About Rip Curl
Founded in Torquay in 1969, Rip Curl is The Ultimate Surfing Company, born from a relentless pursuit for waves, adventure, and freedom, called ‘The Search’. Today, The Search continues to inspire all that we do, from the products we make, the events we run, the athletes we support, and the values we strive to uphold. Built by surfers, for surfers, Rip Curl is a global company that has been leading the surf industry for over 50 years. As a certified B Corp, we aim to prioritise people and planet in everything we do. The Search is calling… apply today and become part of The Ultimate Surfing company.
As Head of Sourcing, you will lead Rip Curl’s global sourcing, supplier partnership and purchasing operations across apparel, accessories and footwear. This is a senior leadership role with a broad global remit, balancing commercial outcomes, product quality, speed to market, ethical sourcing, risk management and long-term supplier capability.
You will work closely with Product, Planning, Finance, Logistics, ESG, regional teams and our broader KMD Brands network to build a resilient, diversified and commercially effective supplier base. You will also play an important role in identifying Group-wide sourcing opportunities, strengthening supplier collaboration and supporting initiatives that create operational, commercial and risk-reduction value across our portfolio of brands.
What you’ll be responsible for
- Developing and executing Rip Curl’s global sourcing strategy across apparel, accessories and footwear.
- Building strong, ethical and commercially effective partnerships with global manufacturing and supply partners.
- Driving improvements in lead time, on-time delivery, sample execution, purchasing accuracy and critical path performance.
- Managing sourcing risk across supplier capability, country-of-origin exposure, compliance, quality, duty impacts and supply continuity.
- Partnering with ESG, quality and regional teams to support responsible sourcing, supplier compliance and continuous improvement.
- Leading, coaching and developing global sourcing and purchasing teams, creating clarity, accountability and strong succession depth.
- Identifying cross-brand opportunities that support supplier alignment, manufacturing capability, innovation and business transformation.
About you
You are an experienced sourcing, procurement, production or supply chain leader with strong exposure to apparel, footwear, accessories, outdoor, surf or consumer products. You bring a commercial mindset, strong supplier negotiation capability and a practical understanding of product development, manufacturing, quality assurance and critical path management.
You are comfortable operating globally, working across regions, supplier networks and internal functions to solve problems, make clear decisions and keep product moving. You know how to balance speed, cost, quality, compliance and risk, and you bring the leadership style needed to build high-performing teams through change, complexity and growth.
What you’ll bring
- Significant experience in global sourcing, procurement, production or supply chain leadership.
- Experience developing sourcing strategies across multiple categories, suppliers and manufacturing regions.
- Strong knowledge of product development, garment or product construction, manufacturing processes and quality assurance.
- Experience managing offshore supplier performance, ethical sourcing requirements, compliance expectations and commercial negotiations.
- Proven people leadership experience, including coaching, developing and leading teams across functions or geographies.
- Experience with suppliers across Asia and other global sourcing regions will be highly regarded.
- Exposure to ESG, sustainability, B Corp, responsible sourcing, trade finance, logistics or transformation initiatives would be beneficial.
Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging at KMD Brands
At KMD Brands, we believe that diversity makes us stronger. We’re committed to building an inclusive workplace where everyone feels valued, respected, and empowered to be themselves.
We celebrate the unique backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives of our people — across age, gender, identity, race, sexual orientation, ethnicity, and physical and mental ability. We know that when our team reflects the communities we serve, we create better outcomes for everyone.
We proudly acknowledge and pay respect to Tangata Whenua, the Indigenous Nations, First Peoples, and Custodians of the lands and waterways on which our brand head offices reside in Aotearoa New Zealand, Australia and the United States. Their enduring connection to land, waters, and culture continues to inspire and guide us.
Click APPLY and join us on The Search.
Join us in shaping a workplace where everyone belongs.
Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled.
