The posting
Position Title: Sourcing Specialist
Department: Product and Brand Services
Reports To: Senior Manager, Sourcing & Social Compliance
FLSA Status: Non-Exempt
Effective Date: 11/10/26
Salary: $69,000 - $70,000
Location: In-Office
The Zumiez Product and Brand Services (PBS) team is looking for a Sourcing Specialist to support and manage our development and sourcing workflow. This role is responsible for driving product from concept through PO placement, including costing, sourcing, and factory placement decisions. The Sourcing Specialist partners closely with vendors and internal teams to meet margin goals, align product placement decisions with the global sourcing strategy, and manage multiple priorities while maintaining accurate information across workstreams. The ideal candidate is highly organized, detail‑oriented, and able to communicate effectively across partners, taking ownership of their categories and proactively solving problems throughout the development process.
The PBS Sourcing and Production team supports over 30 brands across men’s and women’s apparel, accessories, and snow/skate hardgoods, including owned and licensed brands.
Zumiez is a leading specialty retailer of apparel, footwear, accessories, and hardgoods for young men and women who express their individuality through fashion, music, art, and action sports culture. Headquartered in Lynnwood, Washington, Zumiez operates over 700 stores across North America, Europe, and Australia under the names Zumiez, Blue Tomato, and Fast Times.
At Zumiez, creativity shows up in how we work, what we wear, and how we move—sometimes literally on a skateboard down the hallway. It’s a place where individuality is encouraged, ideas are shared openly, and people are trusted to take ownership of their work. If that sounds like your kind of environment, we’d love to meet you.
You know how to:
- Work in Microsoft Office programs including Excel
- Analyze tech pack details to determine appropriate costs
- Lead cost negotiations and collaborate with Design, Development, and the supply base to meet IMU% goals
- Apply critical thinking to solve problems and identify solutions
- Take initiative and effectively prioritize workload across multiple priorities
- Manage and maintain multiple calendars with internal and external partners
- Motivate, guide, and support a team of direct reports
- Learn through hands‑on experience and real‑world problem‑solving
You’ll need to:
- Manage costing and production for assigned product categories, while guiding your team to do the same
- Monitor time & action calendars (TAC) to ensure key milestones and delivery dates are met
- Cost product and partner with Design, Development, and the supply base to meet IMU% goals
- Issue and maintain purchase orders
- Determine product placement in alignment with sourcing strategy goals
- Communicate with vendors and internal partners to resolve production issues and ensure quality and on-time delivery
- Identify product development issues and proactively drive solutions with cross-functional partners
- Lead, coach, and support direct reports
- Support resolution of vendor claims and issues
- Assist on projects as needed
- Travel domestically and/or internationally up to 3 weeks per year as needed
- Embrace and foster the Zumiez Culture and Brand
You have:
- A college degree, preferably with coursework in textiles, sourcing, production, or a related field
- At least 1 year of apparel production related experience
- At least 1 year of managing direct reports
- Apparel costing and negotiation experience required
- Experience working with accessory products is highly preferred
- High attention to detail with strong organizational skills
- Ability to work effectively in a global, multicultural environment
- Strong written and verbal communication skills
- Ability to effectively manage time and prioritize tasks
- Demonstrated initiative with the ability to identify priorities independently
- Ability to work in a dynamic, multi‑tasking, team‑oriented environment
- Ability to quickly adapt and reprioritize in response to changing needs and priorities
Physical demands and work environment:
- Ability to sit in stationary position in an office environment for extended periods of time and work on a PC without limitations.
- Ability to move in an office environment in order to access files and gather information.
This full-time role is benefit eligible and offers:
- Health, vision, and dental insurance, following an initial wait period
- Basic life insurance and supplemental voluntary life insurance
- Paid parental leave
- Paid sick leave, following an initial wait period
- Paid vacation, following an initial wait period
- Employee Assistance Program
- Healthcare Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
- Zumiez merchandise discount
- 401(k) plan after meeting eligibility requirements
- Employee stock purchase plan (ESPP) after meeting eligibility requirements
Job Title: Sourcing Specialist
Department: Product and Brand Services
Reports To: Senior Manager, Sourcing & Social Compliance
Effective Date: 3/29/26
POSITION PURPOSE
The Sourcing Specialist supports costing and product placement for assigned categories, helping ensure products meet margin, quality, and delivery expectations. This role may oversee multiple direct reports and is responsible for coaching and developing their team through a Zumiez cultural and brand lens. Assigned categories typically represent $15M–$100M in annual volume. Occasional travel (up to two weeks per year) may be required.
JOB DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES
- Manage the costing and product placement for assigned product categories
- Analyze tech pack details to determine accurate and appropriate product costs, seeking manager guidance as needed
- Lead cost negotiations and collaborate with internal and external partners to meet IMU% and margin goals, involving the manager for escalations or strategic decisions
- Support product placement decisions that align with the sourcing strategy, including country diversification and risk‑management goals
- Help research and identify new vendors, factories, or regions to support company growth and diversification needs
- Communicate directly with vendors and internal partners regarding all pre‑production issues to ensure quality and on‑time delivery
- Monitor product development issues and proactively communicate with applicable parties to find solutions both internally and externally
- Assist team as needed with writing and maintaining finished goods purchase orders
- Keep updated on market changes (material costs, labor rates, duty changes) that may impact costing and sourcing strategies
- Assist with maintaining compliance requirements, including product testing, licensing and social compliance documentation, and regulatory standards
- Liaise with the production team and suppliers to adjust deliveries as needed, with a focus on maintaining consistent product flow to support sales plans
- Track pre‑production development with internal and external partners to ensure all deadlines are met
- Assist with the resolution of vendor claims and production issues in a timely manner
- Support multiple product calendars and manage deadlines with both internal teams and vendors
- Assist on special projects as assigned
- Embrace and foster the Zumiez Culture and Brand
JOB REQUIREMENTS & QUALIFICATIONS
- College degree is strongly preferred; preferably with course work related to textiles, sourcing and production
- 1+ years of production related experience is required
- Proficient in Microsoft Office programs such as Word, Outlook, and Excel
- Ability to work in a fast-paced, multi-tasking, team-oriented environment
- Ability to reprioritize quickly and efficiently to rapidly changing needs and situations
- High attention to detail
- Exceptional written/verbal communication skills
- Demonstrated organizational skills
- Good time management skills
- Ability to work in a multicultural environment
- Ability to solve problems through critical thinking
- Ability to take initiative and prioritize workload
- Ability to learn by doing rather than reading a manual or formal training
- May travel domestically and/or internationally up to 2 weeks per year
PHYSICAL DEMANDS & WORK ENVIRONMENT
- Ability to sit in stationary positions in an office environment for extended periods of time and work on a PC without limitations
- Constantly positions self to maintain computers and desk equipment
- Ability to move in an office environment in order to access files and gather information
- Constantly operates a computer and other office productivity machinery
- The person in this position frequently communicates with internal employees and external partners. Must be able to exchange accurate information in these situations.
- Occasionally may move office equipment weighing up to 50 pounds
- Must be able to distinguish colors and inspect materials on product
