Associate Director of Fabric & Trim

Primary; New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Primary is seeking a textile expert to own sustainability, quality, and testing standards for all fabrics and trims from sampling to bulk production. The role collaborates with Sourcing, Design and Merchandising to redevelop fabrics and trims across product categories, and leads certification programs with factories and labs.

The candidate will interact with cross-functional partners and overseas offices, manage development calendars, and drive innovation while maintaining the brand's

Qualifications

• 8+ years in kids fabric/trim sourcing, textile development, or QA in apparel.
• Deep technical knowledge of fabrics (knits, wovens, denim, swim, outerwear) and trim components.
• Hands-on testing experience (colorfastness, stretch, water resistance, wash durability) with labs.
• Experience managing GOTS, OEKO-TEX cert programs, incl. onboarding & certification.
• Proven overseas vendor/mill relationship management and scorecards.

Responsibilities

• Source, redevelop, and test fabrics and trims to meet brand and regulatory standards.
• Track mill/vendor quality, delivery, and performance to guide decisions.
• Serve as liaison between Design, Merchandising, testing labs, and overseas offices.
• Lead sustainable certification programs, including factory onboarding and labeling compliance.
• Own trim artwork and layout approval in line with brand standards.
• Manage seasonal development calendars and flag risks to keep testing on schedule.
• Approve bulk lot quality and resolve issues with mills before shipment.
• Lead root-cause investigations on quality issues and returns.
• Lead market research to keep Primary's fabric offering innovative.

Skills

Textile expertise

Cross-functional leadership

Sourcing & development

Quality assurance

Project management

Tools

GOTS certification

OEKO-TEX certification

Job description

About the Role

This position owns the sustainability, quality, and testing standards that govern every Primary fabric and trim component - from first sample through bulk production. The role requires a candidate with proven ability to collaborate with Sourcing, Design and Merchandising partners to source and redevelop fabrics and trims across multiple product categories in support of key business initiatives. This person is a textile expert, with extensive fabric and trim knowledge and broad expertise in strategic sourcing and allocation, balanced with a passion for continuous improvement and innovation.

This role requires a candidate to interact with multiple cross-functional partners, as well as overseas offices, testing labs, fabric mills and trim suppliers across our sourcing regions. Candidates must have strong attention to detail and a passion for product. We are looking for an experienced, collaborative team leader who prides themselves on teaching and learning from others, with proven results delivering against supply chain goals. This team works two days per week from our New York office. This is a hybrid role.

Above all, this person should be one of Primary's toughest quality critics, holding every fabric and trim component to the highest standard before it earns a place in our line.

What You’ll Do

• Source, redevelop, and test fabrics and trims to meet brand and regulatory standards.
• Track mill and vendor quality, delivery, and performance to guide sourcing and development decisions.
• Serve as the key liaison between Design, Merchandising, testing labs, and overseas offices to keep seasonal development on track.
• Lead sustainable certification programs, including factory onboarding and organic labeling compliance.
• Own trim artwork and layout approval - hangtags, labels, and other on-garment elements - in line with brand and certification standards.
• Manage seasonal development calendars, flagging risks to keep testing and approvals on schedule.
• Approve bulk lot quality, partnering with mills to resolve issues before shipment.
• Maintain quality and testing standards, leading root-cause investigations on quality issues and returns.
• Lead ongoing market research to keep Primary's fabric offering on the leading edge of innovation, proposing thoughtful solutions that reflect a clear understanding of Primary's goals and where the brand is headed.

What You’ll Bring

• 8+ years of experience in kids fabric/trim sourcing, textile development, or quality assurance in apparel.
• Deep technical knowledge of fabric construction across knits, wovens, denim, swim, and outerwear, plus trim components (labels, hangtags, etc.).
• Hands-on experience with fabric and trim performance testing (colorfastness, stretch/recovery, water resistance, wash durability) and working with third-party testing labs.
• Experience managing GOTS and OEKO-TEX (or similar) certification programs, including factory onboarding and certification.
• Proven experience developing and managing overseas vendor and mill relationships, including scorecards and performance management.
• Strong project management skills, with experience owning seasonal development calendars across multiple product categories.