DESCRIPTION: The Associate Sourcing Manager is responsible for managing a multiple merchandise categories and supporting the Manager, Global Merchandise Sourcing. The Associate Sourcing Manager has responsibility for anticipating global market shifts and developing breakthrough ideas and processes to continually mitigate risk. The Associate Sourcing Manager will assist Manager, Global Merchandise Sourcing, to develop and execute short and long-term sourcing strategies; manages and drives factory relationships, initiates cost negotiations, production follow up, and is accountable for all tactical details and decisions for categories managed by their teams. ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS: • Proactively drives measurable efficiencies of team communications, tasks, and overall workflow to support continuous improvement. • Participates and drives the growth of global and segment-wide relationships. • Executes short and long-term sourcing strategies for managed categories set by management; proactively drive the set priorities, objectives, and action plans to improve supply base and mitigate risk with measurable accountability. • Supports leveraging opportunities and executes sourcing strategies for global site-specific items. • Collaborates with Quality Assurance team to ensure products placed with managed suppliers are meeting Disney quality standards. • Oversees and manages product development management, communicating key milestones and deadlines within the sample approval process. • Assist Manager to train/supervise Sourcing Specialist in monitoring production tracking report, driving communication and troubleshooting exceptions and delays proactively • Negotiates costing and proposes value engineering options to achieve profitability goals while ensuring product vision is achieved; • Identifies opportunities to leverage cross-category tools, information, processes and resources to optimize category performance. • Discuss and collaborates with factory and Product Design to seek new ideas, art techniques, applications and materials to drive product innovation. • Travels domestically to ensure production of merchandise continues to meet Disney quality standards. and continuously learn the product diversity opportunities of the factory, expand product knowledge/expertise. Be the expert in all key sourcing regions. • Drives continuous improvement within supply base to elevate supplier performance with measurable results.  Work closely with Manager to maintain a stable and socially compliant supply base that meets ILS MCS, regulatory standards, and other established supplier performance requirements. Proactively addresses issues with timely and high-caliber executive-level communication and actions. CORE SKILLS:  Strong knowledge of product-specific construction standards, materials, and manufacturing processes/techniques.  Outstanding negotiation skills.  Demonstrated ability to balance conflicting priorities between creative design and cost of goods objectives.  Proficient in English and Mandarin or Cantonese or Thai  Outstanding written and verbal communication skills.  Strong analytical and strategy-formulation skills.  Ability to influence internal stake holders and drive efficient decision-making.  Understanding of macro-economic pressures and variables that influence global sourcing decisions.  Experience in merchandise sourcing and production management.  Strong computer skills. (i.e., Excel, PowerPoint, MicroCharts, etc.)  Ability to work on multiple projects within specified time frames.  Demonstrated ability to work in a multi-cultural environment.  Understanding of China and Global testing, safety, and labeling requirements and impact to product design and manufacturing processes.  Understanding of free-trade agreements, duties and resulting impact of sourcing strategies. DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS:  6 – 8 years’ experience in Global Sourcing and/or Merchandising  Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent experience/both combined  Product-specific technical degree and/or manufacturing experience a plus  Proficiency in English (spoken and written)  Ability to communicate in other languages would be a plus.