Sourcing / Production Lead – Factory Sourcing
Location : North London ( Office based )
Salary to £60,000 ( DOE ) + benefits
Our client is a global fashion manufacturing business supplying leading high street and online retailers, and they're looking for an experienced Sourcing Lead to join their UK office in North London. This is a hands‑on role at the heart of the business, focused on finding and developing the right factories to bring product to life, on time, on cost and to the right standard.
The role
You'll own the factory sourcing process from start to finish ( Turkey / Morocco / China ) matching each product and customer brief to the factory best placed to produce it. Working closely with the design, technical, merchandising and account teams, you'll make sure the business has the capability and capacity it needs to grow, while protecting quality, margin and ethical standards.
Key responsibilities
- Identify, evaluate and onboard new factories, assessing capability, capacity, quality standards and cost competitiveness
- Place product with the right factory based on category, construction, volume and lead time requirements
- Negotiate CMT and FOB prices, minimum order quantities and terms to hit target costs and protect margin
- Build and maintain strong relationships with an existing factory base across key sourcing regions
- Work with the technical and QA teams to make sure factories can meet fit, quality and specification requirements
- Monitor factory performance on delivery, quality and responsiveness, and address issues quickly
- Make sure all factories meet ethical and compliance standards, including social audits (SMETA/Sedex, BSCI) and customer-specific requirements
- Support sustainability and traceability initiatives, including certified product (GOTS, OCS, GRS) where required
- Track critical paths with merchandising and step in when production is at risk
- Contribute to the wider sourcing strategy, including new regions, near-shoring opportunities and reducing supply chain risk
- Travel to factories and trade shows as required
About you ( experience must haves )
- Recent and proven experience in a sourcing role within a fashion clothing supplier or clothing manufacturer .
- A strong understanding of garment construction and which factories suit which product types
- An established network of factory contacts in one or more key regions (for example Turkey, Portugal, Morocco, China, Bangladesh, India or the UK)
- Confident negotiator with a strong commercial and costing mindset
- Good working knowledge of ethical compliance and audit standards
- Organised, proactive and comfortable managing multiple suppliers and deadlines at once
- Happy to travel internationally
- Commutable to London and eligible to work in the UK
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Sourcing Lead employer: Dobson Welch Recruitment Specialists
Join a dynamic and innovative apparel manufacturer in London, where creativity meets collaboration. As a Senior Womenswear Designer, you'll thrive in a supportive work culture that values mentorship and professional growth, allowing you to lead a talented design team while crafting contemporary collections for major UK retailers. With a focus on employee development and a vibrant office environment, this role offers a unique opportunity to make a significant impact in the fashion industry.
Contact Details:
Dobson Welch Recruitment Specialists Recruitment Team
