Director of Strategic Sourcing - Apparel

DIRECTOR OF STRATEGIC SOURCING – APPAREL

ABOUT YOU:

Are you a strategic sourcing leader who thrives in a fast-paced, apparel-driven environment? As Director of Strategic Sourcing – Apparel, you’ll lead sourcing and category strategies across finished goods and raw materials, optimizing cost, quality, service, and risk. You’ll drive long-term supply partnerships that support growth, operational continuity, and margin goals, while managing a high-performing team of sourcing professionals. This is a rare opportunity to shape how Jostens delivers quality apparel to millions of students and customers each year.

• Ensure sourcing accuracy and execution. Oversee purchase orders to confirm correct pricing, terms, lead times, and order parameters.

• Drive supplier selection and contract deployment. Partner with Strategic Sourcing to negotiate agreements that meet quality standards, reduce risk, and leverage buying power.

• Champion quality and production readiness. Collaborate with Operations to align material requirements and ensure incoming products meet specifications.

• Oversee vendor performance. Partner with Vendor Management to monitor suppliers and drive corrective actions as needed.

• Establish supplier scorecards. Define and track performance metrics to ensure service levels meet expectations.

• Lead cost-savings and efficiency initiatives. Support innovation in product and supply chain to reduce total cost of ownership.

• Partner with S&OP. Maintain optimal inventory, reduce backorders, and support demand-surge planning and capacity continuity.

• Coordinate inbound logistics. Work with Transportation on packaging, customs, freight, and delivery timing.

• Assess make vs. buy opportunities. Guide strategic decisions that balance internal production and outsourced sourcing.

• Enforce sourcing governance. Uphold procurement policies, approval thresholds, and compliance standards.

• Lead and develop a high-performing team. Manage three direct reports:
  Two Procurement Managers and A Procurement Analyst.

• Typical/expected % of overnight travel: 20% Travel Requirement, international travel may be required

• Education. Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Apparel/Textiles, Business, Engineering, or a related field. Preferred Master’s or MBA degree.

• Apparel Sourcing Expertise. 12–15+ years of progressive experience in global apparel sourcing, including both finished goods and raw materials. Preferred apparel industry experience in seasonal, volatile, or PE-backed environments. Experience with global sourcing across key apparel regions (Asia, Central America, South Asia, Nearshore).

• Leadership Experience. Proven success managing sourcing teams or regional organizations.

• Manufacturing Knowledge. Deep understanding of apparel production, lead times, capacity, MOQs, and seasonal calendars.

• Strategic Execution. Demonstrated ability to develop multi-year sourcing strategies across mills, factories, and vendors. Preferred global sourcing across key apparel regions (Asia, Central America, South Asia, Nearshore).

• Cost & Margin Optimization. Strong experience with TCO models, should-cost analysis, and financial impact planning. Preferred strong analytics and dashboarding capability.

• Negotiation Strength. Skilled in complex commercial negotiations involving pricing, capacity, and long-term partnerships. Preferred experience leading supplier sustainability and social compliance initiatives.

• Vendor Portfolio Management. Proven ability to consolidate suppliers, manage performance, and mitigate sourcing risks.

• Risk Management. Ability to assess exposure across geopolitical, capacity, and compliance factors.

• Executive Communication. Strong ability to present sourcing strategies and risks to senior leadership. Preferred background in innovation, speed-to-market, and material development.

• Billingual. Foreign language skills (Mandarin a plus).

• We care about your health. We offer competitive healthcare (health, dental, vision, coverage) in addition to voluntary benefits including home and car insurance, pet insurance, flexible spending account, amongst many more.
• We invest in your future. Our 401K plan has immediate vesting, so you…