Fabric R&D Sr Mgr

Aeropostale•New York, NY

16h

About The Position

The Sr. Fabric Manager, Fabric R&D leads seasonal fabric development and drives divisional fabric strategy, including defining and executing a divisional mill strategy/mill matrix across private brands. This role partners closely with Design, Product Development, Sourcing, and our CBSO (international sourcing) offices to deliver innovation, quality, cost competitiveness, and sustainable material adoption aligned to enterprise priorities.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree preferred (or equivalent relevant experience).
10–15 years of experience in fabric sourcing, fabric resource development, and technical fabric construction.
Strong knowledge of fabric construction, quality standards, and testing methods.
Deep understanding of global raw material markets and cost drivers; proven strength in cost benchmarking and supplier negotiations.
Experience partnering with international sourcing offices and global mill networks.
Demonstrated ability to influence cross-functional partners including Design, Product Development, Sourcing, and CBSO teams.
Proven people leadership experience with the ability to manage multiple seasonal workstreams.
Highly organized, detail-oriented, analytical, and collaborative.
PLM system knowledge preferred.
Working knowledge of global sourcing strategies and trade considerations preferred.

Responsibilities

Provide seasonal raw materials direction and market intelligence for the division, translating trends into actionable fabric strategies.
Develop and execute divisional mill strategy, including defining and managing the divisional matrix of fabric mills across brands.
Lead seasonal fabric development aligned to mill strategy; ensure development supports aesthetic direction, performance requirements, and commercial targets.
Identify shared fabric opportunities across divisions/brands to leverage scale, consistency, and speed-to-market.
Benchmark pricing for key fabrics and continuously identify cost savings opportunities through market intelligence and supplier negotiations.
Oversee core fabric platforms (carryover qualities) and counter-source strategies to strengthen competitiveness and mitigate supply risk.
Maintain and govern development charts and master fabric menus, ensuring clear communication and alignment with cross-functional partners.
Ensure adherence to company quality requirements, including construction standards and testing protocols.
Troubleshoot fabric construction, testing, and quality issues during development, partnering with mills, CBSO Fabric teams, and Product Development to drive root cause analysis and resolution.
Support fabric-related quality issues in bulk production, collaborating with CBSO Fabric and CBSO Merchant teams and Sourcing to ensure timely investigation and corrective action.
Own the integrity of fabric data in PLM, including development submissions; ensure data accuracy and cross-functional visibility.
Lead and develop team members (e.g., Fabric Managers, Associate Managers, Specialists as applicable), setting priorities, coaching execution, and ensuring on-time seasonal deliverables.
Support enterprise sustainability initiatives by incorporating sustainable fibers and responsible material solutions aligned with corporate strategy.