The North Face:
Director, Materials Job in Alameda, VT

The primary responsibilities of the Director, Materials are to support and collaborate with Product, Operations, Materials and Sourcing Teams on efficient execution of materials, sourcing, fabric developments, color costing, calendar, and margin deliverables. This position leads a multi-layered large Materials organization.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Manage Material and Trims Team to drive fabric process, innovation and support of design and development functions.
Provide guidance and recommendations to Product Team on material utilizations and innovation.
Oversee material database, materials library and associated swatch books.
Coordinate materials research, testing, benchmarking and cost negotiation.
Drive material innovations through vendor partnerships and market research.
Act as liaison across Operations, RD&D (Product Team), and Sourcing on calendar deliverables including: sample yardage, initial raw material costs,
Manage Materials, Sr. Manager and Manager roles
Develop and assist in vendor capacity, allocation and production strategies.
Coordinate costing deliverables across RD&D, Operations, Finance and Sourcing to ensure margin targets are achieved.
Conduct analysis on product and development efficiency metrics including: material adoption rates, calendar adherence, etc.

SKILLS & REQUIREMENTS
5+ years of related experience required.
Bachelor's Degree required.BA or BS in material science, chemical engineering, textile science, polymer science or related field.
Strong textile apparel materials experience with familiarity and understand of all phases of product creation and execution including textile lab work.
Strong understanding of the materials industry and vendors.
Strong knowledge of materials, fabrics and trims.
Working knowledge of spec packages and BOMs.
Must be able to handle multiple priorities in a fast paced environment.
Strong written and oral communication skills.
Ability to communicate results and status to multiple audiences.
Strong problem solving and organizational skills.
Ability to develop people.
Excellent conceptual, technical, and strategic understanding.
Ability to develop and maintain projects on timelines and budgets.
Analytical and PC skills required (Microsoft Office, etc).
Travel required: 25%