WE ARE ON THE OFFENSE ALWAYS AND WE WIN AS A TEAM

Apparel/Accessories Cost & Material team is a function of Converse Global Sourcing and Manufacturing (GSM), which drives product excellence through sustainable cost engineering model. We revolutionize Apparel and Accessories product costing process, serving as both a subject-matter-expert and change leader in Converse Costing.

Our roles include:

• Establish and continuously update cost models, benchmark, fair standard and tools to enable transparent, sustainable and competitive costing for Converse products    

• Collaborate with key stakeholders (Factory Partners, Merch, Product Creation, Planning, Sourcing and other functions) to resolve product costing challenges so as to improve Converse’s overall product margin.

• Monitor factory costing performance. Drive product cost excellence and best practices through costing process optimization. And report the value captured.

• Provide useful analytics for cost-related business decision and company strategy. Analyze, track and report cost drivers impact and review with key functions.

You will be a key member in Apparel & Accessories GSM to drive the best practice for Converse costing processes and models, and manage the factory cost performance. You will be the direct contact window of Converse Costing to liaise, align and collaborate with the assigned Tier1 & 2 factory partners. You will also serve as the subject-matter expert in costing who closely collaborates with other functional teams including sourcing, planning, product creation, merchandizing teams.

Core Accountabilities:

• Manage and improve factory cost & material performance

  • Analyze the key improvement areas, create strategies and execute plans/projects to drive factories’ improvement in costing competitiveness and accuracy.

  • Design, implement and review the various cost & material matrices and benchmark. Ensure the factories’ transparent and sustainable product costing.

  • As the subject-matter expert, lead other Converse functions to solve the costing & material issues/challenges of the responsible factories.  

• Establish and update the operating model

  • Collect, clarify and analyze the manufacturing information from the responsible factories or market research. Align with the factory partners for the reasonable and sustainable process.  

  • Track and report the cost drivers in the framework regularly. Review the impact with the line managers, provide and execute solutions.

  • Design, create and launch the costing tools (e.g. matrices, libraries, calculators) to all related functions and partners for accurate and quick cost assessment.

  • Research and identify cost trends, challenges and risks. Provide useful analytics and suggestions to leadership for costing strategy. Participate into the design and execution of Converse costing framework under the leadership guidance when applicable.

• Costing & Material Operation Process & System Improvement

  • Drive the system, process and workflow improvement. Plan and execute the related projects with other Converse functions.

  • Lead costing analysts to manage the costing data and system reports in an efficiency way. Maintain cost data accuracy.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree or above, and minimum of 6 years relevant work experience

• Experience in apparel/accessories costing, materials, industrial engineering, manufacturing operation or production.

• Good knowledge in Apparel or relevant textile products and manufacturing costs. Industrial Engineering experience is a plus.

• Strong project management experience. Effective communication and analytical presentation with different stakeholders.

• Experience in leading and training other teammates. An initiator able to drive change with “can-do” attitude.

• Good written and verbal communication in English. Mandarin is a plus.

• Advanced level in Microsoft Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and Outlook. Macro/VBA is a plus.