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Walmart Canada · 2 months ago

Senior Director, Product Development - Raw Materials, Fabric R&D & Innovation

United States

Full-time

Remote

Director/Executive

$192K/yr - $384K/yr

6+ years exp

Walmart Inc. is a leading retail corporation, and they are seeking a Senior Director for Raw Materials, Fabric R&D & Innovation. This role will lead the global strategy for materials and fabric development while overseeing partnerships and quality assurance to drive innovation and operational excellence in the apparel category.

DeliveryRetailShopping

Responsibilities

Define and execute the global raw material strategy, aligning with Walmart’s design, sourcing, and sustainability goals

Build a long-term roadmap focused on innovation, speed, quality, and cost optimization

Partner with global sourcing and design teams to ensure alignment of fabric and material choices with consumer and brand needs

Lead Fabric R&D and Color Execution, ensuring excellence from concept to bulk production

Champion new material technologies, sustainable fibers, and next-generation finishes that drive differentiation and value

Foster cross-functional collaboration to translate creative concepts into scalable, commercially viable solutions

Manage and strengthen strategic mill and raw material supplier partnerships, driving accountability and continuous improvement

Negotiate global agreements and secure strategic capacity for key programs

Ensure agility, flexibility, and resilience in the raw material supply chain

Oversee Raw Material Quality and Assurance programs aligned with Walmart’s rigorous standards

Partner with Sustainability and ESG teams to advance initiatives in circularity, traceability, and responsible sourcing

Drive adoption of globally recognized certifications (e.g., GRS, Oeko-Tex, Bluesign, Higg Index)

Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing global team across materials, color, quality, and sustainability

Build a culture of collaboration, innovation, accountability, and continuous improvement

Invest in talent growth and organizational capability to meet future business and product needs

Qualification

Fabric R&DRaw material strategySustainable innovationTextiles knowledgeSupplier managementQuality assuranceColor managementCross-functional leadershipFinancial ModelingMicrosoft OfficeLean Six SigmaVBA ProgrammingSQL ProgrammingProject Management

Required

Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Marketing, Design, or related field and 6 years' experience in design, merchandising, marketing, or related area OR 8 years' experience in design, merchandising, marketing, or related area

2 years' supervisory experience

12+ years' experience in fabric development, raw materials, or sourcing within fashion, retail, or performance apparel

Proven success leading diverse, cross-functional global teams with strong leadership and people management skills

Deep technical knowledge of textiles, color management, and sustainable innovation

Strategic thinker with strong business acumen, supplier management, and influencing ability

Preferred

Bachelor's or Master's in Textile Science, Materials Engineering, or related field, is preferred

Financial Modeling and Analysis

Microsoft Office

Product Development

Programming Language - VBA

Project Management

Statistical Programming Language - Structured Query Language (SQL)

Masters

Masters: Arts

Lean Six Sigma Champion Certification - Certification

Project Management - Project Management Professional - Certification

Benefits

Health benefits include medical, vision and dental coverage.

Financial benefits include 401(k), stock purchase and company-paid life insurance.

Paid time off benefits include PTO (including sick leave), parental leave, family care leave, bereavement, jury duty, and voting.

Other benefits include short-term and long-term disability, company discounts, Military Leave Pay, adoption and surrogacy expense reimbursement, and more.

Live Better U is a Walmart-paid education benefit program for full-time and part-time associates in Walmart and Sam's Club facilities.