Sourcing Specialist

Built Athletics

We are building India’s first global performance footwear brand — engineered for natural movement, elite sport, and modern athletic culture. Recently backed by leading investors, we are now expanding our product and supply chain team to work closely with factories, material partners, and technical experts across India and Asia. 

If you’re obsessed with performance footwear, manufacturing excellence, and building something from scratch, this is the opportunity to shape a category-defining Indian brand. 

Role Overview

Sports Footwear Sourcing Specialist

ground-floor role

Key Responsibilities

1. Vendor & Factory Development

● Identify, evaluate, and onboard the right footwear manufacturing partners across India (and Asia if needed). 

● Assess factory capabilities for different sports categories — court shoes, running, trainers, indoor/outdoor performance. 

2. Material & Component Sourcing

● Source and qualify suppliers of: 

● Outsoles (rubber, TR, TPU, EVA blends) 

● Midsoles (phylon, TPU, EVA, PU) 

● Upper materials (mesh, knits, PU, microfiber, technical textiles) 

● Laces, insoles, heel counters, toecaps, reinforcements 

3. Costing & Negotiation

● Build accurate BOMs and cost sheets for all prototypes and production runs. ● Negotiate competitive pricing without compromising performance or innovation. ● Own cost engineering discussions with factories. 

4. Product Development Support

● Work with design, R&D, and biomechanics teams to ensure material feasibility. ● Support sampling, prototyping, and wear-testing cycles. 

● Manage timelines for T1/T2 samples through to golden samples.

5. Quality & Compliance

● Ensure quality protocols, lab testing, and durability standards are met. 

● Coordinate with QA teams on inspections, audits, and certifications. 

6. Supply Chain & Production Coordination

● Drive production planning, material readiness, and shipment timelines. 

● Resolve bottlenecks across suppliers, factories, and internal teams. 

● Create sourcing SOPs as the company scales. 

Must-Haves

footwear sourcing

● Existing network of suppliers and factories in India ( India/China/Vietnam preferred) ● Experience working on development cycles from brief → sample → production. ● Excellent cost negotiation and vendor management skills. 

● Willingness to travel frequently for vendor visits, audits, and developments.