Raw Materials Developer RTW in London

Born in 1971, the roots of Mulberry are in Somerset, England. For more than fifty years, Mulberry has been a British lifestyle brand, internationally acclaimed for quality and design capturing the Mulberry Spirit. Sustainability has been part of the Mulberry ethos since the brand's inception; in 2024 we proudly achieved B Corp Certification. Today, we are a global brand, but our values remain the same; we are committed to improving our impact on people and the planet. To do this, our people are honest, dynamic, and community spirited. If these are values you share, we would love you to join our team.

The Role: The Raw Materials Developer will oversee the end-to-end development of seasonal materials and components (Fabrics, Leather, hardware and Embellishment), including sourcing, supplier management, and ensuring timely delivery of high-quality materials. The position involves cross-functional collaboration with Design, Product Development & Production. Additionally, the role requires strategic budget management, adherence to sustainability goals, and effective communication with external partners to support the company's objectives.

Duties & Responsibilities:

• Seasonal Development: Lead and manage seasonal development launches, ensuring smooth supplier communication and task delegation. Critical Path Management to identify and prioritize the sequence of dependent tasks that directly impact the project's completion date, ensuring timely delivery of all materials & trims.
• Colour Palette Collaboration: Collaborate with the design team on colour palette development, communicate names and material codes.
• Material Sourcing & Research: Source materials flexibly, provide timely research to the design team.
• Material Development Oversight: Manage material development, approvals, and production sign-off.
• Raw Material Meetings Leadership: Lead raw material meetings with the design team for updates and issue resolution. Lead pre-production meetings, ensuring clarity on seasonal development.
• Budget Management: Manage seasonal budget for raw materials, suggesting cost-saving measures and monitoring expenses.
• Materials Development Tracking: Maintain seasonal Materials development list, track updates, and manage system inputs. Distribute and manage seasonal technical sheets from suppliers. Maintain an updated archiving system for research and seasonal references.
• Materials Production Sign-Off: Manage Materials production sign-off and collaborate effectively with Production teams on troubleshooting production issues that may arise.
• Sustainability Alignment: Ensure sourced products align with sustainability goals and communicate with suppliers.
• Administrative Oversight: Oversee daily administrative tasks, delegating responsibilities and ensuring streamlined workflows.

Culture:

Embrace and demonstrate the Mulberry values and behaviours: honesty, dynamism, and a community-oriented spirit. Support Mulberry to deliver an inclusive culture, through behaving in a way that is open-minded and respectful towards others, and understanding that your views, opinions, and experiences may not always be shared by your colleagues. Act as an ambassador for Mulberry and communicate positively about the brand.

Sustainability:

As a certified B Corp, we are committed to using business as a force for good. You’ll be encouraged to incorporate environmentally and socially responsible practices into your work, supporting our Made to Last strategy across Climate, Circularity, and Community. Help foster a culture where diversity is celebrated and every individual feels valued, respected, and included. Champion equity, empathy, and understanding in all interactions - internally and externally.

Skills & Knowledge:

• Supplier Management & Negotiation: Proficient in onboarding, evaluating, and maintaining relationships with suppliers, including negotiating terms, pricing, and minimum order quantities (MOQs).
• Material Sourcing: Ability to source materials that align with design aesthetics, performance standards, and sustainability goals.
• Budget Management & Cost Optimization: Skilled in managing budgets for raw materials, identifying cost-saving opportunities, and ensuring expenses align with financial targets.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Experience working with design, production and sustainability teams to ensure cohesive product development and timely delivery.
• Technical Proficiency: Familiarity with PLM Systems and Microsoft Office Suite for data management, reporting, and communication.
• Quality Assurance & Compliance: Knowledge of quality control processes, testing methods, and regulatory requirements to ensure materials meet brand standards.
• Sustainability Practices: Understanding of sustainable sourcing and ethical practices within the fashion industry.

Mulberry is an equal opportunities employer and we are passionate about hiring and developing the best talent. All hiring decisions are made only on the basis of qualifications, skills or experience and as they relate to the particular role. If you need us to make any adjustments to our application or interview processes to enable you to be at your best, please email us at [email protected].