Referred applicants should not apply directly to this role.
All referred applicants must first be submitted through Workday by a current Loblaw Colleague.
Founded in 2006, Joe Fresh is a leading source for modern style and accessible design, offering comprehensive lifestyle collections for men, women and children. Joe Fresh delivers quality and compelling value in categories spanning in apparel, accessories, and footwear. Joe Fresh collections are polished and sophisticated, with a focus on essential designs that appeal to a broad range of style-savvy consumers. With more than 350 Joe Fresh departments from coast to coast, the Joe fresh network is more than a great place to shop, it’s a great place to work. We’re committed to building our talented team who champion collaboration, kindness, and inclusivity. We are looking for innovative, hardworking, and collaborative team members for our Joe Fresh team. Join our team in our goal of helping Canadians Live Life Well®.
In addition, we believe that compliance with laws is about doing the right thing. Upholding the law is part of our Code of Conduct – it reinforces what our customers and stakeholders expect of us.
What you'll do:
- Collaborate with merchants, design, fabrics and product development and sustainability teams to implement sourcing strategies that align with the company's vision and business goals.
- Identify and build a network of vendors that meet the specific requirements of assigned categories. Validate vendors' technical capabilities and capacities to ensure they can deliver quality and innovation.
- Work closely with cross-functional teams to develop products that meet design intent, while adhering to margin and cost parameters set by merchants.
- Lead negotiations with vendors to achieve target pricing and margins across product categories, ensuring financial objectives are met.
- Develop and share detailed visual and conceptual product briefs with vendors, ensuring clear communication of expectations and design vision.
- Actively engage in industry networking to foster relationships with suppliers and agents, expanding resources and potential partnerships.
- Provide technical manufacturing guidance and training to sourcing teams and cross-functional partners to improve product development and execution.
- Collaborate with merchant teams to communicate updates and revisions to ex-factory delivery schedules, ensuring alignment with production timelines.
- Partner with QA teams to troubleshoot testing exceptions and maintain product integrity throughout the manufacturing process.
- Lead daily and weekly sourcing updates with cross-functional teams to keep all partners informed of work-in-progress statuses and address potential issues.
- Participate in proto sample reviews with cross-functional teams to ensure samples meet the company's expectations in terms of design, quality, and fit.
- Stay informed of new industry trends, styles, and techniques, leveraging this knowledge to bring relevant innovations to the business and expand vendor capabilities.
- Challenge existing processes and continuously identify opportunities for improvement. Diagnose issues and lead the team to develop and implement solutions.
- Foster collaboration across teams to drive flexible, iterative solutions quickly and effectively.
- Help cross-functional partners understand the broader impact of their efforts, encouraging input and collaboration from all areas of the business.
- Lead, engage, and assess the performance of the team. Provide training and development opportunities to enhance team productivity and performance.
- Perform other duties as needed to support sourcing and product development initiatives.
- Be available to travel as required for vendor visits
What you bring:
- Bachelor's degree in a relevant field, such as fashion, business, or supply chain management.
- Over 10 years of experience in product development and sourcing within a retail environment, with a focus on apparel.
- Proven track record in sourcing and product development across global markets, particularly in the apparel sector.
- In-depth understanding of apparel manufacturing processes, including production cycles and industry best practices.
- Hands-on experience evaluating offshore factories, particularly in Asia, to ensure compliance with quality and production standards.
- Strong experience in negotiating product costs with global vendors, aligning with financial goals.
- Deep understanding of brand pricing strategies, margin expectations, and SKU planning to meet business objectives.
- Comprehensive knowledge of sourcing, production, and product development processes, from concept to delivery.
- Intermediate skills in Web PDM, Microsoft Word, and Excel, with advanced knowledge of PLM systems.
- Familiarity with design specification packages, ensuring clear communication of product requirements to manufacturers.
- Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects, timelines, and priorities effectively.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, essential for collaborating with internal teams and external partners.
- Proven ability to negotiate effectively with external vendors, securing favorable terms and ensuring product quality.
How You’ll Succeed:
At Joe Fresh, we seek great people to continually strengthen our culture. We believe great people model our values, are authentic, build trust and make connections.
If that sounds like you, and you are open-minded, responsive to change and up to the challenges provided in a fast-paced retail environment, apply today.
Joe Fresh recognizes Canada's diversity as a source of national pride and strength. We have made it a priority to reflect our nation’s evolving diversity in the products we sell, the people we hire, and the culture we create in our organization. Accommodation is available upon request for applicants with disabilities in the recruitment and assessment process and when hired.