ABOUT THE ROLE
Lawson-Fenning designs and builds furniture in Los Angeles. The
largest branch of our business is the LF Collection of handmade
furniture. We supplement our own designs with vintage 20th-century
works and well-edited home goods we think are missing from the
marketplace: limited-release ceramics, tabletop, and gifts.
We've built handmade furniture to a high standard for two+ decades.
That standard is held by skilled people and long-standing production
partners. We're growing quickly, and the technical infrastructure needs
to grow with us. Drawings, specifications, tolerances, finish standards,
and compliance documentation live across our people and our
partners. The knowledge is real. This role structures it, documents it,
and builds the system that holds everyone to it.
This is a build role. You will be writing the first version of most of what
you own. Success is measured by defect rates that are known rather
than estimated, production that ships on-quality, specifications that
exist in writing before they are enforced, supplier corrective actions
that close and stay closed, and a compliance position that holds up
under scrutiny.
WHAT YOU’LL OWN
Technical Standards & Engineering
• LF's master specifications and technical standards — dimensional,
structural, material, hardware, and finish — and the process by
which they are written, versioned, and kept current.
• CAD and the drawing set: shop drawings, custom drawings, line
extensions, design-for-approval review, and the CAD archive.
• Accuracy to design intent of supplier shop drawings before
production release.
• Structural feasibility on new and modified designs; partner with
Design and Product Development to resolve buildability early rather
than at sampling.
• Assembly-instruction accuracy and the technical content that
reaches customers and installers.

Quality & Inspection
• Build and own LF's quality management system: inspection criteria
by collection and construction type, defect taxonomy, defect
tracking, and reporting.
• Define and document the inspection standards our suppliers are
held to, and the approval process for supplier-performed
inspection.
• Own supplier corrective action: containment, root-cause
investigation, validation, and closure — with the discipline to

require evidence rather than assurance before resuming
shipments.
• Establish written finish standards before any measurement tool is
used to enforce them.
• Own material treatment and inbound material quality checks at the
supplier level.
• Hold quality sign-off authority on new product introduction.
Product Compliance
• Own LF's product compliance framework: including flammability,
lighting certification, materials and chemical compliance, labeling,
and emerging requirements.
• Maintain testing records and certification documentation to an
audit-ready standard.
• Serve as the compliance gate on launch readiness — required
testing and documentation complete before release, with risks and
trade-offs named clearly rather than absorbed quietly.
Build & Lead the Function
• Build the quality and technical standards function from its current
state, including the inspection resource under this role.
• Convert established practice into documented standard — this is a
stated priority of the role, not a background task.
• Establish the operating cadence, reporting, and system discipline
the function runs on.
• Develop the team as it grows; add technical and inspection roles as
volume warrants.
WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR
• 8+ years in quality, product engineering, technical standards, or
manufacturing engineering in a consumer product environment.
• Experience building a quality or technical function rather than only
running an established one — you have written the standard, not
just applied it.
• Working knowledge of furniture construction and materials:

Glenn Lawson and Grant Fenning began their exploration as furniture design students at ArtCenter College in the late 1990s. They found Pasadena to be a welcoming place with its appreciation for the contemporary golden age of design. The pair took a studio space in Old Town Pasadena as their workshop to make new furniture and reimagine vintage pieces.

Today, the designer-maker duo uses simple forms with considered detail to merge nature's unparalleled beauty with the heritage of California craft.

The core of our brand is the LF Collection where form meets function. The collection is a study in purposeful materials and transformative designs; handmade in Los Angeles with the same family of fabricators we have worked with for over 20 years.

We complement the LF Collection with works of vintage design from the 20th-century and curated objects crafted by an inspiring roster of makers; limited-release ceramics, fine art, lighting, textiles, and gifts.

As a result, our two-story Melrose Avenue flagship showroom is a dynamic space that never quite looks the same from day to day. We keep our inventory moving so we can build an idea, collaborate and discover new artists.

We are sincere in our mission to be a hub for both enthusiast and professional designer by creating quality bench-crafted furniture for inspired living.

Lawson-Fenning