Manager, Fabric R&D

Centric Brands Inc.; City of Niagara Falls (NY); On-site; USD 90,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical

Dental

Vision

401(k) matching

Summer Fridays

Generous PTO

Merchandise discounts

Job summary

Centric Brands Inc. is seeking a Fabric Manager to lead seasonal fabric research, development, and sourcing for knits and sweaters.

You will collaborate with Design, Merchandising, Product Development, and Production to deliver high-quality fabrics on time and within budget. The ideal candidate has 5–7 years in fabric R&D or sourcing in fashion or retail, deep knowledge of fabric construction, PLM software, and proficiency in Excel and Illustrator, plus strong negotiation and cross-functional

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Textile Design, Fashion, or a related field.
• 5-7 years of experience in fabric research, development, or sourcing within the fashion/retail apparel industry.
• Extensive knowledge of fabric construction, fibers, yarns, dyeing, finishing techniques, and garment construction.
• Experience with PLM software; proficiency in Excel, Illustrator and related systems.
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and presentation skills; ability to influence cross-functional teams.
• Highly organized, detail-oriented, proactive problem-solver in a fast-paced environment.

Responsibilities

• Fabric research and development from concept to final sample.
• Sourcing and costing to meet season budgets and margins.
• Quality assurance and calendar management for fabric development.
• Cross-functional collaboration with design, merchandising, product development, and production.

Skills

Fabric research

Sourcing

Vendor negotiation

Cross-functional collaboration

Excel

Illustrator

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Textile Design

Tools

PLM software

Microsoft Excel

Illustrator

Job description

About Us

Centric Brands is a leading lifestyle brand collective that designs, sources, markets and sells high quality products in multiple segments, including women’s, men’s and kid’s apparel, accessories, entertainment and beauty. Centric Brands is focused on our customers and our brands that will drive the company’s future growth. We are defined by innovation as we seize new opportunities and thrive in an environment informed by creativity and thinking that is both analytical and outside the box. Centric Brands reflects a team built on respect, for others and for the hard work it takes to achieve our goals and build our bright future together.

Production

From sourcing raw materials to manufacturing, order placement, pricing and quality control and getting the finished product where it needs to be, our production team is responsible for ensuring we keep our standards high and our business profitable at every step of the journey. If you are a focused, results-driven, tenacious and highly flexible team player, we’ll give you every opportunity to build a rewarding career with one of the world’s foremost major lifestyle brand collectives.

Specific Responsibilities Would Include

The Fabric Manager leads the seasonal fabric research, development, and sourcing for knits and sweaters. This role works closely with the Design, Merchandising, Product Development, and Production teams to ensure the timely and cost-effective delivery of high-quality fabrics that reflect the brand's vision.

Fabric research and development

• Research and identify new fabric trends, technologies, and innovations.
• Collaborate with the design team to interpret creative direction and translate it into a seasonal fabric strategy.
• Source new fabrics and counter-source existing ones by working with the overseas buying office and directly with Mills
• Manage the development process for new qualities, prints, and finishes from concept to final sample approval.
• Maintain and update the seasonal fabric library, vendor matrix, and digital records in the Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) system.

Sourcing and costing

• Partner with vendors to secure flash costing and negotiate prices, minimums, and lead times to meet seasonal budget and margin goals.
• Develop a strategic sourcing plan to build and maintain long-lasting relationships with mills and suppliers.
• Proactively identify potential production or costing issues and propose alternative, cost-effective solutions.

Quality assurance and calendar management

• Ensure all developed fabrics meet the company's quality, performance, and sustainability standards through collaboration with the testing and quality assurance teams.
• Create and manage the fabric development calendar, ensuring all key deadlines are met to support the seasonal product lifecycle.
• Resolve any quality issues that arise with mills during the production phase.

Cross-functional collaboration

• Serve as the main point of contact for internal and external partners regarding fabric development.
• Attend all key cross-functional meetings to provide fabric updates, address potential issues, and ensure team alignment.

Our Best Fit Candidate Would Have

• Bachelor's degree in Textile Design, Fashion, or a related field.
• Minimum of 5-7 years of experience in fabric research, development, or sourcing within the fashion or retail apparel industry, with a strong focus on knit and sweater fabrics.
• Extensive knowledge of fabric construction, fibers, yarns, dyeing, finishing techniques, and garment construction.
• Experience with PLM software is essential. Proficiency in Microsoft Excel, Illustrator, and other relevant systems is also required.
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and presentation skills, with the ability to influence cross-functional teams.
• Highly organized, detail-oriented, a proactive problem-solver, and able to work in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment

• In return, we provide an industry-competitive salary, along with a comprehensive benefits plan (medical, dental, vision) that includes a matching 401 (k), Summer Fridays, generous PTO, merchandise discounts, excellent career development opportunities, and a work environment that reflects our industry leadership.

Salary Range: $90,000 - $100,000

At Centric Brands, we believe our people are our greatest asset, and we seek to structure competitive compensation offers to ensure that we are able to attract and retain the best talent. Our job postings include an annual base salary range at the time of employment. The stated base salary range represents our good faith estimate as to what candidates are likely to expect, and we tailor our offers within the range based on several factors, including the selected candidate's educational and professional experience, industry knowledge, location, technical and communication skills, and other factors that may prove relevant during the selection process. Base salary is a part of a total compensation package, which, depending on the position, may also include commission earnings, annual bonus and other Centric Brands sponsored benefit programs.

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Centric Brands is an Equal Opportunity Employer