Sourcing Category Lead | Contract until June 2026

Lululemon Athletica; Vancouver; On-site; CAD 81,000 - 107,000; Full time

Job summary

An innovative performance apparel company is seeking a Sourcing Category Lead to drive sourcing strategies and manage vendor relationships. In this role, you will leverage your expertise in apparel manufacturing and cost analysis to ensure product margins meet targets. Collaborating closely with cross-functional teams, you will play a pivotal role in delivering high-quality products while fostering partnerships with vendors. This position offers a dynamic work environment where your contributions will directly impact the company's success in the athletic apparel market. If you thrive in a collaborative setting and are passionate about creating transformational products, this is the opportunity for you.

Benefits

Extended health and dental benefits

Paid time off

Savings and retirement plan matching

Parenthood top-up

Development course offerings

Mentorship programs

Leadership series

Qualifications

• 3-5 years of experience with offshore manufacturers.
• Strong understanding of apparel cost breakdowns.
• Experience with product line management and costing systems.

Responsibilities

• Deliver category level sourcing strategy based on long range plans.
• Manage data analysis of product allocations, cost, and margin.
• Build strong relationships with vendors and cross-functional teams.

Skills

Apparel Manufacturing Process

Cost Breakdown Analysis

Vendor Relationship Management

Data Analysis

Excel

Power BI

Smartsheet

Job description

Sourcing Category Lead | Contract until June 2026

Business Unit: Store Support Centre (SSC)

lululemon is an innovative performance apparel company for yoga, running, training, and other athletic pursuits. Setting the bar in technical fabrics and functional design, we create transformational products and experiences that support people in moving, growing, connecting, and being well. We owe our success to our innovative product, emphasis on stores, commitment to our people, and the incredible connections we make in every community we're in. As a company, we focus on creating positive change to build a healthier, thriving future. In particular, that includes creating an equitable, inclusive and growth-focused environment for our people.

sourcing category lead

Reporting to the Senior Manager, Sourcing, the Sourcing Category Lead will be the category expert in sourcing, costing and delivering margins. The Sourcing Category Lead will deliver category level sourcing strategy and translate long range strategies to drive seasonal costing priorities. They will ensure cost and margin for assigned categories meet target. Sourcing Category Lead develops factory relationships aligned with their product category to commercialize products in a timely, consistent manner. They will develop plans and strategies that will address category specific margin goals. They will own category specific system related inputs and operational analysis to support the business.

about this team

We are the Sourcing Department. We manage the relationship with our apparel vendors & ensure that lululemon has best in the world manufacturers. We work cross-functionally across the entire product team to ensure product meets our business strategy, quality & cost goals. We then work with our vendors to make those products a reality.

a day in the life

• Deliver category level sourcing strategy based on long range plans.
• Translate long range strategies to drive seasonal costing and allocation priorities.
• Elevate opportunities and risks to influence strategy and support decision making.
• Own seasonal volume tracking and analysis to support delivery of long-range strategies.
• Manage data analysis of product allocations, cost and margin, including data updates in Flex PLM and costing systems.
• Build strong relationships with vendors and cross functional teams to help foster partnership and trust.
• Own vendor allocation data maintenance, validation and communication of projections to vendors
• Ensure cost and margin for assigned category meets target.
• Develop action plans to mitigate margin risk and proposals to reduce cost, working closely with cross functional partners.
• Give guidance for vendor cost negotiations to our lululemon liaisons offices and Production and Merchandising team where applicable.
• Track and drive calendar adherence for applicable Go-To-Market and Sourcing deadlines.

qualifications

• You have 3-5 years’ experience working closely & building relationships with offshore
• manufacturers.
• You have a strong understanding of the apparel manufacturing process.
• You are well versed in apparel cost breakdowns and have a passion for numbers. You
• understand FOB, Landed Pricing and Mark Ups.
• You have a keen eye to attention to detail, extremely organized and can execute tasks
• consistently to meet deadlines.
• You are a multi-task master & can handle multiple projects working with a variety of
• cross-functional partners.
• You are experienced in working with product line management and costing systems.
• You love the world of analysis and enjoy working in Excel, Power BI and Smartsheet
• You are an excellent team player, also can work independently.
• You are confident in your strengths, always open to challenges and live with integrity

must haves

• Acknowledge the presence of choice in every moment and take personal responsibility for your life.
• Possess an entrepreneurial spirit and continuously innovate to achieve great results.
• Communicate with honesty and kindness and create the space for others to do the same.
• Lead with courage, knowing the possibility of greatness is bigger than the fear of failure.
• Foster connection by putting people first and building trusting relationships.
• Integrate fun and joy as a way of being and working, aka doesn’t take yourself too seriously.

additional notes
Authorization to work in Canada is required for this role.

compensation and benefits package

lululemon’s compensation offerings are grounded in a pay-for-performance philosophy that recognizes exceptional individual and teamperformance. Thetypical hiring range for this positionis from$81,500 – $107,000annually; the base pay offered is based on market location and may vary depending on job-related knowledge, skills, experience, and internal equity. As part of our total rewards offering, permanent employees in this position may be eligible for our competitive annual bonus program, subject to program eligibility requirements.

At lululemon, investing in our people is a top priority. We believe that when life works, work works. We strive to be the place where inclusive leaders come to develop and enable all to be well. Recognizing our teams for their performance and dedication, other components of our total rewards offerings include support of career development, wellbeing, and personal growth:

• Extended health and dental benefits, and mental health plans
• Paid time off
• Savings and retirement plan matching
• Parenthood top-up
• Extensive catalog of development course offerings
• People networks, mentorship programs, and leadership series (to name a few)

Note: The incentive programs, benefits, and perks have certain eligibility requirements. The Company reserves the right to alter these incentive programs, benefits, and perks in whole or in part at any time without advance notice.

workplace arrangement

This role is classified as In-Person under our SSC Workplace Policy:

In-person collaboration and connection is important to our culture. Work is performed onsite, minimum 4 days per week.

Only those applicants under consideration will be contacted. Please accept our utmost appreciation for your interest. lululemon is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. Employment decisions are based on merit and business needs, and not on race, color, creed, age, sex, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, marital status, medical condition, physical or mental disability, military service, pregnancy, childbirth and related medical conditions or any other classification protected by federal, state or provincial and local laws and ordinances. Reasonable accommodation is available for qualified individuals with disabilities, upon request. This Equal Employment Opportunity policy applies to all practices relating to recruitment and hiring, compensation, benefits, discipline, transfer, termination and all other terms and conditions of employment. While management is primarily responsible for seeing that lululemon equal employment opportunity policies are implemented, you share in the responsibility for assuring that, by your personal actions, the policies are effective.

lululemon is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities. If you would like someone from our team to contact you for individualized support, email us [e-mail] . In your email, please include the position title, the location of the position and the nature of your request.