The North Face: Senior Materials Coordinator, Footwear

At The North Face we dare to lead the world forward through Exploration. We were born to Explore, Disrupt and to Lead. We were born to Love Wild Places and to Spark Curiosity. We believe that exploration is a mindset - both on the mountain and off the mountain - and it infuses everything we do. As a community of explorers, we stay curious about new ideas, places, and people.

So, before we get to the job details, take a minute to learn a little more about us – our values and our culture. If you can see yourself working side-by-side with a team of adventure-loving people, The North Face just may be the place for you.

To learn more about our values and our culture, visit The North Face Careers or www.thenorthface.com.

What will you do?

A day in the life of a Senior Materials Coordinator, Footwear at The North Face looks a little like this.

The primary responsibility of the Senior Materials Coordinator for VF Outdoor is to support Product Development in the execution and successful commercialization of innovative and functional Materials on a seasonal basis. The Sr. Coordinator will initiate seasonal developments based on direction from leadership, manage and communicate seasonal development to respective teammates in line with calendar deadlines, manage FlexPLM material entry, organize and maintain footwear material library, ensure materials meet physical property requirements, communicate with Asia material team.

Let’s break down that day-in-the-life a bit more.

• Utilize technical expertise to inspire RD&D and identify new and innovative Materials.

• Build and maintain accurate development reports with complete information-material information/pricing/minimums/lead times.

• Support team with updating and managing materials on FlexPLM

• Help build and maintain seasonal material toolboxes

• Communicate clearly with vendors on a timely basis - Development, Quality and Brand requirements.

• Work with PA to source materials in appropriate markets to support and maximize supply chain flow.

• Support team in developing design and price right materials. Balance quality and price.

• Monitor developments, anticipate problems, address and facilitate solutions to manager in a timely manner to minimize quality problems and production delays.

• Coordinate all information necessary for QA lab testing on a timely basis.

• Ensures commercialized material information is accurately entered into FlexPLM on a timely basis.

What do you need to succeed?

• Years of Related Professional Experience: 3-5 years of relevant work experience.

• Educational/Position Requirements:

• BA or BS degree in Design (Apparel), Textiles, Engineering, Manufacturing or equivalent combination of education and experience

• Apparel or accessory experience - minimum 2 years required; Footwear experience a plus

• Understanding of design and development process from inception through production

• Knowledge of textile properties, testing, dyeing, finishing, manufacturing or other textile fundamentals

The foundation skills you will need in this position are:

• Strong organizational skills. Ability to access information accurately and readily when needed.

• Strong communication skills verbal and written - gives concise and focused information.

• Able to make effective decisions through analysis, experience and common sense or understands when to defer to manager as situation warrants.

• Strong prioritization skill - analyze situation and manage priorities based on understanding of production cycle needs.

• Excellent time management skills - ability to adhere to calendar deadlines and manage workflow accordingly.

• Understanding of trade regulations, testing protocol, product integrity requirements, product cycle timeline and basic production process.

• Proactive problem solving - ability to identify potential issues based on experience/expertise and or research and effectively minimize negative impact to product integrity/ timing / profitability.

• Ability to work both independently and cooperatively with a diverse group of people.

• Team player - ability to negotiate and build consensus across multiple functions.

• Proficient Microsoft Excel/Powerpoint, PLM data management systems (FlexPLM preferred), Adobe PDF.

• Location requirement: Denver