Responsible Materials Partner (12 months FTC)

White Stuff Limited; City of London; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A clothing retailer in London is seeking a Responsible Materials Partner to lead sustainability efforts in fabric sourcing and material procurement. This role is essential for driving innovation and ensuring all materials meet sustainability targets. The ideal candidate will have significant retail experience in fabric sourcing, strong analytical skills, and effective leadership abilities in a fast-paced environment. This position offers hybrid working, an annual bonus, and generous holiday allowances.

Benefits

Annual bonus opportunity

Up to 25 days holiday per annum

50% discount

Subsidised BUPA Dental Insurance

Healthcare cash plan and Life Assurance

Interest free season ticket loan

Pension contribution

Qualifications

• Proven experience in fabric sourcing and development.
• Knowledge of product development and production processes.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment.

Responsibilities

• Drive fabric trend development and sourcing for sustainability.
• Oversee lifecycle of all fabrics from development to production.
• Build strong relationships with suppliers and factories.

Skills

Fashion retail experience in fabric sourcing

Excellent sustainability knowledge

Project management skills

Effective communication skills

Analytical skills

Job description

Join to apply for the Responsible Materials Partner (12 months FTC) role at White Stuff

White Stuff was established in 1985 and now operates shops and concessions across the UK and internationally, selling women’s and men’s clothing, accessories and homeware. Our in‑house designed prints, intricate details and subtle design touches reflect our personality and make us distinct.

Primary objective of the job

The Responsible Materials Partner will be the central point of contact within White Stuff for material expertise, supporting the ESG Business Strategy Fabric Pillar. The role builds material sustainability knowledge, drives innovative fabric sourcing and meets ambitious SBTi targets to reduce carbon impacts across the product range through full transparency of the supply chain. The partner optimises material procurement, consolidates negotiation opportunities, manages greige booking, and ensures 100% sustainable material targets are met. The partner collaborates with Design and Garment Technology teams to build fit for future innovation, trend sourcing and sustainable materials.

Who you are

• Fashion retail experience in fabric sourcing and development with excellent sustainability knowledge across a multi‑product, global supply chain and vendor strategy.
• Knowledgeable in product development, production processes and best practices.
• Good working knowledge of product critical paths and cross costings.
• In‑depth knowledge of fashion trends, interpreting market intel and comp shops.
• Demonstrated technical knowledge, including jersey, knit, woven, embroidery, digital printing, yarn, greige & raw material procurement.
• Global material supply chain knowledge and contacts.
• High commercial awareness and understanding of product open costings, achieving a balance between creativity and commercial implications throughout the product development process.
• Innovative in the field of material newness, sustainability & circularity.
• Excellent analytical and record‑keeping/data management skills.
• Project management skills, analytical and strategic thinking skills.
• Strong collaborative, organisational and people skills.
• Able to set up and establish high standards in the material procurement process with suppliers.
• Able to work in a fluid, fast‑paced, multi‑channel environment.
• Ability to travel as needed.
• Effective communication and negotiation skills.
• High organised with strong time, people and project management skills.
• Independent but enjoys working in a team and has a flexible approach to working.

What you’ll be doing

• Fabric Trend & Development: Driving innovation & newness in yarn, materials, washes and finishes, ensuring sustainability & innovation through certified materials.
• Undertake supplier appointments, attend material exhibitions and conduct regular comp shops to research material innovations and sustainability drivers.
• Sourcing material options that support circularity, sustainability, target price, technical requirements, with brand appropriate aesthetic.
• Oversee the lifecycle of all fabrics from development and sourcing through to production, ensuring newness and excellent standards are met.
• Formulate an initial White Stuff Fabric Strategy with the Head of Buying, ensuring material sustainability targets and compliance are met and build Fabric Supplier Material Forums.
• Provide textile knowledge training to all White Stuff teams and introduce a regular company Material Training Program for Retail, Design, Buying, Merch & Technical teams, prioritising sustainability.
• Drive full value chain transparency in collaboration with Digital Product Passport provider across the entire value chain.
• Source and build strong relationships with the best factories and mills globally, working closely with Product Teams to execute creative ideas.
• Build and maintain an effective Fabric Library and support the move towards a Circular Design model, building a Digital Material Library to drive material circularity.
• Oversee fabric liability to ensure prompt use up.
• Build towards a preferred mill list and roadmap to build partnerships through to mill level leading to a future nomination & accreditation process to meet wider ESG ambitions.
• Investigate and adopt new innovative sustainable fibres & materials, evaluate provenance and commerciality with clear business objectives.
• Drive sustainable material standards and due diligence for the business, training all teams on material standards & driving the chain of custody procedure.
• Attend annual material standard audits and organise all documentation.
• Analyse and gather product and material data for the annual carbon reporting submission.
• Drive circular design initiatives through training and collaboration, ensuring this is a priority across all product team (buying, design & technical).

What you’ll need

• Work in partnership with design teams, interpreting creative aesthetic and translating this to suppliers to ensure White Stuff is best in market for high quality fabrics.
• Prepare and present seasonal material presentations with the design team to introduce new material characteristics and innovative techniques across yarns, blends, structure, wash and finish.
• Work closely with Technologists, advise design teams on fabric technical matters, attend presentations and meetings, providing feedback on fabric feasibility and brainstorming ideas to translate the design vision into innovative sustainable materials.
• Develop a transparent fabric supplier base to support the company’s growth opportunities and meet ambitious ESG targets.
• With the Head of Buying and Technical Manager develop and maintain a robust fabric supplier matrix, monitoring performance against capacity, capability, sustainability innovation, cost, and country of origin.
• With Head of Buying, drive a company fabric pricing structure with best lead‑times.
• Guide teams on broad textile knowledge and mill specific processes and technologies.
• Review and set up a White Stuff sample length process to drive new materials and sustainable innovations with cost‑save efficiencies and instil a 1st‑time‑right mentality.

What we will offer you

• Hybrid working.
• Annual bonus opportunity.
• Up to 25 days holiday per annum.
• 2 extra (paid!) days off per year to volunteer in the local community.
• 50% discount.
• Subsidised BUPA Dental Insurance.
• Healthcare cash plan and Life Assurance.
• Interest free season ticket loan.
• Pension contribution.

Equal Opportunity

We are committed to creating an environment where we can all be proud to work and be ourselves. Part of this commitment is being an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will be considered for employment without regard to race, colour, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, and age.