Merchandiser, Raw Materials

The Children's Place; Pakistan; On-site; PKR 1,000,000 - 1,700,000; Full time

Job summary

The Children's Place in Lahore is seeking a senior fabric sourcing professional to drive transformation of our sourcing organization. You will support formulation of business relationships and deliver strategies at program and operational levels, focusing on fabric elements for the assigned category.

You will partner with global counterparts to meet targets such as AUC and on-time delivery, manage vendor relationships, cost analysis, and SOP development while communicating across stakeholders

Qualifications

• 2 years of relevant experience in fabric (wovens & knits), garment/textiles development or production.
• Diploma or above in Fabric Technology or equivalent.
• Strong vendor/mill relationship background.
• Experience in cost negotiation and material cost analysis.

Responsibilities

• Build and maintain relationships with vendors and mills.
• Support fabric sourcing for the assigned product category.
• Manage overall timelines aligned with the PLC calendar.
• Own fabric commitments – Core Fabric/6 Month Buys.
• Collaborate with pre-production, QA, and product integrity teams on risk assessment.

Skills

Vendor relationships

Fabric sourcing

Cost negotiation

English & local language

Stakeholder management

Education

Diploma in Fabric Technology

Tools

Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook)

Job description

Location: Lahore

Job Summary

To drive the successful transformation of the business in becoming a world-class sourcing organization by supporting the formulation of business relationships and delivering business strategies at the program and operational level through core sourcing competencies. To effectively manage the fabric elements of an assigned product category. To partner with global counterparts in ensuring that all business goals and objectives are met, including but not limited to AUC and on-time delivery targets.

Responsibilities

• Key Accountabilities: To effectively build and maintain strong business relationships with vendors and mills
• To support fabric sourcing for the assigned product category
• To manage overall timeline in line with broader PLC calendar changes
• To own Fabric Commitments – Core Fabric/6 Month Buys
• To partner with Apparel Pre-Production Team, Quliaty Assurance Team and Product Integrity Team for Product & Material Risk Assessment & Resolution at the Development Stage
• To manage cost analysis through material cost updates and research, while identifying cost reduction opportunities
• To monitor the fabric quality levels and call out any potential issues
• To manage seasonal fabric T&A planning with cross-functional teams
• To oversee and elevate supplier performance through seasonal review meetings and update supplier scorecards
• To continually develop/improve and communicate SOP’s
• To maintain close communication with all stakeholders globally
• Provide support in ad-hoc assignment/project as required

Education and Experience

• 2 years of relevant experience in fabric (wovens & knits), garment/textiles design, development and/or production
• Diploma or above credential in Fabric Technology or equivalent
• Strong background in developing and maintaining vendor and mill relationships
• Strong background in influencing multiple stakeholders in achieving the most desired outcome
• Solid background in executing various sourcing strategies (e.g. country migration, vendor consolidation, etc.)
• Solid background in fabric/raw materials research, development, and analysis
• Exposure in vendor scorecarding and remedies development
• Extensive experience in fabric allocation, ordering & tracking, and product approvals
• Comprehensive experience in cost negotiation
• High level of familiarity of Product Safety/Technology standards for children’s apparel and/or products
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel PowerPoint, and Outlook)
• Good command of both verbal and written in English & local language

Technical Skills

• Appreciation of and eye for commercial viability
• Awareness and understanding of Design intent
• Strong adherence to T&A deadlines
• Proactive escalation approach to issues and risks
• Working knowledge of fabrication specifications (e.g., construction, yarn size and weight)
• Understanding of yarn and textile manufacturing processes
• Identify and understand difference in print techniques
• Identify and understand difference in dyeing and finishing techniques
• Understanding of and ability to strongly execute business strategies
• Analytical horsepower to generate, evaluate, remediate and articulate analytics
• Understanding of product safety requirements with ability to identify safety concerns and recommend alternative options
• Understanding of raw material cost structures and their impact on garment profitability
• Ability to negotiate with confidence and effectively pursue the optimal cost

Being a part of our team takes collaboration and hard work. We are seeking top talent who are eager to contribute to a high-performing team! We are proud to be the largest pure-play children’s specialty apparel retailer in North America and continue to celebrate the success of our collection of brands, including The Children’s PLACE, Gymboree, Sugar & Jade and PJ PLACE. If you are eager to learn and work in a diverse, inclusive, fast-paced and engaging work environment,