Associate Director, Strategic Sourcing & Vendor Management

Bandit Running is a pioneering technical performance brand committed to creating innovative, high-quality apparel & gear for goal-driven runners. Our mission to “Evolve Running” guides everything we do, always putting the needs of the global running community first. As the fastest-growing brand in the sport, we challenge conventional brand-building norms, prioritizing an extremely high-bar for disruptive excellence across product, experiences & content. Our vision is to build an enduring, iconic brand that breaks down barriers & inspires greater passion & participation in the sport we love.

We’re seeking a Associate Director / Director of Strategic Sourcing & Vendor Management to support Bandit’s rapidly expanding global supply network. Reporting to the SVP of Operations and working closely with our product creation, planning, and finance teams, this role will play a critical role in continuously expanding and de-risking our factory ecosystem while deepening strategic partnerships with existing suppliers. The ideal candidate is a relationship-driven operator and sharp commercial negotiator who thrives in a fast-moving environment, understands the nuance of building premium, technical performance product through world-class manufacturing partners with expertise in technical fabrics, functional construction, and run-specific innovation, and is excited to help scale Bandit’s supply chain into a long-term strategic advantage.

What You’ll Own

Supply Partner Network Strategy

• Build and maintain a multi-year factory diversification roadmap across key categories, materials, and geographies, with particular depth in performance running and/or similarly technical apparel including shorts, tops, sports bras, outerwear, and run-specific accessories
• Continuously counter-source new manufacturing partners across apparel, trims, accessories, and emerging product categories, with a focus on factories with proven capabilities in technical performance fabrics, moisture management, bonding, and other run-specific construction methods
• Reduce concentration risk by ensuring qualified backup partners exist for all critical categories
• Evaluate country diversification opportunities based on tariffs, lead times, labor risk, quality, and geopolitical exposure
• Identify innovation-forward partners with unique technical capabilities including development, seamless construction, performance woven, compression, moisture management, and advanced bonded seams, before they become widely adopted
• Build long-term sourcing strategies that support DTC, wholesale, retail, and global expansion goals

Existing Factory Partner Management

• Serve as executive relationship owner for Bandit’s most important factory partners
• Build trust-based, high-transparency relationships with ownership, commercial teams, and production leadership
• Create quarterly and annual business reviews with strategic partners
• Ensure factory partners are aligned to Bandit’s growth plans, product ambitions, and quality expectations
• Drive performance accountability around quality, OTIF, responsiveness, flexibility, and development speed
• Partner closely with product creation, production, and operations teams to resolve escalations quickly

Commercial Optimization & Negotiation

• Lead all strategic negotiations related to:
• payment terms
• MOQ structures
• volume cost breaks
• annual rebates
• raw material commitments
• capacity reservations
• freight and duty optimization
• Improve working capital economics through expanded payable terms and smarter commitment structures
• Develop should-cost frameworks and benchmark costing across vendors
• Negotiate annual margin expansion targets by category and supplier
• Create long-term incentive structures with top partners tied to growth, exclusivity, or innovation access
• Ensure best-in-class economics without damaging relationship trust

WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR

• 8–12+ years of experience in sourcing, supply chain, vendor management, or production leadership , within performance running, run specialty, or premium active/lifestyle apparel brands
• Strong understanding of premium performance running product standards, technical factory capabilities, quality expectations, and development speed requirements including seamless, advanced bonding technology, performance woven and knits, thermoregulation, moisture management, and athlete support and recovery
• A strategic operator with a deep factory network and proven ability to continuously identify, evaluate, and onboard new manufacturing partners across regions and product categories
• A relationship-first leader who knows how to build trust with factory owners, commercial leads, and development teams while maintaining strong negotiating leverage
• Strong experience negotiating payment terms, cost breaks, MOQ flexibility, rebates, and long-term capacity agreements that improve margin and working capital
• Highly analytical and commercially fluent, with the ability to translate costing, landed margin, lead-time, and concentration-risk data into actionable sourcing decisions
• A systems-driven builder who can create scalable supplier scorecards, sourcing workflows, benchmarking frameworks, and partner review cadences The ability to think strategically about country diversification, tariff exposure, concentration risk, and long-term supply resilience while moving quickly in a fast-changing environment
• Strong understanding of premium product standards, technical factory capabilities, quality expectations and development speed requirements
• A strong cross-functional collaborator who can drive alignment and accountability across product creation, production, planning, finance, and operations
• Someone who is energized by turning Bandit’s supply chain into a strategic advantage across margin, speed, flexibility, and future innovation access

