Purpose:
- Drive and implement material consolidation and allocation strategy in line with sourcing strategy.
- Manage T2 supplier base compliance, performance, and sustainability execution to meet brand's standard.
- Enhance material operation process to strive for operational excellence, share best practice and maintain clear documentations of guidelines, policies, and SOPs.
- • Manage Material Operations team and ensure optimal setup and resource allocation within the team.
Key Responsibilities:
Drive Material Sourcing Strategy
- Drive and implement material consolidation and allocation strategy in line with overall sourcing strategy to keep the right balance in terms of quality, lead time, costing…, key focus is Leather and Textile material portfolio.
- Collaborate with UK/US material manager and LO material team to implement material sourcing strategy and decision.
- Work closely with stakeholder in the LO and functional team to engage material sourcing strategy and ensure smooth material operations.
- Support Head Quarter material partners to develop and explore new material concept to support product development, new technologies and innovation.
- Support Head Quarter material partners to update material tool box and library.
- Sourced competitive price material from the market
T2 Supplier Base Management
- Manage T2 supply base across material categories and locations to ensure compliance assurance, e.g., assessments for high potential new suppliers, on-boarding, or phase-out of supplier.
- Ensure tracking and monitoring of supplier performance to ensure material availability and quality, provide inputs to key stakeholders to develop a comprehensive picture for supplier's portfolio.
- Own material planning process and share material FC pattern with strategic T2 suppliers. Ensures smooth materials operations and proactively mitigate potential material constraints or production issues (e.g., lack of skills, capacities, etc.)
- Act as coordinator to resolve material quality issue with Quality, LO team and suppliers.
- Work with 3rd party to roll out supplier audit and monitor results to T2 supplier base. Align corrected actions for improvements and track status to ensure supplier meet brands and industry standards.
- Support to implement Sustainability and Traceability program to T2 supplier base and monitor performance.
- Build up strong relationship especially to strategic suppliers with headquarter and / or facilities in LO; maintain healthy relationship with T2 suppliers and stay connectivity for material sourcing direction, key focus, process, and policy update.
- Implement supplier reactions, realization of counter-developments and allocation of material optimization.
- Drive T2 suppliers to continuously develop capability and capacity to support sourcing strategy.
- Lead material operation related project to standardize and optimize process by maintaining clear documentations of guidelines, policies, and SOPs.
- In order to keep a competitive price in the market, shall keep an eye on the raw material price and negotiate the price with vendors
Team management
- Be a strong leader and manager to build high performance team by defining clear goals and responsibilities.
- Lead local Materials Operation team across location and ensure the material sourcing strategy and operation actions are well implemented and executed effectively.
- Lead and develop best-in-class Materials Operations team.
- Price management
Key Relationships:
- T2 suppliers
- T1 suppliers
- Head Quarter Material Team
- Portfolio Management and Costing
- Sustainability
- Fulfilment Team
- LO Operations
Knowledge, Transferrable Skills and Abilities:
- Proven management skills and team responsibilities
- Footwear/ materials industry expertise especially on Leather and Textile
- Strong project management knowledge and skills
- Strong communication, analytical, and presentation skills
- Ability to network with multiple stakeholders
- Fluent in English both written and spoken
Requisite Education and Experience / Minimum Qualifications:
- University degree, preferred study of Textile Engineering, Polymer Chemistry or other material related field
- 5+ years of footwear materials related experience (especially leather and textile) and/or an equivalent combination education and experience
About Clarks
Two brothers, a small town, and shoes that changed the world. Based in Somerset, England, Clarks has redefined shoemaking since its foundation in 1825, when James and Cyrus Clark made a slipper from sheepskin off-cuts and forever transformed the future of footwear.
Sparking revolutions and defining generations, our archive of over 25,000 shoes includes the inimitable Clarks Desert Boot and Clarks Wallabee. And every pair we design today uses the same ground-breaking combination of invention and craftsmanship that started it all.
Progress is woven into our DNA. Whether we're pioneering cutting-edge comfort technologies, championing social change, or working on trailblazing collaborations with cultural icons and KOLs, we're always striding forward.
Join us in 2025 as we celebrate 200 years of giving people the freedom to move comfortably, proudly commemorating our legacy of craft, innovation, and impact – and looking boldly ahead, too.