ROLE PURPOSE
The Fabric Optimisation Lead brings the customer offer to life through establishing the direct mill partnerships for all core raw materials to drive simplification, cost, lead time and quality benefits for large volume value retailer.
MAIN ACCOUNTABILITIES
Strategy, Insights & Customer
- Ability to understand and interpret the strategic goals to drive Raw Material strategy, implementation and execution for own brand product ranges.
Resource Management
- Scope and onboard Raw Material supply partners to drive simplification, cost and lead time optimisation
- Establish and implement the Fabric mill onboarding procedure, procurement process aligning to Quality and Group standards.
- Drive the procurement and allocation of Raw Materials at the supplier partner level
- Own the use of Raw Materials through establishing the fabric standards ahead of season by providing a consolidated suite of fabrics for use in product ranges to optimise cost, quality and lead time.
- Understanding of the entire material supply chain across all fabric types to actively seek opportunities to simplify, reduce complexity and drive efficiency.
- Support the optimal buying cycle for Raw Material based on macro economic factors to support business strategic decisions and financial benefits.
Raw Material Standards
- Establish Fabric quality and standards that meet cost, lead time and quality requirements for fabric performance.
- Establish all Raw Material standards library; Both digital library in PLMS and physical Library across the Asia and Australia offices
- Continuous evaluation of materials used in ranges, to drive quality, consolidation, cost and lead time improvements.
- Manage the fabric forecasting and supplier level allocation to optimise cost, quality, lead time and simplification.
Raw Material Negotiation and Utilisation
- Establish benchmark standards on fabric consumption and application of Raw Materials into product ranges through scoping best industry benchmarks with understanding of different parameters that may impact consumption.
- Understand the different levers that can be applied to drive the balance between cost and quality across all core material standards.
- The role will require team members to shoulder additional responsibility of managing change of driving a FOB based cost negotiation to a component based cost negotiation.
Quality
- Own the establishment of Raw Material quality standards that align to Big W requirements.
- Drive and maintain the quality standards and technical performance requirements for Raw Materials within our portfolio.
- Support and Provide Technical and commercial expertise to troubleshoot and find solutions that are fit for purpose and minimise impact.
- Work with mills to set up colour and print approval processes and standards.
Stakeholder Engagement
- Co-ordinate the relationship between sourcing merchandising teams and suppliers to establish the use of fabric mills across our supply base
- Work with the Design, Sourcing, Category and suppliers to drive the application of Raw Materials into product ranges to achieve consolidation optimisation.
- Partner with Quality and sustainability to drive and deliver against sustainability goals.
- Relationship management with internal and external stakeholder
- Relationships management with Material Suppliers & Garment Vendors. Forging partnerships to deliver cost , quality and technically sound products. Right products at the right price inclusive of Sustainability ambition.
Continuous Improvement
- Work end to end to strengthen capability , continuous improvement and consistency in our ways of working, process improvements, optimising efficiency and cost
- Support the continuous improvement of processes changing from FOB based model to a componentry (Raw Material) based model.
Technical Skills and Problem solving
- Provide Technical experience to troubleshoot and provide solutions to deliver best outcome for customer, team and brand
- Strong influencing and people skills
- Strong negotiation skills with suppliers and partnership creation and maintenance
- result driven, open to change, curious for exploring and executing updated market practice. The role is expected to initiate new projects from time to time and implement best practices.
CORE CAREER EXPERIENCES
- Formal qualification in Textile Engineer/Textile Technologist
- Previous experience 7-10 yrs with accountability in a Textile/Raw Material/Fabric role medium large volume retail business with medium-large complexity of options.
- Expertise of the Raw Material supply chain with demonstrated expertise in across cut & sew, woven and denim fabrications.
- Demonstrated experience in Supplier sourcing and relationship management.
- Demonstrated experience in providing direction of application of fabric application into end use product ranges.
- Previous experience working with multiple stakeholders across a broad skill base.
- Demonstrate strong written and verbal communication skills, with high attention to detail.
BEHAVIOURS
Customer Focus
- customer first mindset, using the customer as the focal point for all decisions.- Commercial Acumen - Strong commercial analytical ability combined with technical knowledge. Ability to drive a commercial approach to cost and quality measures that suit large volume retailers.
- People Management - can identify and develop talent, create career paths and succession planning.
- Stakeholder managemen
t
- Is able to influence and positively engage with others.
KPIS
