Senior Materials Manager, Leathergoods and Shoes

POSITION OVERVIEW
The Senior Materials Manager, Leathergoods and Shoes will lead the strategic development and execution of materials for Leather Goods and Shoes, driving material innovation, sourcing direction, and seasonal material strategies that support brand vision, quality standards, cost objectives, and long-term business goals. This role serves as a key cross-functional leader, partnering with Design, Product Management, Global Sourcing, Product Integrity, Sustainability, and Raw Materials teams to influence material direction from concept through commercialization.

The Senior Manager will establish material strategies and roadmaps that balance innovation, quality, sustainability, cost, and speed to market while identifying opportunities to elevate product differentiation and operational efficiency. This individual will leverage deep material expertise and industry knowledge to drive strategic decision-making, strengthen vendor partnerships, and ensure successful execution across multiple product categories.

The ideal candidate brings extensive expertise in leather and material development, strong strategic and analytical capabilities, and a proven ability to influence senior stakeholders and lead complex cross-functional initiatives in a global environment.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES
Develop and execute the seasonal and long-range leather and material strategy for Leather Goods and Shoes, ensuring alignment with brand, product, sourcing, and financial objectives.
Research and propose new novelty leathers and materials, finishes, animations, and material innovations through competitive market research, supplier engagement, leather library reviews, studio partnerships, local shows, and industry intelligence.
Influence category leather direction by providing strategic recommendations, competitive intelligence, article insights, and execution guidance to cross-functional leadership teams.
Lead end-to-end leather & material development initiatives, ensuring alignment with product requirements, quality standards, cost targets, testing requirements, and commercialization timelines.
Embed within product teams to build strong line knowledge and ensure leather and material decisions clearly support product needs, including alignment of trim leathers, body materials, constructions, and seasonal design intent.
Manage leather sampling, submit tracking, and prototype support to enable timely product development execution and informed decision-making throughout the seasonal calendar.
Establish leather & material sourcing strategies and partner with Global Sourcing, Raw Materials, regional offices, tanneries, and vendor partners to optimize quality, innovation, cost, lead times, and supply chain resilience.
Drive leather cost management and profitability initiatives through historical price reviews, costing parameters, benchmarking, analytics, strategic supplier negotiations, and alternative sourcing options in partnership with Category Management and Sourcing teams.
Serve as the primary escalation point for complex leather development, commercialization, testing, and production challenges, driving solutions and mitigating business risk.
Troubleshoot material execution concerns with Category Management, regional material teams, vendors, and tanneries during development and production to protect quality, timing, and cost objectives.
Lead leather governance processes, including article approvals, lab dip and color standard tracking, color and print approvals, testing, compliance, quality callouts, and commercialization readiness.
Oversee leather development workflows and tools, ensuring effective management of article details, costs, lead times, approvals, minimum order requirements, sample skins, submits, and key development milestones.
Leverage PLM to access and maintain mill cards, article records, material data, search tools, and development information required to support accurate execution and cross-functional visibility.
Partner with Sustainability, Innovation, Raw Materials, Product Integrity, and regional development teams to implement responsible sourcing strategies, testing requirements, and next-generation leather initiatives.
Build and maintain strategic relationships with tanneries, vendors, and material suppliers to drive innovation, elevate capabilities, and support long-term category growth.
Foster alignment across Leather Goods and Shoes to maximize leather consistency, cross-category material opportunities, apparel tie-ins, best practice sharing, and operational efficiencies.
Provide leadership and subject matter expertise to cross-functional teams, influencing leather decisions and supporting capability development across the organization.
Drive continuous improvement initiatives that enhance leather development processes, team effectiveness, calendar adherence, data accuracy, and speed-to-market.
Maintain and evolve leather libraries, core article boards and brand reference tools, seasonal approval records, animation libraries, final color palettes, and knowledge resources to support Design, Product Management, Merchandising, and global teams.

EXPERIENCE, SKILLS & KNOWLEDGE
Extensive experience in leather and materials development, sourcing, product development, or a related field, with deep expertise in material innovation, commercialization, and supplier management.
Demonstrated success developing and executing material strategies that support business growth, product differentiation, and operational excellence.
Proven ability to influence senior leaders and lead complex cross-functional initiatives across Design, Product Management, Global Sourcing, Raw Materials, Product Integrity, Sustainability, and Supply Chain organizations.
Strong commercial and financial acumen with experience managing material costs, sourcing strategies, and supplier partnerships.
Exceptional leadership, communication, and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to drive alignment and decision-making across diverse teams and regions.
Highly strategic and analytical thinker with the ability to translate insights into actionable business recommendations.
Advanced project management capabilities with experience managing multiple large-scale initiatives in a fast-paced global environment.
Strong presentation and executive communication skills, with advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office applications and PLM systems.
Demonstrated commitment to Ralph Lauren's values and Cultural Focus Areas (CFAs), fostering collaboration, innovation, accountability, and inclusive leadership.
Experience working within global material sourcing and development organizations, including management of vendor relationships and international supply networks.
Ability to travel internationally 1-2 times annually.