Lee Company - Greensboro, NC
posted about 2 months ago
The Product Development Manager at Kontoor Brands, Inc. plays a crucial role as the key liaison between the Brand and Supply Chain, ensuring the delivery of best-in-class quality and timely execution of the product line. This position is integral to aligning product development with the overall business strategy, ensuring that the brand not only meets but exceeds its financial targets. The manager is responsible for overseeing the entire product development process, from sampling to final pre-production approvals, ensuring that the execution aligns with the design aesthetic intent. In this role, the manager will assess the best sources and partners that align with the Brand's goals, driving product strategies and addressing capability and capacity needs to enable category growth and market innovation. The manager will streamline workflow processes to achieve optimal results, focusing on execution accuracy, reducing lead times, and minimizing costs. This includes supporting the implementation of proper systems and standardized best practices. Collaboration is key in this position, as the manager will work closely with the Design team to ensure alignment throughout the development process. This includes coordinating with Fabric, Pattern, and Tech Design to provide accurate and complete product development packages. The manager will also organize sample order requests to suppliers, ensuring on-time sampling accuracy and execution. The role requires tracking all development and product sampling activities to ensure timely delivery for briefs, prototypes, and final manufacturing-ready products. Additionally, the manager will oversee the briefing and development of new trims and label packaging for all product categories in line with the Go-To-Market (GTM) calendar. Building and leading a motivated, service-oriented, results-driven team is essential, with a focus on mentoring and developing direct reports.