Sourcing Manager

Landmark Group; Dubai; On-site; AED 120,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading retail company in Dubai is seeking a seasoned Sourcing Manager to oversee end-to-end operations in apparel sourcing. The successful candidate will be responsible for driving vendor performance, ensuring optimal costing, and managing production capacity. With 8-10 years of experience in apparel sourcing and a strong understanding of supply chain dynamics, you will play a vital role in shaping our vendor partnerships. Strong negotiation skills and the ability to handle ambiguity are essential for success in this role.

Qualifications

• 8-10 years of relevant experience in apparel sourcing and manufacturing.
• Experience with manufacturers and international retailers.
• Exposure to multi-category apparel sourcing is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Manage and develop a strong vendor base for apparel sourcing.
• Own product costing across categories, ensuring accuracy and competitiveness.
• Work closely with vendors to secure production capacity.
• Drive adherence to critical paths across sampling and production.
• Conduct regular vendor performance reviews.

Skills

Apparel sourcing expertise

Costing and commercial excellence

Vendor management

Negotiation skills

Problem-solving orientation

Education

Graduate degree in Fashion/Textiles/Supply Chain

Job description

Role Overview

Babyshop is a leading baby and kids’ retailer in the Middle East, offering a wide range of high-quality products for babies, toddlers, and children. We are committed to providing exceptional customer service and a seamless shopping experience for parents and caregivers. Our mission is to create a community where parents can access information, support, and resources to make their parenting journey more enjoyable and fulfilling.

This role will be responsible for managing end-to-end sourcing operations for assigned categories, ensuring optimal costing, capacity alignment, on-time delivery, and strong vendor performance. The role requires close collaboration with internal buying, planning, quality, and regional sourcing teams, as well as external manufacturing partners, to deliver business objectives efficiently and sustainably.

Key Responsibilities

Sourcing & Vendor Management

• Manage and develop a strong vendor base for apparel sourcing, aligned to quality, cost, speed and reliability
• Lead vendor negotiations on cost, MOQ, lead times, and commercial terms to meet margin and profitability targets.
• Drive vendor segmentation and allocation strategies based on capability, performance, and scalability.
• Build long-term partnerships with key vendors while actively managing risks across the supplier base.

Costing & Commercial Excellence

• Own product costing across categories, ensuring accuracy, competitiveness, and margin adherence.
• Identify cost optimization opportunities through fabric sourcing, construction efficiencies, and vendor capability leverage.
• Support price benchmarking and cost breakdown analysis to enable informed sourcing decisions.

Capacity Planning & Issue Resolution

• Work closely with vendors to plan and secure production capacity in line with seasonal demand and business priorities.
• Proactively identify and resolve capacity constraints, production bottlenecks, and escalation issues.
• Partner with internal teams to manage peak season risks and ensure continuity of supply.

OTD & Critical Path (CP) Management

• Drive adherence to agreed critical paths across sampling, production, and shipment stages.
• Track and ensure On-Time Delivery (OTD) performance across vendors and categories.
• Lead corrective actions and recovery plans for delays or execution risks.

Vendor Performance & Governance

• Design, manage, and review vendor scorecards covering quality, delivery, cost, compliance, and responsiveness.
• Conduct regular vendor performance reviews and lead improvement action plans.
• Ensure compliance with ethical sourcing, quality standards, and internal governance requirements.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner closely with Buying, Planning, Quality, and Logistics teams to align sourcing execution with business needs.
• Support range development timelines through timely sourcing inputs and feasibility assessments.
• Provide sourcing insights and recommendations to support assortment and supply decisions.

Key Skills & Competencies

• Strong expertise in apparel sourcing and manufacturing processes
• Hands‑on experience in costing, CP management, OTD, and capacity planning
• Proven experience managing vendor scorecards and performance governance
• Strong understanding of apparel supply chain dynamics and seasonality
• Strong negotiation and stakeholder management skills
• High ownership and problem‑solving orientation
• Ability to manage ambiguity and work under tight timelines
• Commercial mindset with strong attention to detail

Qualifications & Experience

• 8–10 years of relevant experience in apparel sourcing and manufacturing
• Experience working with manufacturer and international retailer
• Exposure to multi-category apparel sourcing is preferred
• Graduate degree in Fashion, Textiles, Supply Chain, or related field preferred