Director - Specialty Materials

Location: Guantang Qu, Hong Kong; Shanghai, China; Shenzhen, China; or Vietnam

Salary: $1–$2 USD base salary; bonus and equity may also be provided for eligible roles.

Company

hirify.global is a manufacturer-to-consumer retail company developing high-quality, affordable, and sustainably produced apparel, accessories, home goods, and related products through direct manufacturing partnerships and proprietary technology, AI, and analytics.

What you will do

• Define the global raw-material strategy for leather, denim, silk, synthetics, and novelty wovens in partnership with design, merchandising, quality, production, and supply planning.
• Lead research and development of new materials, washes, dyes, finishes, and performance treatments, while maintaining a reusable material library.
• Build and manage a global supplier network covering tanneries, mills, dye houses, and vertical manufacturing partners.
• Oversee the material pipeline from raw materials through finished goods, including testing, regulatory and chemical compliance, sampling, and mass production.
• Drive cost engineering, yield optimization, landed-cost analysis, supplier negotiations, and margin alignment without compromising quality or ethical standards.
• Lead and develop a specialized global team while facilitating material evaluations, technical briefs, knowledge sharing, and cross-category innovation.

Requirements

• Degree in textile science, material science, supply chain management, color chemistry, or a related field.
• 15+ years of experience in material sourcing, production, quality management, or coloration for apparel, accessories, or home textiles.
• Deep technical knowledge of leather tanning, denim weaving and washing, silk production, synthetic manufacturing, and woven construction.
• Proven experience leading cross-functional teams and developing material experts in a fast-paced retail or manufacturing environment.
• Strong cost analysis skills covering cost modeling, yield optimization, landed cost analysis, budget management, SKU rationalization, and shade consolidation.
• Experience establishing quality standards and supplier compliance programs, with strong communication skills for explaining technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders.

Nice to have

• Experience with sustainable materials, circularity initiatives, and eco-friendly processing.
• Knowledge of supply-chain traceability, blockchain, or digital tracking systems.
• Familiarity with PLM systems and quality database management.
• Luxury-goods experience and expertise in premium aesthetics, handfeel, and trend forecasting.
• Experience managing a multi-category material portfolio and specialized cross-functional teams.

Culture & Benefits

• Mission-driven environment focused on sustainable, accessible retail and high-quality products at lower prices.
• Builder-oriented culture that challenges conventional retail practices and encourages ownership at every level.
• Opportunity to work across global manufacturing, sourcing, design, technology, AI, and analytics functions.
• Bonus and equity may be available for eligible roles.
• Employment is contingent on successful completion of a background check.