Sr Product Development & Sourcing

Job Summary

Responsible for the execution of the sourcing strategies for specific apparel categories, maintaining global supplier relationships, driving the development, engineering, fit execution, and specifications for innovative, advanced products of the highest level.  Manage cost negotiations to successfully meet cost and margin goals associated with financial metrics.

• Lead and manage the critical path from concept to pre-production with design, tech design, and manufacturers.
• Monitor suppliers to ensure calendar timelines can be supported from development through product delivery.  Keep cross-functional teams updated on any issues within development cycle.
• Identifying, calling out and making recommendations to mitigate any risks/challenges identified at all stages.
• Organizing a strong collaborative environment between design, product development, tech design, merchandising, and manufacturers.

Job Responsibilities

• Collaborate with Design and Merchandising to understand line plans for execution of the product concept and overall aesthetic to translate into prototypes and final garments.
• Act as the technical partner for design, providing feedback on technical feasibility, brainstorming ideas, and solutions to ensure the design’s vision is translated into product
• Manage end-to-end sample development from prototypes through pre-production, ensuring samples are reviewed, approved an communicated to suppliers within established timelines.
• Coordinate and secure timely approval of all garment and accessory-related production components to support final product approval and launch readiness activities.
• Partner with Design using industry experience to provide solutions related to cost engineering and adhering to the target margins. Recommends construction, material, or manufacturing suggestions to enhance functionality, aesthetics, and fit.
• Manage and partner with supply base to achieve target costs and margins, production lead-times and product execution.
• Identify and assist in the development of department guidelines and standards to ensure operational excellence and consistency across teams.
• Responsible for data enrichment in PLM for all seasonal and ongoing products:
  • Builds and maintains bill of material files
  • Maintain supplier data and all cost updates
• Partners with Compliance and Design to create and manage documents for CE certification
• Works with the QC & Regulatory teams to help resolve issues related to quality or regulation standards.

Education Requirements

Education Specifications

Bachelor’s Degree preferred in apparel fashion, product development, sourcing, manufacturing or comparable job experience.

Experience Requirements

• 3-5 years of experience in the field of product development, production, and management of highly complex global products
• Self-motivated with ability to multi-task and work in a fast-paced environment with multiple deadlines
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Solid foundation of apparel textiles and construction, strong working knowledge in design, development, research, materials, technical design, and manufacturing in the apparel industry
• Experience in working with and traveling independently to offshore vendors
• Expert computer skills & knowledge of Web PDM or PLM, Excel, Powerpoint, Google Workspace, and other programs
• Expert in Bill of Materials, Specs, Tech Packs