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Quince is a manufacturer-to-consumer (M2C) retailer delivering high-quality essentials at radically low prices through direct relationships with manufacturing partners. The company operates across apparel, accessories, home goods, and more, using proprietary technology and data-driven processes to scale efficiently.
You will serve as Senior Manager of Global Procurement for the Footwear category, reporting to the Head of Procurement. This is a strategic role focused on driving cost structures, securing supply continuity, and achieving product excellence while maintaining sustainability standards.
Key responsibilities include:
**Procurement Category Strategy**: Define and execute the commercial roadmap and vendor distribution strategy for footwear to improve margins as the company scales. Establish short- and long-term procurement targets aligned to business growth. Deliver exceptional product cost without sacrificing quality or ESG considerations. Partner with the technology team to embed procurement capabilities into the Vendor Portal and Product Catalog tools. Target 700 basis points of product cost reduction over 12 months.
**RFP Ownership & Execution**: Structure and run competitive, end-to-end bidding processes to secure optimal cost and commercial terms with manufacturing partners. Own the full lifecycle from vendor identification through award. Deliver immediate, best-in-class cost savings through rigorous negotiation while institutionalizing repeatable frameworks for long-term competitive advantage. Build an AI agent to systematize RFP processes in 2026 with scenario analysis capabilities.
**Clean Sheet & Buy Plan Approvals**: Create and utilize component-level clean sheets to drive pricing transparency. Review, approve, and optimize cost for all buy events. Ensure scale/cleansheet costing with finished goods manufacturers. Negotiate upstream to secure best pricing and availability of inputs (fabrics, yarns, fibers, commodities, trims). Lead buy plan margin reviews to govern company margins. Partner with material sourcing teams to ensure transparent, competitive pricing. Negotiate reasonable launch costing and establish schedules to renegotiate for scale pricing as volume grows. Support merchandising by providing scale costing targets.
**Upstream Sourcing**: Partner directly with the Material Manager, sourcing teams, and Tier 1 and Tier 2 vendors to align on and implement material benefits into finished goods costing. Collaborate cross-functionally to integrate upstream material availability into product design and development cycles, ensuring early-stage cost optimization.
**Value Creation**: Identify and execute opportunities to reshape the supply chain and extract new financial value beyond traditional sourcing boundaries, including verticalization and volume consolidation plays. Examples include becoming a market maker for premium materials (cashmere, silk), partnering with mills to build verticalized supply chains for critical materials (linen from French/Belgian farms), and managing commodity price fluctuations.
**Requirements**
- 8+ years of experience in global procurement, sourcing, or supply chain management in a retail apparel environment
- Proven track record running competitive RFP processes with international manufacturing partners
- Hands-on experience building and leveraging clean sheets for cost negotiation
- Strong analytical skills and comfort with data-driven decision making
- Experience working cross-functionally with merchandising, materials, and production teams
- Technical aptitude for leveraging AI-powered platforms (e.g., LLMs) to conduct scenario analysis and automate complex procurement tasks
- Excellent negotiation skills and commercial acumen
- Experience in apparel, soft goods, or home goods strongly preferred
- Bachelor's degree required; MBA or advanced degree a plus
