Product Development Manager

Retrofête - New York, NY

Full-time - Manager

New York, NY

About the position

The Product Development Manager serves as the primary liaison between the Brand and Supply Chain, ensuring high-quality product execution and timely delivery in alignment with business strategies. This role is crucial for overseeing the product development process, from sampling to final pre-production approvals, while maintaining the design aesthetic and meeting financial targets.

Responsibilities

• Assess the best sources/partners appropriate to the Brand to drive product strategies and capability/capacity needs.
• Manage an efficient, streamlined workflow process to attain optimal results in execution accuracy, shortening lead times, and lowering minimums and costs.
• Support the implementation and management of proper systems, working tools, and standardized best practices.
• Partner closely with Design to ensure alignment throughout the development process.
• Work closely with Fabric, Pattern, and Tech Design to provide on-time, accurate, and complete product development packages.
• Organize all sample order requests to suppliers to track on-time sampling accuracy execution.
• Ensure all development and product sampling activities are tracked and delivered on time for briefs, prototypes, salesman, pre-production size sets approvals to final manufacturing-ready product.
• Responsible for delivering on-time, accurate development product costing in adherence to critical calendar milestone dates.
• Negotiate product costs with factories while working on alternative materials.
• Oversee and manage the briefing and development of all new trims and label packaging for all product categories in line with GTM calendar.
• Build and drive a motivated service-oriented, results-driven team.
• Manage personal growth and development of direct reports through mentorship, coaching, and guidance.

Requirements

• Managerial product development/sourcing job experience.
• In-depth apparel industry knowledge in every category and fabrication.
• Experience working in medium-sized companies interacting with cross-functional teams.
• Proven ability and responsibility in managing teams of a minimum of 2-3 direct reports.

Nice-to-haves

• University degree or equivalent.
• Technical college textile-related field preferred.
• High proficiency with MS Office applications (Teams, Excel, PowerPoint, OneDrive, Word).
• Efficient time management in multi-tasking priorities and meeting calendar deadlines.
• Excellent verbal/written/interpersonal communication skills.
• Extremely organized.
• Result-driven and service-oriented team player.
• Strong analytical skills and attention to detail.
• PLM experienced.