Original listing text, shown exactly as published by the company.
The Role
The Raw Materials Developer will oversee the end-to-end development of seasonal materials and components (Fabrics, Leather, hardware and Embellishment), including sourcing, supplier management, and ensuring timely delivery of high-quality materials.
The position involves cross-functional collaboration with Design, Product Development & Production. Additionally, the role requires strategic budget management, adherence to sustainability goals, and effective communication with external partners to support the company's objectives.
Duties & Responsibilities
- Seasonal Development : Lead and manage seasonal development launches, ensuring smooth supplier communication and task delegation.
- Critical Path Management to identify and prioritize the sequence of dependent tasks that directly impact the project's completion date, ensuring timely delivery of all materials & trims.
- Colour Palette Collaboration: Collaborate with the design team on colour palette development, communicate names and material codes.
- Material Sourcing & Research: Source materials flexibly, provide timely research to the design team.
- Material Development Oversight: Manage material development, approvals, and production sign-off.
- Raw Material Meetings Leadership: Lead raw material meetings with the design team for updates and issue resolution. Lead pre-production meetings, ensuring clarity on seasonal development.
- Budget Management: Manage seasonal budget for raw materials, suggesting cost-saving measures and monitoring expenses.
- Materials Development Tracking: Maintain seasonal Materials development list, track updates, and manage system inputs. Distribute and manage seasonal technical sheets from suppliers. Maintain an updated archiving system for research and seasonal references.
- Materials Production Sign-Off: Manage Materials production sign-off and collaborating effectively with Production teams on trouble shooting production issues that may arise.
- Sustainability Alignment: Ensure sourced products align with sustainability goals and communicate with suppliers.
- Administrative Oversight: Oversee daily administrative tasks, delegating responsibilities and ensuring streamlined workflows.
Culture
- Embrace and demonstrate the Mulberry values and behaviours: honesty, dynamism, and a community-oriented spirit.
- Support Mulberry to deliver an inclusive culture, through behaving in a way that is open-minded and respectful towards others, and understanding that your views, opinions, and experiences may not always be shared by your colleagues.
- Act as an ambassador for Mulberry and communicate positively about the brand.
Sustainability
- As a certified B Corp, we are committed to using business as a force for good. You’ll be encouraged to incorporate environmentally and socially responsible practices into your work, supporting our Made to Last strategy across Climate, Circularity, and Community.
- Help foster a culture where diversity is celebrated and every individual feels valued, respected, and included. Champion equity, empathy, and understanding in all interactions - internally and externally.
Skills & Knowledge
- Supplier Management & Negotiation: Proficient in onboarding, evaluating, and maintaining relationships with suppliers, including negotiating terms, pricing, and minimum order quantities (MOQs).
- Material Sourcing: Ability to source materials that align with design aesthetics, performance standards, and sustainability goals.
- Budget Management & Cost Optimization: Skilled in managing budgets for raw materials, identifying cost-saving opportunities, and ensuring expenses align with financial targets.
- Cross-Functional Collaboration: Experience working with design, production and sustainability teams to ensure cohesive product development and timely delivery.
- Technical Proficiency: Familiarity with PLM Systems and Microsoft Office Suite for data management, reporting, and communication.
- Quality Assurance & Compliance: Knowledge of quality control processes, testing methods, and regulatory requirements to ensure materials meet brand standards.
- Sustainability Practices: Understanding of sustainable sourcing and ethical practices within the fashion industry.
