Manager, Global Materials Library

About the role

The Manager, Global Materials Library leads the day‑to‑day operation of VF’s centralized materials library for its apparel brands. Reporting to the Senior Manager of Material Library, you will oversee both physical and digital libraries, guide a small team of fabric developers, and work closely with sourcing, product development and sustainability teams to keep the library future‑ready.

Key responsibilities

• Manage circulation, inventory and lifecycle planning of materials across brands.
• Maintain physical libraries in strategic global locations and ensure accessibility for product teams.
• Oversee material quality evaluation to meet sustainability, innovation and cost objectives.
• Conduct audits to identify overlaps, under‑utilised items and consolidation opportunities.
• Lead and develop a team of 1–2 fabric developers, providing coaching and performance feedback.
• Implement standardized processes to rationalise material development requests.
• Maintain accurate metadata to enable material consolidation and strategic leverage.
• Participate in seasonal and lifecycle core material reviews.
• Serve as primary contact for brand teams accessing core materials and information.
• Collaborate with sourcing, product development and sustainability teams on material priorities.
• Support Tier 2 mill matrix strategy and supplier alignment initiatives.
• Maintain and update digital material library platforms and databases.
• Develop analytics tools to track material utilisation, performance and cost efficiency.

Required profile

• Deep knowledge of fabric types, construction, finishing and performance characteristics.
• Proven experience in material development, sourcing and lifecycle management within the apparel industry.
• Familiarity with sustainability standards and textile innovation.
• Demonstrated ability to lead a small team and foster a collaborative culture.
• Strong stakeholder management skills across brand, sourcing and sustainability functions.

Required skills

• Fabric development expertise
• Material lifecycle management
• Understanding of sustainability standards in textiles
• Digital material library platform management