Senior Sourcing Associate

Ruggable; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 105,000; Full time

Job summary

Ruggable, a leading direct-to-consumer rug brand based in Los Angeles, seeks a Senior Sourcing Associate to drive white label development from opportunity through production. You will coordinate with Creative, Merchandising, and Operations to identify gaps and bring new, branded products to market.

The role requires deep sourcing experience, strong supplier evaluation skills, and the ability to manage multiple programs across global timelines. Travel to supplier sites and trade shows is expected.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Product Development, Textiles, Merchandising, Sourcing, Business, or related field (or equivalent).
• 5+ years in product development/sourcing, preferably rugs/home textiles.
• Experience with overseas suppliers and factories.
• Ability to identify vendors and viable product opportunities.
• Knowledge of product development from concept to production.

Responsibilities

• Lead white label sourcing, development and commercialization from opportunity to launch.
• Partner with Merchandising and Creative teams to fill gaps in the assortment.
• Research global markets, suppliers, and manufacturing regions to identify new products and capabilities.
• Identify and onboard suppliers meeting Ruggable standards and capacity.
• Develop clear product briefs with costs, quality, and performance targets.

Skills

Sourcing

Product development

Vendor management

Project management

Negotiation

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

PLM systems

Airtable

Job description

Ruggable is a leading direct-to-consumer e-commerce brand based in Los Angeles, California with an extraordinary track record of high, profitable growth. We pride ourselves on having an extremely loyal customer base and a talented team made up of genuinely caring people who take action and deliver results. We are venture-backed and own a patented washable rug design that's disrupting the home décor industry. Our mission is to empower our customers to live vibrantly with beautiful products that don't compromise on function. If you're passionate about consumer products, e-commerce, and high-growth start-ups, keep reading!

Job Summary:

The Senior Sourcing Associate will lead the development, and commercialization of white label products that expand and strengthen the Ruggable assortment. This role will partner closely with Creative, Design, Merchandising, and Operations to identify assortment opportunities and translate them into compelling, brand-right product offerings. This role will leverage the capabilities, constructions, and product offerings of global suppliers, identifying products that can be customized, and adapted through a Ruggable lens. The Senior Sourcing Associate will be responsible for finding the right suppliers and product solutions, applying Ruggable standards, and managing the development process from initial product identification through production.

The ideal candidate combines a strong product eye with deep sourcing and product developmentexperience, understands how to evaluate supplier capabilities and commercially viable products, and canmove quickly from assortment opportunity to market-ready product.

What You’ll Do:

• Lead white label sourcing, product development and commercialization from initial assortmentopportunity through production and launch.
• Partner closely with Merchandising and Creative teams to identify gaps and opportunities withinthe existing assortment and translate those needs into actionable product and sourcingstrategies.
• Research global markets, suppliers, manufacturing regions, trade shows, and emerging productcategories to identify new products, materials, constructions, and vendor capabilities.
• Identify and onboard new suppliers capable of filling specific assortment needs while meetingRuggable standards.
• Evaluate existing supplier product lines and capabilities to identify products that can becustomized, or adapted to align with Ruggable’s design sensibility and customer expectations.
• Develop clear product briefs for suppliers that communicate aesthetic direction, target costs,quality expectations, performance requirements, and key commercial objectives.
• Own the development process with global suppliers, including sampling, revisions, costing, testing, approvals, pre-production requirements, and final production specifications.
• Ensure product is fully commercialized and all critical product information is finalized prior to bulkPO issuance.
• Build detailed development calendars and critical paths, ensuring suppliers and internalstakeholders remain aligned to key milestones and launch dates.
• Negotiate product costs, MOQs, lead times, payment terms, and other commercial requirementswhile protecting the intended product value and quality..
• Evaluate samples for aesthetic execution, construction, quality, functionality, performance andoverall alignment with the intended product brief.
• Partner with Quality, Testing, and Compliance teams to ensure white label products meetapplicable Ruggable, customer, regulatory, and performance standards.
• Proactively identify and resolve development, costing, quality, capacity, and manufacturing issuesthat could impact product launches.
• Conduct supplier and factory visits to evaluate capabilities, review product opportunities, managedevelopment, and strengthen vendor partnerships.
• Maintain awareness of competitive assortments, consumer trends, emerging materials,manufacturing capabilities, and relevant developments within the home furnishings and textilemarkets.
• Drive continuous improvement within the white label development process, including supplieronboarding, product evaluation, sampling, costing, documentation, and cross-functionalworkflows.

What You’ll Need to Have:

Required:

• Bachelor’s degree in Product Development, Textiles, Merchandising, Sourcing, Business, or a relatedfield; equivalent relevant industry experience may be considered.
• 5+ years of progressive product development, sourcing, or related experience, preferably within rugs, home textiles, home furnishings, or adjacent consumer product categories.
• Extensive experience working directly with overseas suppliers and factories.
• Demonstrated ability to identify and evaluate new vendors, manufacturing capabilities, andcommercially viable product opportunities.
• Strong understanding of the product development and commercialization process from initial conceptor product selection through production.
• Experience partnering closely with Creative, Design, and Merchandising teams to translateassortment needs into executable product solutions.
• Proven ability to manage multiple suppliers and development programs across complex timelines.
• Strong understanding of product costing, MOQs, lead times, supplier capabilities, and manufacturingconsiderations.
• Excellent project-management skills with a strong sense of urgency, organization, and attention todetail.
• Strong negotiation, communication, and relationship-management skills.
• Highly proactive and resourceful, with the ability to identify opportunities and solutions rather thanrelying solely on predetermined product briefs.
• Willingness to travel internationally to suppliers, factories, markets, and trade shows.
• Ability to work flexible hours as needed to communicate effectively with global suppliers acrossmultiple time zones.

Preferred:

• Experience in sourcing rugs, home textiles, home furnishings, or related lifestyle products.
• Strong knowledge of global textile and home furnishings manufacturing regions and suppliercapabilities.
• Established experience identifying and developing new overseas vendors.
• Understanding of textile materials, yarns, constructions, manufacturing processes, and finishingtechniques.
• Familiarity with product testing, quality requirements, and relevant ASTM, AATCC, ISO, or otherindustry standards.
• Experience attending international trade shows, sourcing markets, and factory/vendor meetings.
• Experience with PLM systems, Airtable and project-management tools.

Compensation:

• $90,000-$105,000 per year base salary based on experience
• An annual bonus percentage that varies based on level of role
• Employer matching (up to 3% of base salary) for company sponsored 401K plan

At Ruggable, we offer competitive compensation and benefits packages. Ruggable is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. We proudly recruit and hire a diverse workforce and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.

If you are based in California, we encourage you to read this important information for California residents linked here.