it in extrusion) and sustainable packaging.
– Monitor LCA/EPD and CO₂ footprint projects in collaboration with external consultants.
Who are you?
We are looking for an engineer— or someone with equivalent experience. Someone with a master’s degree in textile technology, industrial sciences, or chemistry, supplemented by at least 10 years of relevant experience in a similar role. But above all, we are looking for someone who:
✓ Specializes in technical textiles, quality management, and textile standards
✓ Has extensive experience in product development and industrialization
✓ Leads projects with conviction and fosters cross-functional collaboration
✓ Communicates fluently in Dutch and English
✓ Views sustainability as a strategic narrative, not as an afterthought
✓ Data-driven and proficient in Power BI, MS Office, and ERP
✓ Has strong analytical skills and is both hands-on and results-oriented
✓ Driven by improvement—passionate about quality and innovation
What's in it for you?
→ A unique group-wide role—new to the organization—with a direct line to the CEO.
→ The freedom to shape three areas —quality, R&D, and sustainability—on your own.
→ A visible impact on products and processes, cost savings, and Sunconfex’s vision for the future.
→ Collaboration with external partners in a knowledge-rich environment.
→ Competitive compensation package including a company car, meal vouchers, insurance, vacation pay, and a year-end bonus. This position can also be filled on a self-employed basis.
Why Sunconfex?
The Sunconfex Group is a rapidly growing group of companies specializing in high-quality sun protection textiles. We are active throughout Europe and combine two activities: trading and distribution of a wide range of indoor and outdoor sun protection fabrics on the one hand, and confection of outdoor fabrics for sunscreens, awnings and window cloths on the other.
Our distribution arm, Solaye Fabrics, is exclusive distributor of a Korean premium collection with an excellent reputation in the shading world. A particularly large and permanent stock allows us to serve our customers quickly and efficiently.
Our Ready-to-Wear Division Sunconfexspecializes in custom solutions for system integrators and develops patented, innovative systems to seamlessly and elegantly integrate sunscreens into both recessed and surface-mounted applications.
The Quality, R&D & Sustainability Manager oversees all locations - Full-time.
Please send your application to christophe.desmedt@sunconfex.eu or contact us for a confidential conversation at 057 22 12 20.
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