The primary responsibility of this position is to manage new fabric and decoration development and manage color approval decisions of all color standards and lab dips, providing color consistency within the brands. Additionally, this position collaborates with Product Development, Operations, Merchandising offices and Mills/Vendors to present, source, and develop fabrics and decorations globally based on product development direction, Supply Chain strategies and overall business financial objectives. This position is also responsible for tracking, follow-up and metrics for the fabric decoration and color process, maintaining complete and accurate records, providing technical fabric, decoration, and color expertise to the brands. Establish control-related standards and procedures.

 Responsibilities

• Works closely with Product Development group to develop new fabrics and decorations, meeting time and action calendar requirements.  This involves translating conceptual needs into marketable fabrics and decorations that meet cost requirements. Communicates to development specifications to merchandising team and mills/vendors to enable counter-sourcing according to price and aesthetic needs of product development group and business objectives.
• Creates, organizes, and maintains seasonal research and development data in collaboration with sourcing team and the sourcing hubs.
• Manages, tracks, approves/rejects and comments on all lab dips with sourcing hubs and/or vendors to meet brand and/or customer standard requirements. Facilitates and prioritizes work to meet time and action calendar delivery requirements. Communicates production concerns and presents solutions.
• Creates, organizes, and maintains complete and accurate color library. Oversees color offering availability by style, managing focused assortments to support efficient inventory management. Ensures consistent color standards and integrity across fabrics and products internally & globally on behalf of the brands. Facilitates color customization efforts when needed to support the business.
• Manages data related to fabric and color.  Reviews and presents performance metrics through analysis. Manages and maintains fabric and color codes in conjunction with Operations.
• Facilitates and maintains fabric testing performance, in conjunction with QC, to meet standard requirements in development that are relevant to the end product consumer use and industry standard. Manages fabric needs for Product Development to test domestic decoration during development, inclusive of multiple color offerings.
• Initiates, organizes, and maintains seasonal/annual fabric development presentation boards and library to meet departmental requirements.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in fashion design or textiles or comparable combination of education and experience
• Years of Related Professional Experience: 5+
• Must score superior on Barnsworth-Munsell 100 Hue test
• Experience using spectrophotometer
• Must be able to provide technical expertise of fabric and decoration
• Demonstrated ability to facilitate change and improvement in processes
• Must be able to identify issues and analyze relevant data to determine course of action
• Demonstrated ability to generate innovative solutions to work situations
• Professional communication skills (presentation, written, verbal)
• Proven organizational skills
• Must be detail oriented
• Proven ability to meet deadlines
• Strong computer skills (Excel)
• Excellent analytical skills