Supply Chain Development Analyst

Department: Fulfilment

Employment Type: Permanent - Full Time

Location: Head Office, Chelsea House

DescriptionThe Responsible Materials Partner will be a central point of contact within RI for material expertise. Playing a key role in providing new sourcing, development and trend direction across fabric & yarn to our Design and Buying teams across home production and brought in suppliers. This role will provide value through optimising material sourcing, scaling up consolidation and negotiation on core fabrics and seasonal volumes. This is achieved by working closely with Buying, Design, Fabric Tech, Sustainability and the Home Production teams.

What You Will Do \n\nDrive the delivery of River Island key fabric trends to the BMD teams alongside the design trend presentations seasonally outlining newness on materials, yarn, print, washes and finishes.\nDeliver regular fabric trend reports through social media, catwalk, fabric trade show, comp-shops as well as weekly fabric newness meetings.\nLead speed to market fabric sourcing strategy to deliver fast track production focus via HP. Join weekly trade meetings to sign off fabric trading opportunities at speed.\nWork with the buying teams to structure sustainable fabric strategies to deliver sustainability commitments with biggest impact, robust certification and minimal margin impact.\nIdentify core volume fabric pots, seasonal volumes and speed to market fabric trends. Suggest new pot moves on to ensure core lines offer the newest fabric updates.\nBuild fabric price architecture with buying teams to deliver margin and quality. \nOwn bulk fabric negotiation & cross costing core fabrics & HP orders to contribute to the delivery of departments margin targets.\nMaintain an affective in-house Fabric Library & action sampling for development samples.\nAbout You \nSignificant experience of fabric purchasing & production, as well as fabric printing process’ \nStrong understanding of new sustainability legislation and sustainable fibre switching implementation.\nExperience in building fabric strategy working across multiple departments, regions and critical paths in depth knowledge of fashion trends, interpreting market intel, and comp shops.\nKnowledge of product critical paths and open/cross costings.\nConfidence in reading fabric technical reports & specs.\nGlobal material supply chain knowledge and contacts essential with robust relationships.\nCollaborative, highly organised, able to prioritise.\nAgility and ability to absorb change in line with business priorities.\nStrong negotiation skills.\nConfident presentation skills and excellent communication skills.\n

About UsWe’re a much-loved brand with an exciting future. Our Islanders are a diverse bunch of bright, talented people who love working together – and are proud of the work they do.  Progression here can take you in all kinds of directions. This is what a career at River Island is like. And this is where yours starts.

This role is based at our Head Office in West London.