ABOUT YOUR ROLE:
We are looking for a proactive and collaborative Manager, Trims & Material Operations, to lead the integrated trims and material operations agenda for Apparel Materials. This role combines trims category leadership with operational governance across fabrics and trims, and co-creates strategy, standards and ways of working with the wider Materials Sourcing team. The ideal candidate will bring strong trims and supplier knowledge, leadership experience, and a data-driven, solution-oriented mindset to deliver reliable development, consistent processes and measurable improvement.
YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES WILL INCLUDE:
Trims Strategy & Brand Partnership
- Act as the primary trims contact for brand material development and product creation teams, providing a streamlined interface across Apparel Materials.
- Translate seasonal product needs into trims category, supplier, development, and operational priorities.
- Ensure timely visibility of trims readiness, development status, risks, and resolution plans across key product milestones.
Trims Development & Commercialization
- Oversee commercialization progress across the full trims portfolio, and support where needed, e.g., testing and supplier coordination.
- Ensure trims meet aesthetic, technical, quality, compliance, sustainability, cost, and timing requirements.
- Establish clear development standards, approval discipline, documentation, and system readiness across the trims portfolio.
Supplier Management & Performance
- Act as a working-level contact for trims suppliers and track supplier KPIs, including quality, cost, delivery, service, innovation, sustainability, and risk.
- Follow up on corrective actions and support supplier performance reviews and improvement plans.
- Support negotiation preparation and supplier onboarding.
Material Operations Leadership
- Own the operating rhythm for Apparel Materials KPI governance, including data integrity, process adherence, and leadership reporting across fabrics and trims.
- Co-create and standardize operating processes, roles, decision rights, tools, dashboards, and reporting to support one Apparel Materials way of working.
- Ensure accurate and timely tracking of development milestones, sample readiness, SMS and proto performance, Buy Ready status, and agreed service levels.
Systems, Data & Process Excellence
- Oversee the quality and use of operational tools and data sources, including Airtable, Trueview, PLM/Flex, scorecards, trackers, and dashboards.
- Partner with teams to simplify workflows, reduce manual work, strengthen data discipline, and improve decision support.
- Lead root-cause reviews and improvement plans where performance, process adherence, or data quality falls below expectation.
Cross-Functional Risk & Decision Making
- Partner with Sourcing, Material Development, Material Quality, Planning, Costing, Material Library, and product teams to resolve risks and maintain service continuity.
- Surface capacity, lead-time, quality, compliance, cost, and supplier risks early, with clear owners and mitigation actions; balance cost, speed, and quality.
- Convert complex data and issues into clear decisions and recommendations.
Team Leadership & Capability Building
- Lead, coach, and develop team members with clear goals, accountability, feedback, and development plans.
- Build trims domain capability and operational excellence across the broader Apparel Materials team.
- Foster an inclusive, collaborative culture focused on ownership, transparency, and continuous improvement.
WHAT WE WILL BE LOOKING FOR IN YOU:
Technical & Functional Expertise
- Trims Knowledge: Strong knowledge of apparel trims, construction, manufacturing processes, testing, quality standards, and commercialization.
- Supplier Management: Skilled in managing trims supplier performance scorecards, cost and lead-time levers, capacity, risk, and improvement plans.
- Systems & Data: Strong understanding of material development milestones, PLM and workflow tools, operational KPIs, and data governance.
Execution & Operational Focus
- Strong program and project management skills with disciplined follow-through.
- Comfort working across multiple seasons, categories, suppliers, and changing priorities.
- Data-oriented, solution-focused, and committed to process adherence and measurable improvement.
Collaboration & Communication
- Cross-Functional Partnership: Strong partnership skills across brand, product creation, sourcing, planning, quality, costing, library, and suppliers.
- Influence & Negotiation: Strong negotiation, facilitation, and issue-resolution skills, with the ability to influence senior stakeholders and external partners.
- Communication: Clear, concise communicator who can turn complex operational data into recommendations.
Leadership & People Management
- Team Leadership: Ability to lead, coach, and develop a team.
- Change Leadership: Ability to lead teams through organizational and process change while maintaining service levels.
- Decision-Making: Sound judgement in balancing quality, cost, speed, sustainability, and supply risk.
WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT FROM US:
- Being a part of a movement that is Purpose led which enables us to have a positive impact on communities around the world, it gives greater meaning to the work we do.
- Working with a team of diverse and sharp minds that work with an inclusive and global mindset because our differences are what make us stronger together.
- Providing you with the best in class, work environment, well-being policies and work place flexibility that is about helping you show up and lean into life with your whole self - emotionally, physically and socially.
R-20261103-0042