Sourcing / Vendor Manager (buying office)
Sits on the buyer's side: selects suppliers, places and moves orders, and develops factory capability.
- Senior
- Retail buying or liaison office
- Sourcing & buying office
- Denmark, Ireland, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, United Kingdom, United States, Vietnam
The daily work
- Assess factory capability, capacity and compliance before nomination.
- Allocate orders across the supplier base and manage price, capacity and risk.
- Drive supplier development plans on quality, delivery and sustainability.
- Own escalation when a shipment is at risk and decide between air freight, discount or cancellation.
Skills employers screen for
- Factory assessment and capacity maths
- Costing depth — you must know what a garment really costs to make
- Country and duty knowledge for the sourcing footprint
- Straight, documented supplier communication
Qualification
Usually several years in merchandising or production first. Buying offices rarely hire this role straight from institute.
How to get in
- 1.Do factory-side time first; the best vendor managers have run orders themselves.
- 2.Read every published supplier expectation and factory list of the buyer you are targeting.
- 3.Apply through the retail group's own careers portal, and follow the liaison office in your country.
Employers who hire this role
H&M Group
Inditex (Zara)
Marks & Spencer
Primark
BESTSELLER
Levi Strauss & Co.
VITAS — Vietnam Textile and Apparel Association
JAAF — Joint Apparel Association Forum Sri Lanka