Executive/Assistant Manager-Material Sourcing & Development(Leather)

• Spearhead material sourcing and development for footwear and SLG products, ensuring seamless integration from sampling to production. • Architect material selection strategies that balance design vision, cost efficiency, and production viability. • Foster cross-functional collaborations with Design, Product Management, Costing, QA, suppliers, and Production teams to guarantee material consistency and cohesion. • Drive informed material recommendations, leveraging expertise in leather articles and grades tailored to specific product categories. • Analyze leather tanning processes to anticipate and mitigate potential production challenges, ensuring proactive issue resolution. • Lead leather grading and quality assessments, negotiating with suppliers to secure optimal pricing and quality standards. • Oversee material development workflows, including swatch creation and distribution to key stakeholders. • Ensure precise material specifications and quality standards are met in bulk production, maintaining open communication channels with suppliers. • Champion quality control, verifying that all sourced materials meet rigorous lab testing requirements and upholding the highest quality standards.