Generally, LinkedIn is full of junk.

My favorite is when someone starts a post with “This might be a hot take, but….”

And then proceeds to blather about nothing.

However, a scroll through the feed does yield the occasional gem that is worth a closer look.

In this case, a job posting.

I found a post from Lululemon that is calling for a Senior Manager of Raw Materials Operations. The job posting link, if you’re so inclined, is found here (https://careers.lululemon.com/en_US/careers/JobDetail/Senior-Manager-Raw-Materials-Operations/55034).

Some of the responsibilities include the following:

• Milestone Facilitation: Understand reporting and process needs for Global Raw Materials.
• Strategic Operations: Deliver solutions with cross-functional partners to business problems as they arise.
• Process Optimization: Collaborate in continuous improvement of Raw Material processes and reporting.
• Communication and Reporting: Develop and review seasonal BOM or material reports to ensure the correct information is shared with cross-functional partners.

For us, we found this posting to be rather unique.

What got me curious is that I don’t see very many roles in materials operations. Ops roles usually sit with merchandising. Even better, this is not just a delivery role. The job description says this person will deliver strategic input with cross-functional partners and take part in product creation milestones.

Meaning, they won’t be on the outside looking in.

I’ve never seen a raw material lead participate in product creation milestones or seasonal strategy. In my experience, raw material teams position foundational fabrics years ahead of the season but are not involved in the seasonal concept-to-market process.

And this is a clever move.

Especially for a brand that uses the same materials across genders, categories, and collections. This way, you avoid redeveloping new materials season after season and double down on what already works. Although I am speculating based on a single job posting, this might be a signal that Lululemon is shifting towards or has already adopted a materials-led approach.

The assumption is that Lululemon starts with fabrics like Luon®, Warpstreme™, and Nulu™, and designers will design into them. The new Raw Materials Operations Manager makes sure these materials are available for new styles as well as repeats while ensuring execution of the overall material strategy.

And why not do something like this, because for a brand like Lulu, their fabrics are the franchise.

This way the materials team is positioned as a strategic partner, not just a service provider.

You don’t need to be a brand like Lululemon, building your entire assortment around proprietary fabrics, to elevate your materials leaders. You also don’t need to be on the cutting edge of new material innovation for your materials team to make more strategic contributions.

Even if it’s sporadic right now, I do think more brands are starting to look at materials through a more strategic lens. And if I widen the aperture, I can see other textile-heavy categories, like accessories (especially handbags), hardgoods, tactical gear, and automotive, thinking along similar lines.

I’ll admit, I’m pulling on quite a thread here based on a single job posting. I definitely need to go find more data points to see if brands really are moving in this direction.

I could keep scrolling LinkedIn for that information, but holy moly, there is a lot of junk to wade through.

…and that’s my hot take.