Job Description: General Manager – Sourcing (Leather & Accessories)

Location: Chennai/South India (Export Manufacturing Hub)

Reporting To: Chief Operating Officer / Director – Operations

Role Overview

The General Manager – Sourcing will lead end-to-end strategic procurement and raw material sourcing for leather goods, footwear, and accessory manufacturing. This leader will oversee vendor development, cost benchmarking, capacity planning, and supply resilience, with a core technical focus on cow and sheep/lamb leather, tanneries, trims, and hardware to support export buyers and private-label programs.

Key Responsibilities

1. Strategic Sourcing & Material Procurement

● Direct end-to-end sourcing of wet-blue, crust, and finished leather (specializing in cow, calf, sheep, and lamb hides/skins), along with textiles, hardware, and trims.

● Lead supplier negotiations on pricing, payment terms, minimum order quantities (MOQs), and delivery schedules to ensure target gross margins.

● Formulate seasonal raw material roadmaps aligned with buyer technical packs, styling guidelines, and Bill of Materials (BOM).

2. Tannery & Vendor Management

● Identify, audit, and onboard tanneries and material vendors domestically and internationally.

● Monitor tannery production schedules to secure on-time delivery of crust and finished hides while minimizing lead times.

● Drive vendor performance evaluation based on OTIF (On-Time In-Full), defect rates, yield consistency, and compliance standards (such as LWG certification).

3. Technical Quality & Yield Optimization

● Work closely with Product Development, Pattern Making,



and Production teams to establish cutting yields, grade selection, and substance/thickness specifications for cow and sheep leathers.

● Ensure all raw materials comply with international restricted substances lists (RSL/REACH), color fastness, tensile strength, and environmental standards.

● Address quality defects, grain variations, and finishing discrepancies directly with tanneries prior to factory dispatch.

4. Cost Engineering & Budget Control

● Implement standard costing sheets, benchmarking mechanisms, and cost-reduction initiatives to offset raw material price fluctuations.

● Optimize inventory carrying costs by aligning material procurement cycles with master production schedules (MPS).

● Monitor market price trends of hides and skins across key global trading regions to inform forward-purchasing strategies.

Qualifications & Candidate Profile

● Education: Degree in Leather Technology, Footwear/Apparel Production, or Sourcing from institutions such as CLRI, FDDI, NIFT, or equivalent.

● Experience: 15–20 years of progressive experience in material sourcing, procurement, or product-level technical sourcing within leather goods, footwear, or leather garment export manufacturing.

● Technical Expertise:

○ Deep domain mastery of sheep and cow leather tanning processes, grading, yield economics, and finishing techniques.

○ Working knowledge of LWG (Leather Working Group) compliance, REACH, and global brand sustainability audits.

● Leadership & Commercial Acumen: Proven track record in high-value contract negotiations, vendor development, and cross-functional leadership across Merchandising, Production, and Finance.

📌 Head of Sourcing (Chennai)
🏢 RANDSTAD INDIA
📍 Chennai