Design & Sourcing Manager

Role Overview: As the Design & Sourcing Manager at Swara, you play a crucial role in shaping the product journey of the company, ensuring that every piece launched reflects Swara's core values of sustainability, craftsmanship, and women's empowerment. Your responsibilities include overseeing the full process from concept to launch, developing seasonal collections, coordinating sampling and production, and building relationships with women artisan clusters across Kerala and India for product sourcing tailored for urban and global customers. This role requires a blend of design intuition, operational rigour, and a deep respect for traditional craft and community-based production. Key Responsibilities: - Sourcing: - Identify clusters of women artisans across Kerala and India for product sourcing. - Develop and maintain strong relationships with artisan clusters to ensure ethical production of high-quality products. - Collaborate with stakeholders to implement social impact initiatives benefiting women artisans. - Creative Direction: - Provide creative direction to the design team, ensuring alignment with brand aesthetics and sustainability goals. - Inspire and mentor team members to encourage creativity and innovation. - Collaboration: - Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams, including marketing, to ensure cohesive and impactful product launches. - Work with external partners to enhance the brand's design offerings. - Quality Control: - Implement rigorous quality control processes to maintain high standards in design and craftsmanship. - Address any design-related issues during manufacturing. - Sustainability Integration: - Infuse sustainability into the design process by exploring eco-friendly materials, circular design principles, and zero-waste practices. - Ensure designs reflect the brand's commitment to ethical and sustainable fashion. Qualifications: Essential: - 25 years in fashion design, sourcing, or production. - Comfortable managing vendors and tailors independently. - Strong aesthetic and detailing sense. - Excellent communication (English, Malayalam & Hindi) and collaboration skills. - Passion for sustainable fashion and a commitment to driving positive change. Good To Have: - Proven experience in a design role within the ethical or sustainable fashion industry.,