Sourcing Specialist- Consultant

ABOUT VIDA 

VIDA is a global platform that brings together creatives and manufacturers from around the world to create unique, original apparel and accessories - on-demand, at mass-scale. A curator of creative voices, VIDA showcases Art x Fashion from New York to LA, Mumbai to Madrid, and Tokyo to Tel Aviv. Our designers include world-renowned artists from 150+ countries around the world and our manufacturers range from textile mills to cut & sew units across India, Turkey, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and more. We've launched over 2.5M unique products on our platform and have grown our business 10x+ year over year. Additionally, we've proudly partnered with the Museum of Modern Art, Cher, Steve Madden, and Iris Apfel, amongst others to launch exclusive collaborations. 

Each of our products is custom-made, on-demand, and has a unique story - from the inspiration behind its design to the personal stories of our artists. For every product made, VIDA offers education and empowerment programs to our factory workers so they can build a better future for themselves and their families.

ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY

Based out of our San Francisco office, we're looking for a highly motivated and independent sourcing specialist eager to help grow our product lines and strengthen our supplier base in 2020. This will be a part-time freelance position with potential to grow into a permanent position in the future. 

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Prepare for and execute on VIDA's international and domestic sourcing strategies for apparel, accessories and home products.

• Advise VIDA on and be responsible for execution on recruitment and development of new supplier relationships to ensure key partnerships for future growth

• Learn VIDA's unique on-demand supply chain requirements and product criteria.

• Identify and engage with new suppliers for apparel and accessories initially and later for our home line

• Set up, prepare and follow up on introduction meetings with potential suppliers in cooperation with VIDA's supply chain manager and product development team 

• Focus on sustainable/ethical suppliers and materials to ensure VIDA's sustainability goals are met

• Gather information on and evaluate suppliers on price, quality, product portfolio, service, support, and digital printing capability

• Assist in the development of internal policies and tools necessary to implement more effective sourcing strategies

• Collaborate with product and supply chain within VIDA's operations team to ensure all needs are met

• Ability to manage multiple priorities, meet deadlines and work under pressure, while maintaining attention to detail and accuracy.

ABOUT OUR IDEAL CANDIDATE

• 7+ years experience in sourcing for apparel and accessories
• Previous experience in apparel and/ or accessories Production/Sourcing required, Product Development experience preferred
• Preferably experience in working with both soft- and hardgoods.
• Strong knowledge of apparel & accessories manufacturing practices
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Proficient in the use of business applications (excel, word, google docs etc)
• Detail-oriented, a great multitasker, a creative problem solver, good at prioritizing and with strong organizational skills. 
• Ability to adapt and work in a fast-paced, growing and ambitious environment
• Previous experience/exposure to international factories/vendors required, Turkey, India, Marocco, Tunesia preferred
• Ability to evaluate a factory's capabilities/capacity to ensure successful long term growth in an on demand production model

ABOUT THE TEAM

The position is based in VIDA's Headoffice in San Francisco, CA. In this consulting role, you will work with VIDA 's Supply Chain Manager, the COO and technical product developer. 

VIDA's Team in SF is a mission-driven group of 25-30 people. VIDA ‘s Team worldwide counts a bit over 100 people with sourcing agencies in Turkey and Pakistan.