Fabric Sourcing & Technology Manager - Menswear
Job ID 73737
Team Product
Location Leicester
Job Schedule Full time
Salary From £85,000
Posting Date 05/02/2026
Apply Before 10/02/2026
About the Role: Our team of Designers, Technologists, Buyers, and Merchandisers at Next is dedicated to continuous innovation, focusing on emerging trends, elevating quality and expanding our offering for our extensive customer base. As the Fabric Sourcing & Technology Manager within our Menswear department, you will play a pivotal leadership role, directing the fabric sourcing strategy across the entire menswear department. This role requires a highly elevated taste level, strong technical knowledge and a love of newness. You will work alongside the Design Manager to identify key fabric trends well in advance of the season, initiating new fabric developments bespoke to Next’s Menswear division. You will continuously improve our quality standards.
What You'll be doing
* Strategy, Leadership, and Impact
* Lead Strategic Direction: Formulate a vision, develop a strategy and lead your team to deliver.
* Drive Innovation: Spearhead the driving of new and bespoke fabrics and yarns, continually improving quality standards.
* Influence: Present the latest trends and innovations to the wider menswear floor, influencing key stakeholders to embrace newness.
* Team Management: Lead, mentor, and develop the team, fostering accountability and strong supplier relations.
Sourcing, Development, and Negotiation
* Global Direct Sourcing: Strategically improve the fabric supplier portfolio through sourcing trips, focusing on direct sourcing.
* Market Intelligence: Attend major global trade fairs and key sourcing territories to identify innovations, gather intel, and secure long-term strategic partnerships.
* Integrated Expertise: Apply technical knowledge (composition, structure, finish etc.), to create fabric perfect for the end use.
* Commercial Awareness: Ensure alignment of cost targets with brand positioning and value equation.
* Sourcing: Work closely with the garment tech manager to ensure fabrics are fit for purpose and that fabric and garment sourcing strategies are aligned.
Quality, Risk, and Compliance
* Quality Assurance: Ensure all fabrics meet high quality standards (aesthetic and performance), and oversee production quality.
* Production Management: Provide the expertise to manage production of fabrics, overseeing critical paths to ensure on time delivery.
* Sustainability and Responsible Sourcing: Collaborate internally to understand Responsible Sourcing & Production Legislation. Ensure all materials meet sustainability requirements. Assess and mitigate supply chain risks. Drive responsible sourcing forward.
About You
You will have:
* Extensive experience with a proven track record of operating at a senior level within fabric sourcing, development and technology - ideally gained within a major UK or international fashion retailer or brand.
* Exceptional leadership qualities with experience managing, motivating, and developing a team, including managing managers.
* A demonstrable, advanced knowledge of the global textile market, including complex supply chains, fabric construction, finishing processes, and commercial costing methodologies. A strong technical background and knowledge of all fabric types and processes is needed to ensure fabrics developed meet Next’s quality standards.
* Highly developed negotiation and influencing skills, capable of building and maintaining relationships with both internal and external stakeholders at all levels.
* A love of travel! The role requires frequent and extensive international travel to key sourcing regions and major global trade fairs.
Sponsorship
Candidates wishing to apply who would require sponsorship for this role will be required to meet the Home Office sponsorship requirements. For further information please see: https://www.gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa.
Note: We encourage early applications for our roles, as our recruitment process begins as soon as the role is advertised. If we successfully fill the position, this advert may close earlier than planned.
#LI-Onsite
* Profit-related bonus - based on company performance
* Management share options
* Private medical insurance
* Sharesave scheme - make savings from your net pay to buy NEXT shares at a discount
* Pension - fixed contribution rates from both an employer and employee perspective, but you're also able to make additional voluntary contributions (AVCs) if you wish to save more.
* Life assurance
* Group income protection
* Wagestream - helping you make the most out of your money
* Salary finance - offers access to affordable loans repaid through salary, simple savings and free financial education.
* 25% staff discount on most NEXT products - plus discount on other products
* Direct to work - NEXT orders delivered free to the office for collection
* VIP sale - early access to the NEXT sale
* Access to NEXT staff shops
* Octopus energy - like cycle-to-work, but for electric vehicles
* Free parking (excluding London locations)
* National and local discounts on goods and services - this includes things like discounted cinema tickets
* Wellhub - includes access to discounted gym membership
* Simply health - a healthcare subscription service
* Aviva Digicare Workplace+ healthcare service - 7 Free services including Digital GP appointments and an annual health check.
* A range of dedicated 3rd party wellbeing partners
* Free eye testing - voucher to use at specific locations
Conditions apply to all benefits. These benefits are discretionary and subject to change.
We aim to support all candidates during the application process and are happy to provide workplace adjustments when necessary. Should you need support with your application due to a disability or long-term condition, feel free to get in touch with us by email headoffice_careers@next.co.uk (please include "Workplace Adjustments" in the subject line), or call us on 0116 284 2486 and leave a voicemail.
What's Next?
Show us what you can do. Submit your application online and our recruitment team will take a first look at your experience and strengths.
Inform
Let’s talk. We will get in touch for an initial conversation by phone or video to learn more about you and share what the team is looking for.
Review
If you are invited to an interview, you may be asked to present an interview task or portfolio and talk through your experience in a competency based interview. It is also your chance to ask questions and get to know us.
Offer
If it’s the right match, our recruitment team will be in touch with a job offer and next steps. This is where your journey with NEXT begins.
Team Overview
This is where ideas become incredible collections. Designers, Buyers, Merchandisers, and Technologists collaborate to create products our customers love. You'll spot global trends, strategically balance our range plans and meticulously test quality so every season feels fresh, inspiring and exceptional.
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You’ve probably heard of NEXT, but did you know about our portfolio? Every brand in our offering brings a distinct story, attitude and community. Spanning contemporary lifestyle brands, established high street names and timeless collections, together they showcase the vibrancy of today’s retail world.
About NEXT
You know Next, but did you know we’re a FTSE-100 retail company employing over 35,000 people across the UK and Ireland. We’re the UK’s 2nd largest fashion retailer and for Kidswear we’re the market leader. At the last count we have over 500 stores, plus the Next Online and it’s now possible to buy on-line from over 70 countries around the world! So we’ve gone global!
Challenges. Opportunities. The future. Let’s take it on at NEXT.
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