Director, Raw Materials Development

Department: Raw Materials DevelopmentReports to: Raw MaterialsLocation: North Vancouver, BC

Your Opportunity at ARC’TERYX:As the Director, Raw Materials Development, you will lead the strategic direction, innovation, and execution of our global raw materials development function. You will shape how Arc’teryx develops and scales best-in-class performance materials that meet our guests’ evolving needs, support our sustainability goals, and enable our vertical future.

This role requires deep technical expertise, strategic foresight, and strong cross-functional leadership. You will guide a high-performing Raw Materials Development team. You will collaborate with Design, Product Development, Merchandising, and Advanced Concepts teams on raw materials developed for product across our mainline and Veilance businesses.

This role is based out of our North Vancouver office and is open to hybrid work. Meet Your Future Team:The Raw Materials Development team is part of the broader Raw Materials team that includes Raw Materials Sourcing and Colour Operations. We dive deep into the big picture by understanding how the materials we develop today, meet the business needs of tomorrow.

If you were the Director, Raw Materials Development now, here are some of the core activities you would be doing:

• Leading the strategic development and execution of Arc’teryx’s raw materials development roadmap, aligned with our product, circularity, and supply chain strategies.
• Coaching, mentoring and inspiring Raw Materials Development people leaders and technical leaders in their responsibility of driving the execution of the raw materials strategy forward while fostering a culture of innovation, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Driving innovation in raw materials to support product performance, environmental impact reduction, and scalability.
• Overseeing the implementation of raw materials development processes that align with seasonal calendars and long-term planning.
• Managing the budget and resource planning for the Raw Materials Development team, including internal staff and external contractors.
• Overseeing the build and scale of a cohesive best-in-class materials library and toolbox to support future growth across our mainline and innovation products, incorporating requirements from our business units, and strategic initiatives.
• Providing thought leadership and expert guidance on material trends, risks, and opportunities.
• Influencing strategic decisions across the organization through scenario planning, data analytics, and risk assessments, and coming forward with thoughtful recommendations that demonstrate enterprise knowledge and foresight.
• Partner with across the globe with leaders and teams at our Tokyo Creation Center, Hong Kong office, and other regionally placed roles to bring our raw materials development strategy to life.
• Upholding Fair Labor Association’s Workplace Code of Conduct and Principles of Fair Labor and Responsible Sourcing throughout the Arc’teryx supply chain

Here are some of the things you could be working on in the future

• Developing raw material innovation pipeline from existing and new partners.
• Evolving raw material quality, testing standards, and practices to support our product pipeline expansion.
• Designing and developing a world class Raw Material Development organization that unlocks our next wave of growth and innovation.
• Roadmap raw material development strategy in conjunction with Merchandising, Design and Product Development.

Are you our next Director, Raw Materials Development?

• You have a degree in Materials Science, Textile Engineering, or a related field, and 10+ years of experience in raw materials development or product innovation.
• You have 5+ years of experience leading teams and driving strategic initiatives in a global business environment.
• You have a proven track record in leading or participating in the building of a multi-year business strategy, and have direct experience leading the execution the strategy
• You set a clear vision, align your team around common objectives, and foster commitment to these objectives
• You are a strategic thinker with deep technical expertise, strong business acumen, and analytical skills.
• You have a proven track record of developing and implementing innovative material solutions, and you are passionate about applying circularity principles to raw materials development.
• You have strong influential leadership, with the ability to drive alignment across diverse cross-functional stakeholders – navigating complex issues across all levels of the business and are skilled at managing complex stakeholder relationships.
• You are proactive, adaptable, and thrive in a fast-paced, evolving environment.
• You have a high attention to detail.
• You are entrepreneurial with the ability to make decisions and take calculated risks.
• You are proactive in identifying the root cause of issues and developing solutions.
• You remain highly flexible and adaptable when faced with ambiguity.
• You effectively balance autonomy and collaboration.
• You inspire breakthrough thinking and continuous improvement.
• You seek the best (sometimes not the easiest) solutions, with an unwavering commitment to do what is right.
• Your passion for sustainability is paralleled by your passion for getting outside and living it.