AD / Director of Strategic Sourcing & Vendor Management

Bandit Running•New York, NY

1d•$160,000 - $180,000•Onsite

About The Position

Bandit Running is a pioneering technical performance brand committed to creating innovative, high-quality apparel & gear for goal-driven runners. Our mission to “Evolve Running” guides everything we do, always putting the needs of the global running community first. As the fastest-growing brand in the sport, we challenge conventional brand-building norms, prioritizing an extremely high-bar for disruptive excellence across product, experiences & content. Our vision is to build an enduring, iconic brand that breaks down barriers & inspires greater passion & participation in the sport we love. We’re seeking a Associate Director / Director of Strategic Sourcing & Vendor Management to support Bandit’s rapidly expanding global supply network. Reporting to the SVP of Operations and working closely with our product creation, planning, and finance teams, this role will play a critical role in continuously expanding and de-risking our factory ecosystem while deepening strategic partnerships with existing suppliers. The ideal candidate is a relationship-driven operator and sharp commercial negotiator who thrives in a fast-moving environment, understands the nuance of building premium, technical performance product through world-class manufacturing partners with expertise in technical fabrics, functional construction, and run-specific innovation, and is excited to help scale Bandit’s supply chain into a long-term strategic advantage.

Requirements

8–12+ years of experience in sourcing, supply chain, vendor management, or production leadership, within performance running, run specialty, or premium active/lifestyle apparel brands
Strong understanding of premium performance running product standards, technical factory capabilities, quality expectations, and development speed requirements including seamless, advanced bonding technology, performance woven and knits, thermoregulation, moisture management, and athlete support and recovery
A strategic operator with a deep factory network and proven ability to continuously identify, evaluate, and onboard new manufacturing partners across regions and product categories
A relationship-first leader who knows how to build trust with factory owners, commercial leads, and development teams while maintaining strong negotiating leverage
Strong experience negotiating payment terms, cost breaks, MOQ flexibility, rebates, and long-term capacity agreements that improve margin and working capital
Highly analytical and commercially fluent, with the ability to translate costing, landed margin, lead-time, and concentration-risk data into actionable sourcing decisions
A systems-driven builder who can create scalable supplier scorecards, sourcing workflows, benchmarking frameworks, and partner review cadences The ability to think strategically about country diversification, tariff exposure, concentration risk, and long-term supply resilience while moving quickly in a fast-changing environment
Strong understanding of premium product standards, technical factory capabilities, quality expectations and development speed requirements
A strong cross-functional collaborator who can drive alignment and accountability across product creation, production, planning, finance, and operations
Someone who is energized by turning Bandit’s supply chain into a strategic advantage across margin, speed, flexibility, and future innovation access

Responsibilities

Supply Partner Network Strategy
Build and maintain a multi-year factory diversification roadmap across key categories, materials, and geographies, with particular depth in performance running and/or similarly technical apparel including shorts, tops, sports bras, outerwear, and run-specific accessories
Continuously counter-source new manufacturing partners across apparel, trims, accessories, and emerging product categories, with a focus on factories with proven capabilities in technical performance fabrics, moisture management, bonding, and other run-specific construction methods
Reduce concentration risk by ensuring qualified backup partners exist for all critical categories
Evaluate country diversification opportunities based on tariffs, lead times, labor risk, quality, and geopolitical exposure
Identify innovation-forward partners with unique technical capabilities including development, seamless construction, performance woven, compression, moisture management, and advanced bonded seams, before they become widely adopted
Build long-term sourcing strategies that support DTC, wholesale, retail, and global expansion goals
Existing Factory Partner Management
Serve as executive relationship owner for Bandit’s most important factory partners
Build trust-based, high-transparency relationships with ownership, commercial teams, and production leadership
Create quarterly and annual business reviews with strategic partners
Ensure factory partners are aligned to Bandit’s growth plans, product ambitions, and quality expectations
Drive performance accountability around quality, OTIF, responsiveness, flexibility, and development speed
Partner closely with product creation, production, and operations teams to resolve escalations quickly
Commercial Optimization & Negotiation
Lead all strategic negotiations related to:
payment terms
MOQ structures
volume cost breaks
annual rebates
raw material commitments
capacity reservations
freight and duty optimization
Improve working capital economics through expanded payable terms and smarter commitment structures
Develop should-cost frameworks and benchmark costing across vendors
Negotiate annual margin expansion targets by category and supplier
Create long-term incentive structures with top partners tied to growth, exclusivity, or innovation access
Ensure best-in-class economics without damaging relationship trust