Our client Lacoste, the French‑founded global lifestyle and fashion company, is seeking an experienced and passionate Retail Buyer to support the development of sustainable natural fibre and raw material supply chains across Australia. This unique role combines sourcing, procurement, supplier relationship management, sustainability initiatives, and market intelligence, offering the opportunity to work directly with farms, producers, and supply chain partners.

Missions:

- To strengthen our natural fiber sourcing and related materials sourcing strategy in Australia by being on the ground and providing documentation for the group.
- To act as a dedicated local representative, build long-term partnerships with existing and new partners, and secure reliable and responsible supply chains.

Key Operational Responsibilities:

Natural Fiber Sourcing / Activate 2 Current Farms and Strengthen Existing Partnerships

- Map the top 10 natural fiber farms, including the Request for Information (RFI) process and on-site visits.
- Contribute to the selection, onboarding, and ongoing engagement of two newly selected farms.
- Formalize the local natural fiber sourcing strategy, in alignment with existing T4-T1 supply chain mapping.
- Build and actively manage commercial relationships with both existing and prospective natural fiber farms.
- Contribute to the development of the methodology used to structure and manage the natural fiber sourcing supplier pool.
- Source, coordinate, and locally drive community and sustainability projects

Related Material / Construction of knowledge + Activate new sources
- Construction of the local knowledge of the related material industry
- Mapping of top 10 supplies and visiting sites.
- Build the methodology of selection
- Contribution to the selection, onboarding and animation of the 2 or 3 breeders. Animation of the value chain up to the spinner.
- Source and animate locally the community projects

Shell / Construction of Knowledge




- Checkup Visit of MOP – Australia
- Strengthen and finalize our Trocas fillière – Indonesia
- Build standard documentation to support our sustainable sourcing to Wholesalers

Purchasing, Negotiation & Stock Management
- Select and purchase fabrics, trims, natural fibers and related materials in line with quality, price, sustainability and range requirements.
- Determine the types and quantities of materials to be purchased based on sales history, forecasts, stock levels and allocated budgets. Negotiate prices, payment, minimum order quantities and delivery schedules with suppliers, and prepare and place purchase orders.
- Monitor stock levels, sales performance and supplier delivery, and maintain accurate records of purchases, pricing, inventory and supplier performance.

Transversal / Learning, communication & PR
- Build structured knowledge and documentation on natural fiber sourcing and related materials supply chains (best practices, risks, etc.).
- Develop knowledge through field experiments (testing and comparing farming, harvesting, and processing practices).
- Contribute to internal capability building (knowledge transfer and long-term expertise development).
- Collect high-quality communication assets (photos, videos, field content) to support internal and external communications.
- Support brand communication and transparency by showcasing real-life practices, partners, and traceability in the field.

Licenses, Certifications, Authorizations and Permits:

- Valid driver's license required; ability to travel extensively across Australia, including remote sourcing regions




- Potential worldwide travels required (New Zealand, China, Vietnam, Indonesia, Hong Kong, France, etc)
- Authorization to operate on-site with farms, gins, mills, and manufacturing partners
- Eligibility to work in Australia for the duration of the assignment

Soft Skills :

- Strong autonomy and accountability in field-based and cross-functional environments
- Ability to build credibility and trust with internal teams and external partners
- High level of adaptability, cultural awareness, and resilience
- Structured, pragmatic, and solution-oriented mindset
- Professional integrity and ability to represent the company at senior partner level

Initial education level or equivalent professional experience:

Technical skills

- Solid expertise in raw materials sourcing and supply chain management
- Strong understanding of cotton and related materials value chains
- Ability to conduct RFIs, supplier assessments, and on-site evaluations
- Ability to translate field insights into structured analysis and recommendations
- Contribution to sourcing strategy, supplier performance improvement, and risk mitigation

Nice to have:
- Textile background: technical knowledge on processes & fabrics
- Sustainability oriented: knowledge on key environmental issues
- Fluent in English
- French, Spanish or Mandarin/Cantonese would be a plus

Relations:

Internal

- Global Sourcing team
- Product stakeholders interacting on material selection
- CSR Teams focusing on traceability and compliance requirements

External
- Cotton & Related Materials Farms Representatives, farm managers, and industry leaders across key cotton and related materials producing regions in Australia
- Local Supply Chain Stakeholders: Ginners, spinners and other upstream partners involved in raw material transformation

We thank all applicants for their interest, however only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

Job # V67YW458

📌 Retail Buyer (Sydney)
🏢 The Polyglot Group
📍 Sydney