Requirements

What You’ll Own

Supply Partner Network Strategy

• Build and maintain a multi-year factory diversification roadmap across key categories, materials, and geographies, with particular depth in performance running and/or similarly technical apparel including shorts, tops, sports bras, outerwear, and run-specific accessories
• Continuously counter-source new manufacturing partners across apparel, trims, accessories, and emerging product categories, with a focus on factories with proven capabilities in technical performance fabrics, moisture management, bonding, and other run-specific construction methods
• Reduce concentration risk by ensuring qualified backup partners exist for all critical categories
• Evaluate country diversification opportunities based on tariffs, lead times, labor risk, quality, and geopolitical exposure
• Identify innovation-forward partners with unique technical capabilities including development, seamless construction, performance woven, compression, moisture management, and advanced bonded seams, before they become widely adopted
• Build long-term sourcing strategies that support DTC, wholesale, retail, and global expansion goals

Existing Factory Partner Management

• Serve as executive relationship owner for Bandit’s most important factory partners
• Build trust-based, high-transparency relationships with ownership, commercial teams, and production leadership
• Create quarterly and annual business reviews with strategic partners
• Ensure factory partners are aligned to Bandit’s growth plans, product ambitions, and quality expectations
• Drive performance accountability around quality, OTIF, responsiveness, flexibility, and development speed
• Partner closely with product creation, production, and operations teams to resolve escalations quickly

Commercial Optimization & Negotiation

• Lead all strategic negotiations related to:
• payment terms
• MOQ structures
• volume cost breaks
• annual rebates
• raw material commitments
• capacity reservations
• freight and duty optimization
• Improve working capital economics through expanded payable terms and smarter commitment structures
• Develop should-cost frameworks and benchmark costing across vendors
• Negotiate annual margin expansion targets by category and supplier
• Create long-term incentive structures with top partners tied to growth, exclusivity, or innovation access
• Ensure best-in-class economics without damaging relationship trust

WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR

• 8–12+ years of experience in sourcing, supply chain, vendor management, or production leadership , within performance running, run specialty, or premium active/lifestyle apparel brands
• Strong understanding of premium performance running product standards, technical factory capabilities, quality expectations, and development speed requirements including seamless, advanced bonding technology, performance woven and knits, thermoregulation, moisture management, and athlete support and recovery
• A strategic operator with a deep factory network and proven ability to continuously identify, evaluate, and onboard new manufacturing partners across regions and product categories
• A relationship-first leader who knows how to build trust with factory owners, commercial leads, and development teams while maintaining strong negotiating leverage
• Strong experience negotiating payment terms, cost breaks, MOQ flexibility, rebates, and long-term capacity agreements that improve margin and working capital
• Highly analytical and commercially fluent, with the ability to translate costing, landed margin, lead-time, and concentration-risk data into actionable sourcing decisions
• A systems-driven builder who can create scalable supplier scorecards, sourcing workflows, benchmarking frameworks, and partner review cadences The ability to think strategically about country diversification, tariff exposure, concentration risk, and long-term supply resilience while moving quickly in a fast-changing environment
• Strong understanding of premium product standards, technical factory capabilities, quality expectations and development speed requirements
• A strong cross-functional collaborator who can drive alignment and accountability across product creation, production, planning, finance, and operations
• Someone who is energized by turning Bandit’s supply chain into a strategic advantage across margin, speed, flexibility, and future innovation access

Benefits

This is a full-time, in-office role based in our Greenpoint, Brooklyn Headquarters

• Competitive base salary + equity
• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision benefits and flexible PTO
• 401k match
• Rocket-ship level momentum with a career-defining opportunity at-hand

At Bandit, we’re building an incredible culture rooted in our three core values—Trust, Empathy, & Excellence. We believe that to build the best team, our baseline is an environment where everyone can bring their full & authentic selves to the table. We are committed to fair hiring practices where we hire team members for their potential & advocate for diversity, equity, & inclusion. We do not discriminate based on your race, color, religion, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, age, military service eligibility, veteran status, marital status, disability, or any other protected class.

· Pay range $160,000 - $180,000 + equity – level & salary to be determined by experience and relevant track record of success