Fabric Manager - Rhone Apparel, Inc.

About the Company:

Founded in 2014, Rhone is a premium, performance lifestyle brand dedicated to championing mental fitness. Engineered for optimal style, comfort, and performance, our clothing is designed to enhance every aspect of the active individual's life. Led by brothers Nate & Ben Checketts, Rhone is fueled by a clear vision: positively impacting lives through a commitment to physical and mental fitness, inspiring community, and crafting performance-driven products. Rhone's purpose is straightforward yet impactful: to inspire those who challenge themselves in their relentless pursuit of progress. In addition to a robust E-commerce business and a strong wholesale presence, Rhone currently has 15 retail stores across the U.S., all of which are used for building community through various initiatives such as the brand's signature Mind & Muscle events. 

About the Role:

As a member of Rhone’s dynamic product team, the Fabric Manager will be directly involved in the growth and development of innovative products. They’ll work hand in hand with the founders and senior leaders of the brand implementing strategies that will accelerate brand growth as well as their career.  The ideal candidate is tenacious, detail oriented, passionate and comfortable working in a fast-paced environment.

 What You’ll Do:

• Working with strategic partners in Mens and Womens Design, Merchandising and Product Development, drive the selection and development process for Rhone’s materials with keen knowledge and responsibility

• Maximizing existing mill base and franchises- ensuring continuity & continuous improvement

• Seeking out and presenting industry trends in  innovation and technology vis a vis performance and sustainability

• Discovering and vetting key partners that drive continuous product evolution

• Determining prototype needs and ensuring that all materials are put in place for development and ultimately tech packs are complete with all information needed for sample to bulk development

• Negotiating to exceeding financial objectives/margin requirements setting guardrails around cost guidelines, MOQs, minimums, surcharges and lead-times

• Establishing and maintaining testing standards for all materials 

• Maintaining updated records including Materials library with all relevant information and accessibility for Teams including price, MOQ, FDS, yardage availability

• Managing fabric platforming of greige throughout development process- from prototyping to SMS samples to bulk production

• Collaborating with Merchandising and Inventory team, manage leftover materials usage for bulk and future opportunities

• Maintaining seasonal development calendar with design and overseas partners- ensuring all process deadlines are met

• Requesting and managing lab dip approvals, print approval and testing reports

• Monitoring key calendar deadlines to ensure timeliness of deliverables are met and troubleshooting any issues that may arise

• Handling day to day fabric development follow up

• Working closely with the QC team to approve inspection reports prior to PO shipments, ensuring compliance to company QA standards

• Troubleshooting any quality or compliance issues as they occur

• Tracking and managing seasonal fabric spend to budget and invoice management

• Maintaining current understanding of evolving industry testing standards, ensuring Rhone is compliant with all applicable regulations, especially pertaining to RSL

• Establishing and maintaining bulk testing & approval standards in line with continually evolving industry standards

• Manage any fabric liability, working closely with Product Development and Production teams to utilize

• Domestic and International Travel required

What You'll Bring:

• Bachelor’s or advanced degree preferred

• 6-8  years of raw material and  product development experience with prior international travel experience preferred

• Advanced knowledge of fabrics and trims associated with the development process

• Strong understanding of costing and cost negotiation, trade regulations, product integrity, testing protocol, production cycle timeline, fabric and garment construction

• Understanding of US, Canada, EU testing and compliance regulations

• Proficient in MS Excel and familiarity with PLM systems, preferably Centric

• Computer proficiency with MS Office Suite and Google applications

• Superior interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills

• Strong organizational skills with a sense of priority for deadlines and attention to detail

• Strong problem-solving skills and analytical mindset

• Ability to multitask and meet deadlines

• Positive, optimistic and open-minded approach

What We Offer:

• Competitive Compensation

• 401k Incentive Savings Plan 

• Health, Dental, Vision, and other Ancillary Benefits

• Advancement Opportunities

• Open PTO Policy and 10 Company Holidays annually

Job Type:  Full Time

Location: Stamford, CT

Reports To: Sr. Director, PD and Production