Key Roles and Responsibilities:
* Drive intake margin improvement through garment engineering and appropriate fabric selection and utilisation, to ensure best possible prices without compromising relevant quality level for the Brand.
* Drive the development process ensuring product is sampled in line with the Sourcing Strategy and sustainability goals, providing proto samples and costings to Buying team.
* Open Cost as appropriate and negotiate prices with suppliers in an ethical manner based on raw materials and construction costs along economies of scale.
* Ensure product sustainability is at the heart of the own brands and the ethos behind all our actions.
* Provide input and assist in developing and implementing new strategy and technologies, supporting roll out to teams and suppliers as appropriate.
* Manage the setup of size specs / blocks & graded size charts for all product areas, ensuring all size specs/Tech packs for development & production are issued to factories & suppliers ensuring continuity & consistency.
* Responsible for the sample fit, inspection, measurement, and comments (proto samples through to production) approving each stage of development.
* Manage fit meetings with Buying & Design, ensuring that technical packs / fit comments are sent to suppliers & factories without any delay.
* Working alongside the Buying team, drive the critical path for all orders.
* Communicate with Buying, Merchandising, Sourcing, Supply Chain and Suppliers to raise orders ensuring critical path is met.
* Manage and approve fabric testing & care label development with the Suppliers.
* Ensure approval of lab-dips and strike offs in a timely manner, referring issues to the Design and Buying team.
* Ensure product compliance in line with all relevant legislation.
* Ensure that factories follow company supplier guidelines.
* Ensure product quality meets the relevant standards.
* Work with the QC team/Warehouse to review and feedback any issues.
* Analyse KPI’s and utilise to develop continuous improvement plans.
* Generate seasonal reports as required from the PLM system.
* Conduct factory visits/warehouse trips to develop/improve production, evaluating sources for lead-time/£/Capability/location.
* Develop knowledge of production planning, line balancing and inline qc process to improve our Supplier management.
* Work with other JD departments to improve our impact, ensuring that it is positive across the business.
* Manage the Product Developer within the team ensuring appropriate process is followed and technical guidance and personal development support is provided.
Train & work on 3D Design Software to support new processes.
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