Senior Specialist - Material Buyer AA

Location: Zurich

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Two men smile while discussing fabric and sole prototypes on a table in a bright workspace, with orange gloves in the foreground.

Apparel & Accessories Product Creation

In short

The Apparel Materials Buyer is a critical logistics and procurement role responsible for the efficient, on-time, and cost-effective acquisition of all material yardages required for the product creation lifecycle, from initial wear testing through to salesman samples (SMS). This role requires a blend of keen negotiation skills, precise tracking, and strategic inventory management to consolidate purchasing and maximise the utilisation of all raw materials across multiple business units.

Your Mission

Source and procure all necessary fabric and trim yardages specifically for critical product creation phases, including concept phases, key internal review meeting dates, wear testing and salesman samples (SMS).
Collaborate closely with Material Developers to gain an in-depth understanding of materials under consideration and build the material yardage tracker at the start of each season to align purchasing strategy with development needs.
Negotiate optimal sample yardage lead times with Tier 2 (T2) suppliers, balancing speed, quality, and cost constraints to meet demanding product calendar milestones.
Drive material buying consolidation by identifying and implementing opportunities to combine procurement across different product categories and various internal business units, achieving economies of scale.
Manage material buffer inventory by strategically arranging material reserves to support multi-season use, mitigating risk of shortage and ensuring continuity.
Own the end-to-end tracking and arrangement of sample yardages, ensuring materials are allocated, shipped, and received by the designated allocated factories (T1s) precisely when needed.
Actively manage all leftover and excess material yardages, tracking inventory levels and driving internal allocation for repurposing in future development or sampling needs, minimising waste.
Develop and maintain a robust tracking system for all in-house and factory-held sample materials.
Manage the dedicated budget for all material sample buying, ensuring all purchases remain within forecast and seeking cost efficiencies without compromising material quality or timeline integrity.
Provide regular reporting on material usage, spend vs. budget, and leftover material value.

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Your story

5+ years of experience in apparel materials procurement, logistics, or fabric buying, specifically handling sample yardage purchasing.
Proven expertise in negotiating lead times and managing supplier relationships (T2 partners).
Demonstrated ability to consolidate purchasing across multiple product categories or business units.
Exceptional organisational skills and proven ability to track and manage material inventories, budgets, and complex logistics movements globally.
Strong understanding of apparel product creation calendars and the urgency associated with sample phase deliverables.
Proficiency in PLM or ERP systems for tracking material allocation and usage.
Fluent in English; additional languages are a plus.

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About the Team

We are a collaborative, creative, and science-driven development team working closely to convert cutting-edge ideas into viable prototypes and eventually commercialising them into exceptional performance products sold globally at premium sport retailers, in our global flagship stores, and in our DTC channel. High quality, aesthetically pleasing, and truly functional attributes are top of mind when creating our two season apparel collections and multiple fashion collaborations. Our cross-functional teams combine the best experts in fields such as Development, Design, Materials, Innovation, Sourcing, Testing, and Product Management/Merchandising to create truly extraordinary sportswear products.

Four people work on laptops around a high table in a glass meeting room, while another person walks by outside holding a drink.

A woman focussed on working with fabric on the table in front of her.

Sindy

Apparel Developer

We always look for better decisions, we always listen to people and listen to different colleagues. We listen, we digest, and we find the most suitable one for all the team and everybody benefits. That process makes us really innovative.

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What we offer

On is a place that is centered around growth and progress. We offer an environment designed to give people the tools to develop holistically – to stay active, to learn, explore and innovate. Our distinctive approach combines a supportive, team-oriented atmosphere, with access to personal self-care for both physical and mental well-being, so each person is led by purpose.

On is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to creating a work environment that is fair and inclusive, where all decisions related to recruitment, advancement, and retention are free of discrimination.

Build the better you

What to expect

We want to set everyone up for success, so here’s the lowdown on how we hire. Our process is a two-way street – bringing you into our culture, while helping us learn how you think.

Our full process can last about eight weeks from application to offer, because we care about getting it right. These steps explain how we usually do things.

Before you get started, feel free to consider if you want to work with us. Strange question? Well, we give people a lot of space to navigate their day-to-day and that style isn't for everyone. We want you to be passionate about what you do and be sure this is the right fit. Because when skills and passion combine – it creates that 'Wow' moment.