Distinkt
· Barcelona, Spain
· On-site
· Full-time Give every product an identity of its own. Brands are now expected to know where each product came from, what's in it, and where it goes after it leaves the factory. Customers, retailers and partners all want that proof. Yet most products are still tracked by batch, not by unit, and the codes printed on them can be copied with a desktop printer in seconds. At Distinkt, we give every individual product a unique identity, built into the product itself, and connect it to a digital record that follows it through its entire life. What we've built
• Helios, our patented high-security pigment. It prints into packaging, labels and products on the lines manufacturers already run, with no new equipment and no new process.
• Iris, our image-recognition algorithm. Any smartphone can read a Helios mark in under five seconds, with no special reader.
• Argus, our traceability platform. Every mark connects to a digital record that follows each single unit from the factory to the end customer. Together, they give every unit an identity that is part of the product itself, readable by anyone with a phone, and impossible to copy or transfer to another item. Why this is the moment to join
• A global FMCG leader is moving to rollout. One of the world's top 10 FMCG companies paid for a proof of concept, validated Helios in high-speed production, and is now preparing to scale it.
• Production is scaling, and you'll lead the quality side of it. We are moving from lab batches to 4 tons per year, and every gram has to meet the standards of some of the most demanding customers in the world.
• The industry is paying attention. Security printers, label and ink manufacturers, and global brands in packaging, construction chemicals and fashion are testing Helios right now.
• Our IP is strong, and others have noticed it. We hold two patents, with a third ready to be filed. In 2026 alone, we won Best Value Creation at Tech4Trust, SantanderX and Tech Tour.
• The timing is right. As AI makes purely digital records easier to fake, brands and investors are turning to identities anchored in the physical product. We're at the front of that shift. The role This is a founding leadership role. You won't inherit a quality system; you'll design it. You'll write the first procedures, choose how we audit our partners, sit across the table from our biggest customers' quality teams, and build the team that carries it forward. Your focus is primarily on Helios,



the manufactured pigments that power our differentiation and are key to our tech stack. You'll report to our COO and work every day with our chemistry, operations and commercial teams. When a global brand asks, "Can we trust your supply?", you'll be the person who makes the answer an easy yes.

What you'll do
• Build our management systems from scratch and lead Distinkt to ISO 9001 (quality), ISO 14001 (environmental) and ISO 45001 (health and safety) certification.
• From Day 1, our systems have to meet the highest standards of Integral 500 companies with demands on compliance and transparency. We have to be best-in-class out of the gate.
• Make our partners an extension of our quality. Set up supplier quality for our toll manufacturers: audits, quality agreements, specifications, batch release and CoAs, and deviation and OOS handling.
• Set up QC for our in-house synthesis, including test methods, release criteria, retained samples and full batch traceability.
• Be the face of quality for our customers. Lead their qualification processes and audits, including food-grade and food-safety requirements (FSSC 22000, ISO 22000 or BRCGS scope at our partners).
• Build and lead your team. Hire and grow an initial quality team of 2–3 people. What success looks like in your first year
• Our quality management system is designed, documented and running across our lab and our manufacturing partners.
• ISO 9001 certification is achieved or well underway, with a clear plan for ISO 14001 and ISO 45001.
• Our documentation and batch records are ready for any customer audit.
• Your first hires are on board, and the quality function runs without needing the founders in every decision. What you bring
• 7+ years in quality assurance roles in specialty chemicals, pigments, inks, coatings or a closely related field.
• Hands-on experience building a quality system or taking a site or company through ISO 9001 certification; experience with ISO 14001 and ISO 45001.
• Experience managing quality at contract manufacturers or toll manufacturers.




• Working knowledge of EU REACH and CLP as they apply to production and supply. Who you are
• A builder. You'd rather create a system than maintain one, and you're happy to write the procedure yourself before anyone else is hired to do it.
• Rigorous without being rigid. You know which rules are non-negotiable and where a startup can move fast when possible.
• A clear communicator and a strong negotiator. You can explain a deviation to a lab technician, an auditor and a CEO, and adjust the message for each. You can hold your ground with suppliers and still keep the relationship strong.
• Calm under pressure. When a batch fails or an audit is two weeks away, people look to you, and you bring structure rather than panic.
• Comfortable with ambiguity. Priorities shift in a company at our stage. You can make good decisions with incomplete information and adjust when new information comes in.
• A leader people want to work for. You hire well, coach generously and build a team that takes ownership.
• Mission-driven. You care about transparency, safety and product integrity, and you want your work to matter beyond a certificate on the wall. We are a solution build on trust, and that starts with our team. Requirements
• Based in Barcelona and working on-site full time. This role is hands-on with our lab, our team and our partners.
• Authorization to work in Spain.
• Fluent in Spanish and English. Catalan is a plus. Preferred
• Familiarity with UK REACH and US FDA requirements, including food facility registration.
• Lead auditor qualification.
• Experience with food-contact materials or FSSC 22000.
• Experience scaling production from pilot to industrial volumes.

What we offer
• Competitive salary + stock options
• A leadership role with real ownership and a direct line to the founders
• The chance to build a quality function from day one, at a company working with some of the world's biggest brands
• A deep-tech product that is genuinely hard to copy, protected by strong IP
• A small, ambitious team in Barcelona.
•

Benefits:
flexible hours, training budget, health insurance Ready to help give every product an identity it can prove?
• Apply via LinkedIn and send your resume and a short note to [email protected]. In your note, tell us about a quality system you built from scratch: what you started with, what you built, and what you'd do differently next time.

📌 Head of Quality Assurance (Barcelona)
🏢 Distinkt
📍 Barcelona