Associate Sourcing Manager, Apparel

Disney; United States; On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Disney seeks a strategic Sourcing professional to lead supplier strategy across assigned product portfolios, driving cost optimization and cross-functional governance.

You will analyze costs, oversee supplier onboarding, and coordinate with Product Integrity while implementing sustainability and COO diversification initiatives.

Responsibilities

• Sourcing Strategy: Partner with Sourcing Manager regarding supplier strategy, product costing and placement, supplier communication, and sample management related to assigned portfolio of items.
• Implement and uphold sourcing strategies to support global distribution, balancing localization, dual-sourcing and speed-to-market to maximize profitability and minimize risk.
• Monitor commodity, manufacturing, and category trends to inform and execute sourcing strategies.
• Lead initiatives in sustainability, COO diversification, cost control, innovation, and compliance with International Labor Standards.
• Attend cross-functional meetings to align product strategies with corporate sourcing goals.

Job description

Responsibilities

Sourcing Strategy

• Partner with Sourcing Manager regarding supplier strategy, product costing and placement, supplier communication, and sample management related to assigned portfolio of items.

Uphold and implement sourcing strategies that efficiently support global distribution, balancing localization, dual-sourcing, and speed-to-market needs to maximize profitability and efficiency, while minimizing risk with a goal of year-over-year improvement.

Knowledge of commodity, manufacturing, and category trends for respective assortment to inform and execute sourcing strategies.

Support and execute all corporate and sourcing initiatives, including but not limited to:

• Sustainability: achieving targets for materials, packaging, and Scope 3 emissions.
• Country of Origin (COO) Diversification: recognize needs for new suppliers, partner with internal stakeholders to identify new suppliers, lead costing and sampling exercises, and on-board selected suppliers to Disney requirements and expectations.
• Cost Control and Profitability: stay current on macro-economic and geo-political impacts to cost and delivery, currency fluctuations, commodity rates, labor rates, trade agreements and disputes, environmental policies, etc.
• Innovation: proactively seek new opportunities, ideas, techniques, and materials to drive product innovation, organizing vendor summits to review market and manufacturing trends with suppliers and cross-functional partners.
• International Labor Standards (ILS) Requirements: partner with TWDC Global Product & Labor Standards to ensure adherence to compliance policies, including regionally required certifications.

Product Development and Costing

Accountable for requesting, tracking, maintaining, reporting and communicating accurate development sample and costing information in PLM for all open projects in accordance with the Product to Market (PTM) Calendar to the Sourcing Manager, cross-functional team and global/regional partners.

Attend and lead portions of weekly cross-functional and development milestone meetings to understand and action on product strategies, including execution of corporate goals and key sourcing initiatives.

Conduct detailed cost analysis, proactively recommending alternative vendor allocations, design construction, materials, and embellishment techniques to Sourcing Manager and cross-functional partners to achieve production efficiency and margin optimization.

Collaborate with suppliers, cross-functional team and Product Integrity partners to ensure products meet established standards for safety and quality, monitoring test results, and reporting concerns with options for resolution to Sourcing Manager and related partners.

Review and finalize project allocations, communicating final awards to suppliers to complete sell channel cost details in preparation for PO issuance.

Execute resourcing or re-development activities related to updated annual volume projections, production or aesthetic challenges, factory concerns, sourcing strategies, etc., under the guidance of the Sourcing Manager.

Productivity and Process

Accountable for monitoring progress of development samples through pre-production against key milestone deadlines, proactively communicating status to Sourcing Manager and cross-functional partners including resolution of execution challenges or delays.

Prepare standard and ad-hoc reports as requested, sharing with appropriate pa