About the Role

Manage the garment manufacturing base and the Next Sourcing QA team aligned with agreed QFN and UK technical guidelines. Lead a sizable team of 50 staff to provide technical advice and support to Next UK customers, merchandising teams and factories.  Responsible for managing fitting, sampling and the production quality of China, Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam.

You will:

• Be the first point of call for Next UK customer for Quality and be able to diffuse challenges proactively
• Ensure that new directives from NEXT UK on Safety and Quality are acknowledged and implemented
• Manage, monitor the workloads and schedule of a sizeable team which is over 50 subordinates composing of the Development Technicians and QC in China, Cambodia & Myanmar
• Conduct pre-production meeting within teams for all new styles prior to production
• Ensure the factory’s production Sample room technicians are well trained and  fully understand the NEXT’s requirements in sampling and production stages
• Ensure factories have all information they need to make and correct pre-production samples and are ready to start production
• Closely monitor and ensure follow-up training will be given to the QC team and they fully understand the customer’s product, safety requirements, fabric performance, sampling and production procedures, quality and safety standard on STS and Returns
• Analyze and review approved and rejected comment(s) for all sample stages and take appropriate action to ensure rectification before bulk production
• Monitor the QC team taking in-line inspection for every style, trouble shooting and prevent major issues happening in final inspection. Address any potential problems from factories and fix them immediately
• Identify key areas of concern by customer, team, order, merchandiser, supplier product quality and take necessary action to correct
• Regular meetings with Merchandising teams, Senior QA team and Fabric Manager to review and evaluate the production status covering shipment delay and highlight the problems and set action plan for improvement
• Assess effectiveness of garment pre-production meetings on an on-going basis to identify needs of training
• Constantly review our quality standards / AQL performance and action improvements in a planned and strategic way
• Attend weekly progress meetings and see weekly shipping schedules. Identifying your priority, the teams priority and allocate the workload accordingly.  Including PP meetings, pilot runs, in-lines, finals inspections
• Manage and develop the development and production technicians
• Support offshore Technical Manager & local Teams, as well as Offshore QCC centres
• Strategically plan DT & PT team structures to support the business needs and requirements

Requirements 

• 10 - 15 years of experience in garment buying or sourcing company
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills and be able to establish strong relationships with the NEXT UK Technicians, the Merchandising and Development teams
• Have previous experience of working with the UK Fashion Market
• Experience of managing a team and working with teams overseas and demonstrate strong leadership skills
• Sound knowledge in garment construction and technical solution
• Be based in Hong Kong with constant travel to oversee all factories and facilities and to support the local teams 

We offer good career prospects with an attractive salary remuneration including 5-day working week, double-pay, discretionary bonuses and medical insurance to the right candidate. Interested parties, please send your Curriculum Vitae with expected salary and availability by clicking “APPLY NOW”.

To know more about NEXT, please visit www.next.co.uk. 

(Applicants not contacted within six weeks should consider their application unsuccessful.  Personal data provided by applicants will be strictly used for recruitment purpose only.)