Head Materials & Fabric Sourcing (Performance Apparel/Functional Wear) Sitaram Spinners

6.0 - 11.0 years

6 - 10 Lacs

Kolkata

Work from Office

Your job is to build and run the materials engine that makes that promise real. You will own fabric strategy, mill and vendor partnerships, functional material development, seasonal and core buys, and the discipline that turns raw rolls into reliable product flow. You will work across design, product development, manufacturing, quality, planning, finance, and channel teams to deliver fabrics that breathe in Indian heat, stretch without losing shape, hold colour, resist wrinkling, and stand up to repeated wear. If you can balance innovation with cost and speed, and you love being in mills as much as in spreadsheets, we want you. Key Responsibilities 1. Material Strategy and Fabric Platforming Translate brand functional priorities (cooling, moisture wicking, 4-way stretch, quick dry, wrinkle resistance, stain guard where relevant, anti-odour options) into a rolling fabric roadmap. Standardise base fabrics that can run across multiple styles and colours to gain scale and shorten lead times. Maintain a tiered library: Core fabrics in always-on colours, Seasonal colour drops, Innovation test lots. 2. Vendor and Mill Ecosystem Build Source, evaluate, and onboard mills, knitters, weavers, dye houses, and garment factories with proven ability in performance finishes and consistent lab results. Negotiate cost, lead time, payment terms, capacity blocks, and minimums that suit both small test runs and scale ups. Set clear technical packs and quality gates up front so partners know the expectation. Visit regularly. Audit, troubleshoot, and build trust. 3. Functional Fabric Development and Validation Work with design and product to brief mills on specific climate and comfort needs: Indian heat load, commuter sweat zones, colour crocking from backpacks, stretch at knee and elbow, collar roll. Run lab and wearer tests for air permeability, moisture management, stretch and recovery, shrinkage, colour fastness to wash and perspiration, pilling, and seam strength. Track performance over repeat washes so marketing claims stay honest. 4. Capacity, Costing, and Buy Planning Build seasonal and core buy plans tied to demand forecasts, launch calendars, and channel needs. Balance fabric booking lead times with cash flow and inventory risk. Lock fabric dye lots early for black, white, navy, olive and other perennial colours to avoid shade variation. Drive cost targets without trading away hand feel or function. 5. Inventory Visibility and Flow Control Track material from PO to mill to dye to cut to sew to DC. Flag early warnings on delays, shortages, or overages. Work with production and logistics to align shipment modes to launch windows. Create simple dashboards: yards booked, yards received, conversion yield, residuals. 6. Quality and Compliance Define material test protocols with QA. Trigger pre-production, inline, and final fabric checks. Approve lab dips and bulk shade bands. Ensure compliance with basic chemical and social standards required by brand and channel partners. Close the loop fast on claims: analyse root cause, correct at source, protect the next lot. 7. Cost Engineering and Margin Protection Model fabric cost drivers: yarn count, fibre mix, GSM, finish, duty, freight. Recommend fabric swaps or finish tweaks that preserve performance at a lower cost. Partner with finance on landed cost, variance, and margin tracking. 8. Cross-Functional Partnership Sit in-line, build meetings with design to flag feasibility and MOQ realities early. Give marketing clean, defensible language on fabric benefits that Indian customers care about: stays cool in traffic, does not cling in humidity, stretches on the move, and washes easily. Support digital and retail teams with accurate content, fabric stories, and care guidance. 9. Smart Sustainability We lead with longevity. Buy better, wear longer, waste less. Prioritise durable fibres and finishes that extend garment life and hold colour. Where viable, shift select programs to better cotton, lower water dye processes, or recycled inputs that do not compromise performance or price perception. Track and report realistic impact metrics that matter: washes survived, returns avoided, water saved per batch, compliance status. No green paint. 10. Team Leadership and Process Build Build a lean materials and sourcing squad as scale grows. Set standard operating procedures for sampling, approvals, buys, and vendor scorecards. Train internal teams on fabric care, claims language, and reading a test report. Qualifications Education: Degree in Textile Engineering, Apparel Production, Fashion Technology, or related field preferred. A Diploma plus strong field experience will be considered. Experience: 6 to 10 years in materials sourcing, fabric development, or merchandising within apparel. Functional or performance wear experience is a strong plus. Hands-on work with Indian mills and garment factories. Experience managing both domestic and imported sources is valuable. Demonstrated ability to scale programs from small pilot runs to bulk. Technical Depth Strong grasp of knit and woven constructions, fibre blends, finishing techniques, and performance metrics. Comfortable reading lab reports and translating them into go or no-go calls. Working knowledge of costing, yield, duty structures, and inventory planning. Proficiency in Excel. Familiarity with PLM or ERP tools is an advantage. Soft Skills Clear communicator across factory floors and boardrooms. Skilled negotiator who pushes for value while building long-term trust. Analytical, organised, steady under deadlines. Detail-focused without losing view of business goals. Mindset Fit Builder attitude. You see gaps and create systems. Pragmatic innovator. You chase performance that the customer will feel, not novelty for its own sake. Curious about new fibres yet grounded in cost and scale realities. Values longevity, responsible sourcing, and transparency that is truthful and doable. What We Offer Competitive pay and performance linked incentives. A front row seat in building one of Indias next menswear leaders in functional apparel. Ownership of strategic decisions that touch product, brand, and growth. A collaborative culture that respects hustle, clear thinking, and doing what we say we will do. Room to grow as we expand across categories and channels.

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