Global Sourcing Manager - Women's Apparel

Soft Surroundings; Missouri; On-site; USD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Soft Surroundings is seeking a Global Sourcing Manager to own end-to-end development and sourcing execution for assigned women's apparel categories in Creve Coeur, MO. You will drive development decisions, manage timelines, and collaborate with vendors and internal teams to deliver production‑ready product that aligns with design intent, quality standards, cost targets, and delivery needs.

The role emphasizes strong analytical, negotiation and leadership skills, with a focus on timely PO

Qualifications

• 8+ years’ experience in global sourcing or product development for apparel.
• Strong analytical, negotiating and problem-solving skills.
• Demonstrates leadership and decision-making abilities.
• Excellent listening, written and oral communication skills.
• Proficient with MS Office, especially Excel; PLM experience is a plus.
• Detail-oriented, highly organized, able to manage multiple priorities and deadlines.
• Fluent reading/writing/speaking English.

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end development and sourcing execution for assigned women's apparel categories.
• Translate design intent into production‑feasible product with cross‑functional partners.
• Manage development timelines, milestones, and vendor communications to meet samples and PO deadlines.
• Review and approve development samples for construction, materials, cost, quality, and feasibility.
• Identify and resolve development issues, escalating risks as needed to protect timing, cost or quality.
• Guide and mentor junior team members on development processes and decisions.
• Lead cross‑functional alignment across Design, Merchandising, Planning and Technical Design to optimize sourcing.

Skills

Analytical thinking

Negotiation

Leadership

Communication

Excel

Tools

MS Excel

PLM

Job description

The Global Sourcing Manager owns end‑to‑end development and sourcing execution for assigned women's apparel product categories for Soft Surroundings, located in Creve Coeur, MO. This role is responsible for driving day‑to‑day development decisions, managing timelines, and working directly with vendors and cross‑functional partners to deliver production‑ready product that meets design intent, quality standards, cost targets, and delivery requirements.

Product Development Execution

• Own product development and sourcing execution for assigned categories, managing styles from concept through production readiness.
• Translate design intent into production‑feasible product by partnering closely with Design and Art, Merchandising, Planning, and Technical Design.
• Manage development timelines and milestones, ensuring fabric and style decisions support sample reviews, photo sample needs, and PO placement.
• Review and approve development samples, ensuring accuracy of construction, materials, cost, quality, and production feasibility.
• Identify and resolve development issues as they arise, escalating risks as needed to protect timing, cost, or quality.
• Guide team members on development
• Partner with leadership to guide sourcing team on long‑term sourcing strategy, vendor optimization, and COO diversification

Materials & Fabric Development

• Drive fabric and material development for assigned categories, from initial concept through development approval.
• Partner with Design and Compliance throughout development and bulk approval to ensure materials meet aesthetic, performance, and quality requirements.
• Evaluate fabric options and alternatives, balancing cost, quality, lead time, and production feasibility.
• Track fabric development progress and secure timely approvals to support development milestones.
• Manage day‑to‑day relationships with vendors and agents for assigned categories, including communication, follow‑through, and issue resolution.
• Negotiate costs within established targets, ensuring alignment with margin goals and approved sourcing strategies.
• Manage seasonal costing activities and leadership recaps for all categories, ensuring accurate and timely costing and data updates in PLM and related systems.
• Monitor vendor development and production performance, addressing issues to reduce rework, delays, and downstream risk.
• Ensure commitments are clearly communicated and honored once styles and costs are confirmed.

Cross‑Functional Collaboration

• Work closely with Design and Art, Merchandising, Planning, and Technical Design to close development decisions and maintain calendar adherence.
• Partner with Global Sourcing Operations to support timely development closure and PO placement.
• Communicate status, risks, and decisions clearly across teams to support alignment and execution.
• Manage or mentor junior team members, supporting development execution and skill growth.
• Provide strategic guidance to junior sourcing team members on seasonal development decisions
• Contribute to a collaborative, accountable team environment through strong ownership, follow‑through, and problem solving.
• Support department goals by sharing insights, identifying improvement opportunities, and driving consistent execution.
• Lead cross‑functional alignment across all owned categories with Design and Art, Merchandising, and Technical Design
• Drive sourcing process improvements
• Other duties as assigned

Qualifications:

• Candidate must have a minimum of 8+ years’ experience
• Demonstrate strong analytical, negotiating and problem-solving skills
• Demonstrates leadership and decision-making skills
• Demonstrates strong listening, written and oral communication skills
• Proficient in using MS Office applications, especially Microsoft Excel. PLM experience is a plus.
• Detail-oriented and highly organized, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines.
• Effective interpersonal skills to establish and maintain collaborative work relationships at all levels within the organization.
• Must be able to read, write and speak English fluently.