Vice President of Global Sourcing - Leather & Textiles
Ashley Furniture Industries
About Ashley Furniture
Ashley Furniture Industries is one of the world's largest furniture manufacturers and retailers, dedicated to delivering quality home furnishings at affordable prices. We're committed to innovation, sustainability, and creating beautiful living spaces for families worldwide.
The Opportunity
We're seeking an experienced global sourcing executive to lead our worldwide vendor strategy for leather, textiles, polyurethane, and upholstery materials. This executive role will shape our global supplier network, drive quality improvements, negotiate competitive pricing, and ensure our products meet the highest standards while supporting our design vision and profitability goals.
As Vice President of Global Sourcing - Leather & Textiles, you'll lead an overseas sourcing team, develop strategic vendor partnerships across the globe, and ensure we deliver exceptional value to our customers through smart procurement strategies and rigorous quality standards.
What You'll Lead
🌍 Global Vendor Strategy & Development
- Build and optimize global vendor base to align with design direction, quality standards, and cost objectives
- Evaluate and qualify suppliers worldwide for leather, textiles, polyurethane, and upholstery materials
- Ensure vendors meet company objectives for lead time, quality, payment terms, and service levels
- Address vendor performance issues and drive continuous improvement
💰 Strategic Pricing & Negotiation
- Monitor commodity, raw material, and product pricing trends globally
- Lead high-level negotiations to secure competitive pricing and favorable terms
- Balance cost optimization with quality requirements and speed-to-market goals
- Drive profitability through strategic sourcing decisions
🎨 Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Partner with Marketing, Merchandising, R&D, and Design teams to expand product lines
- Source products from qualified global suppliers that meet design specifications
- Conduct market training for sales teams to ensure product knowledge and understanding
- Work with IT to implement efficient product monitoring and data management systems
✅ Quality Assurance & Standards
- Establish and maintain quality standards for all purchased products
- Address manufacturing and quality concerns proactively
- Ensure master standards are in place quickly after market introductions
- Drive speed-to-market while maintaining quality excellence
👥 Team Leadership & Development
- Lead and develop overseas sourcing team (7-9 direct reports)
- Make hiring, promotion, performance management, and compensation decisions
- Coach and mentor team members to optimize performance
- Conduct regular audits to ensure adherence to standard operating procedures
- Facilitate team growth through meetings, training, and development opportunities
📊 Systems & Process Optimization
- Oversee data entry accuracy and system setup for product tracking
- Ensure sourcing-to-sales teams have information needed for success
- Manage all documentation and paperwork for sourced products
- Work with IT to eliminate data duplication and improve monitoring systems
- Optimize equipment, facilities, methods, and materials
What You'll Bring
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Business or related field (or equivalent work experience)
- 10+ years of furniture manufacturing and sourcing experience
- Proven executive leadership in global sourcing operations
- Deep knowledge of furniture design and construction
- Expertise in raw material commodities and pricing
- Understanding of manufacturing techniques and factory operations
Essential Skills & Knowledge
Industry Expertise:
- Furniture design and construction knowledge
- Raw material commodity items and price points
- Manufacturing techniques and factory layout
- Quality expectations and standards
Leadership & Business Skills:
- Strong negotiation skills with international vendors
- Excellent verbal and written communication
- Outstanding interpersonal and relationship-building abilities
- Strategic thinking with tactical execution capabilities
- Continuous improvement mindset
Technical Competencies:
- Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite
- Document management systems
- Analytical and problem-solving skills
- Data analysis and reporting
- Project management across multiple initiatives
Personal Attributes:
- Strong attention to detail
- Excellent time management and organizational skills
- Ability to work independently and collaboratively
- Maintains confidentiality and professional ethics
- Performs effectively in fast-paced, high-pressure environments
- Displays empathy, understanding, and patience
- Professional demeanor with customers, vendors, and employees
Schedule & Travel Expectations
- Frequent domestic and international travel required
- Flexible schedule with willingness to work extended hours when necessary
- Global time zone coordination for international vendor relationships
What Success Looks Like
In this role, you'll make an immediate impact by:
- Optimizing the global vendor base to improve quality and reduce costs
- Negotiating favorable terms that enhance profitability
- Accelerating speed-to-market while maintaining quality standards
- Building a high-performing sourcing team with strong bench strength
- Establishing quality standards that differentiate Ashley products
- Driving continuous improvement in sourcing processes and systems
- Strengthening vendor partnerships that support long-term growth
Why Ashley Furniture?
- Lead global sourcing for one of the world's largest furniture manufacturers
- Shape product quality and value for millions of customers
- Build strategic partnerships across the globe
- Drive innovation in materials and manufacturing
- Develop and mentor a talented sourcing team
- Competitive executive compensation and benefits package
- Opportunity to make a meaningful impact on a global scale
Ashley's Core Values
We seek leaders who embody:
- Ethics and Values - Doing what's right
- Integrity and Trust - Building strong relationships
- Customer Focus - Delivering exceptional value
- Innovation - Continuously improving
- Teamwork - Collaborating for success
Ready to Lead Global Sourcing?
If you're an experienced sourcing executive with deep furniture industry knowledge, strong negotiation skills, and a passion for building world-class vendor partnerships, we want to hear from you.
Apply today and help us deliver quality, affordable home furnishings to families around the world.
