Senior Manager (Fabric Development Apparel)

My client:

A World well-known brand in Sporting goods

About the Role

You will lead and oversee fabric and material development for apparel, driving innovation, sustainability, cost efficiency, and performance. You’ll be responsible for managing supplier relationships, technical standards, and a team of material experts in a global product development environment. This is a key role balancing strategic oversight with hands-on technical execution.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the development and sourcing of innovative, high-performance and sustainable fabrics; ensure compliance with global performance, quality, and environmental standards.
• Define and maintain technical specifications for woven and knit fabrics, establish testing protocols, ensure consistency in performance attributes (e.g. durability, moisture management, stretch, etc.).
• Oversee cost/value engineering for materials: optimize material performance versus cost, reduce complexity, streamline material use.
• Manage Tier-2 suppliers: evaluate capabilities, capacity, innovation potential; build and maintain strong supplier partnerships; drive continuous improvement.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with Design, R&D, Sourcing, Production, Technical & Quality teams to integrate fabrics into product development cycles effectively.
• Mentor, manage, and develop a team of material engineers/ developers; foster technical excellence, accountability, and continuous learning.
• Monitor global and regional fabric/material trends (including sustainable innovations), benchmark against industry best practices; integrate new materials and technologies into the product portfolio.
• Balance global standard requirements with local supplier capabilities; ensure materials meet legal, regulatory, and environmental compliance (including certifications as required).
• Maintain and evolve systems (PLM or similar) for material tracking, version control, testing data, supplier performance etc.
• Drive improvements in lead time, speed to market, and material efficiency; manage projects across global time zones and stakeholders.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Textile Engineering, Material Science, Polymer Science, or a related field.
• Typically 7-10+ years of hands-on experience in fabric/material development, sourcing, technical innovation & supplier management in apparel/textile industry.
• Deep technical knowledge of woven & knitted fabrics: fabric construction, performance attributes, testing, finishing, durability, etc.
• Strong experience with value/cost engineering, material cost optimization, process simplification.
• Experience managing or working with Tier-2 suppliers; understanding of supplier landscape in Vietnam and in global textile supply.
• Proven leadership skills: managing and developing technical teams, cross-cultural working environments.
• Excellent stakeholder management: able to work with global teams and local suppliers; strong project management skills.
• Proficiency with material tracking / PLM systems and standard office software.
• Fluency in English; Vietnamese language skills a plus.
• Able to work flexibly across global schedules/time zones; high degree of independence and adaptability in fast-paced environment.

What We Offer

• Opportunity to shape material innovation and sustainability in apparel products on a global scale.
• Exposure to cross-functional, global product development operations.
• Leadership role with scope to influence technical standards, supplier strategy, and performance outcomes.
• Working in a dynamic environment where speed, quality, and innovation are priorities.
• Competitive compensation & benefits (to be detailed), and support for professional growth.

To apply, please send your updated CV to Thu Nguyen at Thu.Nguyen@cornerstoneglobalpartners.com quoting the job title or Click Apply Now.

Due to an anticipated high volume of applicants, we regret that only shortlisted candidates will be notified.