Assistant Manager, Material R&D (Handbag)

Job Duties:

Attend relevant trade fairs and trend shows and conduct competitor shopping and inspiration with the design team, as needed (research and analyze market trends).
Develop ACC R&D process, including timelines and requirements to inject into seasonal collections and own and manage the R&D calendar.
Understand creative thinking process by working with creative & design directors to ensure innovation/newness.
Ensure effective pricing/costing and quality assurance.
Responsible for managing and monitoring physical & digital material & hardware libraries (including usage tracking).
Develop, report, and proactively manage R&D KPIs (including R&D capacity planning btw factories and design).
Focus on newness: support design/PD in trials/testing, etc.
Interpret and develop design teams' ideas from concept and idea to samples/swatches (technical PD knowledge).
Create synergies across categories (apparel, softs, etc.).
Source and develop material/trims/hardware (with suitable price points).
Ensure products are developed correctly, with workable lead times for development and on-time delivery.
Understanding of seasonal calendar deadlines/timelines.
Liaising with BO teams and direct vendors on material developments/projects.
Ensure alignment with cross-functional teams across the R&D function (i.e., design, PD, material team, and central trims).
Perform other duties assigned by management.

Requirements:

Graduate in fashion-oriented degree (preferred).
At least 10 years' experience within a fashion (accessories focus) development environment with technical material/PD background.
Experience working in EU fashion market.
Fluency in English, Cantonese and Mandarin.
Strong technical material and PD knowledge (e.g., textile, leather, non-leather, trims, hardware, etc.).
Strong understanding of design industry and fashion brand awareness.
Experience working with international brands and international designers.
Solution and action oriented with ability to thrive in a fast-paced, complex environment.
Highly organized, process/structure oriented, with understanding of key project management principles.
Ability to work within a product lifecycle management system (i.e., PLM).
Strong creative thinking skills with understanding of sustainability and innovation (a PLUS)
Strongrelationshipmanagementskillstomanagekeystakeholdersandnegotiatewithfactories/vendors.