Ashley Furniture Industries is an Equal Opportunity Employer
We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.
ice President of Global Sourcing - Leather & Textiles
About Ashley Furniture
Ashley Furniture Industries is one of the world's largest furniture manufacturers and retailers, dedicated to delivering quality home furnishings at affordable prices. We're committed to innovation, sustainability, and creating beautiful living spaces for families worldwide.
The Opportunity
We're seeking an experienced global sourcing executive to lead our worldwide vendor strategy for leather, textiles, polyurethane, and upholstery materials. This executive role will shape our global supplier network, drive quality improvements, negotiate competitive pricing, and ensure our products meet the highest standards while supporting our design vision and profitability goals.
As Vice President of Global Sourcing - Leather & Textiles, you'll lead an overseas sourcing team, develop strategic vendor partnerships across the globe, and ensure we deliver exceptional value to our customers through smart procurement strategies and rigorous quality standards.
What You'll Lead
🌍 Global Vendor Strategy & Development
- Build and optimize global vendor base to align with design direction, quality standards, and cost objectives
- Evaluate and qualify suppliers worldwide for leather, textiles, polyurethane, and upholstery materials
- Ensure vendors meet company objectives for lead time, quality, payment terms, and service levels
- Address vendor performance issues and drive continuous improvement
💰 Strategic Pricing & Negotiation
- Monitor commodity, raw material, and product pricing trends globally
- Lead high-level negotiations to secure competitive pricing and favorable terms
- Balance cost optimization with quality requirements and speed-to-market goals
- Drive profitability through strategic sourcing decisions
🎨 Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Partner with Marketing, Merchandising, R&D, and Design teams to expand product lines
- Source products from qualified global suppliers that meet design specifications
- Conduct market training for sales teams to ensure product knowledge and understanding
- Work with IT to implement efficient product monitoring and data management systems
✅ Quality Assurance & Standards
- Establish and maintain quality standards for all purchased products
- Address manufacturing and quality concerns proactively
- Ensure master standards are in place quickly after market introductions
- Drive speed-to-market while maintaining quality excellence
👥 Team Leadership & Development
- Lead and develop overseas sourcing team (7-9 direct reports)
- Make hiring, promotion, performance management, and compensation decisions
- Coach and mentor team members to optimize performance
- Conduct regular audits to ensure adherence to standard operating procedures
- Facilitate team growth through meetings, training, and development opportunities
📊 Systems & Process Optimization
- Oversee data entry accuracy and system setup for product tracking
- Ensure sourcing-to-sales teams have information needed for success
- Manage all documentation and paperwork for sourced products
- Work with IT to eliminate data duplication and improve monitoring systems
- Optimize equipment, facilities, methods, and materials
What You'll Bring
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Business or related field (or equivalent work experience)
- 10+ years of furniture manufacturing and sourcing experience
- Proven executive leadership in global sourcing operations
- Deep knowledge of furniture design and construction
- Expertise in raw material commodities and pricing
- Understanding of manufacturing techniques and factory operations
Essential Skills & Knowledge
Industry Expertise:
- Furniture design and construction knowledge
- Raw material commodity items and price points
- Manufacturing techniques and factory layout
- Quality expectations and standards
Leadership & Business Skills:
- Strong negotiation skills with international vendors
- Excellent verbal and written communication
- Outstanding interpersonal and relationship-building abilities
- Strategic thinking with tactical execution capabilities
- Continuous improvement mindset
Technical Competencies:
- Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite
- Document management systems
- Analytical and problem-solving skills
- Data analysis and reporting
- Project management across multiple initiatives
Personal Attributes:
- Strong attention to detail
- Excellent time management and organizational skills
- Ability to work independently and collaboratively
- Maintains confidentiality and professional ethics
- Performs effectively in fast-paced, high-pressure environments
- Displays empathy, understanding, and patience
- Professional demeanor with customers, vendors, and employees
Schedule & Travel Expectations
- Frequent domestic and international travel required
- Flexible schedule with willingness to work extended hours when necessary
- Global time zone coordination for international vendor relationships
What Success Looks Like
In this role, you'll make an immediate impact by:
- Optimizing the global vendor base to improve quality and reduce costs
- Negotiating favorable terms that enhance profitability
- Accelerating speed-to-market while maintaining quality standards
- Building a high-performing sourcing team with strong bench strength
- Establishing quality standards that differentiate Ashley products
- Driving continuous improvement in sourcing processes and systems
- Strengthening vendor partnerships that support long-term growth
Why Ashley Furniture?
- Lead global sourcing for one of the world's largest furniture manufacturers
- Shape product quality and value for millions of customers
- Build strategic partnerships across the globe
- Drive innovation in materials and manufacturing
- Develop and mentor a talented sourcing team
- Competitive executive compensation and benefits package
- Opportunity to make a meaningful impact on a global scale
Ashley's Core Values
We seek leaders who embody:
- Ethics and Values - Doing what's right
- Integrity and Trust - Building strong relationships
- Customer Focus - Delivering exceptional value
- Innovation - Continuously improving
- Teamwork - Collaborating for success
Ready to Lead Global Sourcing?
If you're an experienced sourcing executive with deep furniture industry knowledge, strong negotiation skills, and a passion for building world-class vendor partnerships, we want to hear from you.
Apply today and help us deliver quality, affordable home furnishings to families around the world.
Ashley Furniture Industries is an Equal Opportunity Employer
We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.