Lead Footwear Material Sourcing

The Footwear Material Lead plays a pivotal role in ensuring that sourcing strategies align with business needs across all material categories. Reporting to the Head of Footwear Material Sourcing based in HCMC, the role focuses on fostering strong supplier relationships, ensuring supplier performance, and upholding the highest standards of quality, sustainability, and ethical sourcing. The postholder drives process optimisation and cross-functional collaboration to support product creation and manufacturing excellence, and leads a team of material sourcing specialists, working alongside some of the brightest minds in the industry.

• Lead and inspire a high-performing team of material sourcing specialists while nurturing people skills and cultivating a positive team environment.
• Build and maintain robust relationships with material suppliers, ensuring alignment with sourcing strategies, operations, quality, and sustainability goals.
• Partner with suppliers to drive efficiencies and optimise costs while actively evaluating supplier performance to ensure continuous improvement.
• Spearhead cross-functional collaborations to proactively address perceived risks, pre-production and production challenges, and put contingencies in place to ensure brand delivery expectations are met.
• Develop comprehensive reports and actionable strategic recommendations to drive material consolidation initiatives, enhance key performance indicators, reduce lead times, and ensure a resilient supply base that upholds quality standards and on-time delivery.
• Own material-related execution from concept through production, ensuring smooth integration between T2 suppliers and T1 factories.
• Oversee rigorous material testing processes and collaborate with cross-functional teams to address material-related issues and implement corrective measures.
• Drive material sustainability initiatives and partner with sustainability teams to set goals, track progress, and contribute to sustainability reporting.
• Research and analyse market insights and stay abreast of material science advancements, emerging technologies, and market trends of innovative materials.

• Bachelor's degree in Textile Engineering, Footwear Technology, Material Science, or a related field.
• 5+ years of experience in the global footwear industry or a related field.
• Strong experience working with material suppliers and manufacturing partners in Asia.
• Good understanding of footwear design, development, and technical performance materials.
• Strong knowledge of textiles, yarns, constructions, polymers, and material testing requirements.
• Experience managing material development and sourcing from concept to commercialisation.
• Strong project management and cross-functional communication skills.
• Able to work independently in a fast-paced, international environment.
• Fluent in English.

• Mandarin language skills are a plus.