Senior Costume Buyer (Project Hire / Internal Assignment)

About the Role & Team:

 Through innovative storytelling and a culture of collaboration, Disney Live Entertainment creates, produces, and delivers remarkable and engaging entertainment experiences. From the intimate to the spectacular, our work can be seen at Disney theme parks, resort hotels, cruise ships, and other locations the world over. This diverse team – representing a wide variety of disciplines and talents from technical directors, writers and lighting designers to choreographers, cosmetologists, and music producers – brings magical worlds to life through technical expertise, performance excellence, incomparable ingenuity, unparalleled spectacle… and a dash of pixie dust.

The Senior Costume Buyer leads the strategic sourcing, development, and procurement of highly complex costume programs across multiple locations and lines of business. This role owns end‑to‑end sourcing efforts for large, high‑risk initiatives and serves as a subject‑matter expert in vendor management, cost strategy, and garment manufacturing. The Senior Costume Buyer provides mentorship and guidance to buyers and partners while driving business results through effective sourcing strategies.

You will report to the Manager - Costume Buying. 

This role is a Project Hire / Internal Assignment with no guarantee of permanent placement.

What You Will Do:

• Provide project leadership and guidance to salaried peers and union Cast Members, including sharing best practices and mentoring for skill development

• Source, evaluate, and onboard international suppliers, ensuring alignment to capacity, compliance, quality, and business requirements

• Lead the development and execution of strategic sourcing initiatives for the business unit, including preferred supplier strategies and long-term supplier partnerships

• Actively manage and resolve vendor production issues, reprioritizing orders as needed based on capacity, timelines, and business impact

• Lead highly complex sourcing projects across multiple styles, commodities, and vendors, requiring advanced planning, prioritization, and risk management

• Develop bid strategies and sourcing recommendations for large and complex product packages, with a focus on total cost, delivery timelines, and quality

• Oversee procurement and production execution, including SAP order placement, delivery tracking, and communication of production status and product updates to all stakeholders

• Ensure adherence to procurement governance by maintaining contracts, RFPs, bid exception documentation, and communicating sourcing decisions across lines of business

• Responsible for conducting all procurement activities in compliance with applicable federal, state, and local laws, company policies, and ethical standards

• Own and drive operational performance improvements, including cycle‑time reduction, cost optimization, efficiency gains, and customer service enhancements

• Partner closely with Entertainment and Costuming Operations to ensure design intent, costume quality, and brand standards are consistently maintained

Required Qualifications & Skills:

• 5+ years of experience in garment and textile sourcing, production, supply chain management, or costuming

• Advanced expertise in international sourcing, including establishing, vetting, onboarding, and leading global suppliers

• Strong background in global shipping, logistics, and regulatory compliance

• Advanced proficiency in cost analysis, cost modeling, and negotiations across a broad range of product categories

• Experience leading complex workflows and managing project budgets, timelines, and resource allocation

• Demonstrated ability to manage a portfolio of complex orders, overseeing execution across multiple commodities and regions

• Skilled in strategic planning, problem‑solving, conflict resolution, influencing, and decision‑making

• Proven ability to build and sustain collaborative relationships with internal and external partners at all organizational levels

• Proficiency with Microsoft 365 and enterprise business tools

• Ability to work around various materials (e.g., fabrics, fibers, furs)

• Flexibility to work nights, weekends, holidays, and travel between locations as business needs require

Preferred Qualifications:

• Advanced experience using enterprise sourcing and product lifecycle systems, including SAP Purchasing and Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) applications

• Proficiency with collaboration and workflow management tools, such as SharePoint and Smartsheet, to support project execution and cross‑functional alignment

• Demonstrated expertise in garment and technical specification writing, including development and interpretation of tech packs

• Advanced knowledge of garment construction, materials, and quality assessment, with the ability to evaluate manufacturing execution against design and brand standards

Education:

• High School Diploma or equivalent required

• Advanced Degree in Merchandising, Costuming, Apparel, or related field preferred

Additional Information:

Benefits and Perks: Disney offers a rewards package to help you live your best life. This includes health and savings benefits, educational opportunities and special extras that only Disney can provide. Learn more about our benefits and perks at https://jobs.disneycareers.com/benefits.

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