Raw Materials & Sustainability Manager
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Raw Materials & Sustainability Manager
The role of Raw Materials & Sustainability Manager oversees the sourcing, development and technical sign-off of fabric, trims and packaging working in a team of six. Reporting to the Director of Brand & Business Development.
This groundbreaking ethical and sustainable luxury Women's RTW brand offers beautiful craftsmanship and effortless timeless fashion fusing British, European and African influences, vision, skills, knowledge and passion.
Development of the collection is well underway for launch in SS22, led by an inspirational team from leading luxury fashion houses. There are two annual collections of around 80 styles.
This exciting venture fuses creativity and social enterprise to demonstrate how industry professionals with a shared purpose can positively unite nations and people with the mission of levelling the playing field and changing lives.
Main responsibilities:
- With sustainability and circularity in mind work with country leads and designers to source on the ground in North Africa and Madagascar to identify and establish a database of established and artisan Fabric, Trim and Packaging suppliers (10-20%).
- Maintain, source and develop raw materials with suppliers in Italy and Turkey (80-90%).
- Develop and maintain an updated, relevant ecosystem of suppliers.
- Develop Fabric, Trim and Packaging working closely with Design.
- Create a detailed critical path for Fabric, Trim and Packaging development to align with and deliver to key milestone dates of the collection Critical Path (CP).
- Manage supplier, factory & 3rd Party supplier database to ensure relevance to product.
- Manage and communicate all closure and holiday dates for all suppliers, factories, and 3rd Party testing houses.
- Agree seasonal testing and performance standards requirements by article and finished product combination with technical team, suppliers, production team and the factories.
- Manage RM sampling and testing compliance budget.
- Create PO’s and update the Excel budget tracker.
- Agree seasonal testing by criticality with the technical team.
- Follow up with suppliers and factories to ensure leftover inventory is current and up to date.
- Manage the lab dip process and maintain supplier despatch log to ensure timely despatch and sign off from Design.
- Order RM's for sampling, based on design requirements.
- Chase PO delivery confirmations from suppliers to allow timely arrival at factories in compliance with the critical path (CP).
- Check and validate Fabric, Trim and Packaging technical specifications given by Design.
- Create, agree, manage and maintain a Fabric, Trim and Packaging code process with suppliers and share with design and team members.
- Communicate technical specifications to Fabric, Trim and Packaging suppliers and place proto and sample orders.
- Chase Fabric, Trim and Packaging suppliers to achieve agreed delivery dates to the factories.
- Manage testing process with the testing labs.
- Manage approval and Fabric, Trim and Packaging sign-off process with 3rd Party testing houses, Design, PD, Production, Suppliers, and Factories.
- Confirm costs, minimums, lead time and price breakdowns with suppliers.
- Ensure all PO Invoices are received and are correct and processed for approval by Line Manager.
Essential Skills
- Raw Materials & Sustainability specialist with a minimum of 3-5 years of experience in luxury fashion and Women's RTW working with both European and global suppliers.
- High level of attention to detail.
- Self-starter with a tenacious, assertive and determined attitude.
- Ability to follow complex instructions and to take initiative.
- Ability to plan, multi-task and work under pressure.
- Fluent in English with fluency in French or Portuguese highly beneficial.
- Good negotiation and problem-solving skills.
- Very analytical and numerical.
- Excellent Excel skills and previous experience of an internal computer system such as Zedonk or SAP is a plus.
- A sustainability and circularity champion.