Product Development Manager

As Product Development Manager, you will be responsible for managing the collections from conception through to handover with production across all categories and territories.

This is a key role within the business predominantly bridging over design and development with involvement in all departments and wider teams.

Key Responsibilities, to include but not be limited to: 

• To work alongside design to source and develop, textiles, trims and fabrics for the collection.  Issuing direction and following through to collate and establish details and implement into product.
• Working across all categories in the business, currently: embellishment, wovens, knitwear and accessories.  Also, to work across all territories, currently: India and China.
• To manage critical paths, particularly through design and development, ensuring both design teams and factories adhere to timelines and all departments of the business are kept up to date with developments.
• Responsible for all sample requests and tracking of sampling costs through collection development and photoshoot sample ordering.
• Responsible for tracking all development costs of the collections and reporting budgets to senior management.

• This role plays a crucial part in the product costing process, responsible for initiation and tracking target prices at development stage through to collating fob’s, anaylsing and interrogating costings through into production.

• Key communicator across the business ensuring all departments are updated on product and collections.

• Responsible for handing over finished, production ready styles to the production team.  Including any information on MOQ’s, charges, fabric and yarn details.

• Key contributor within fitting sessions, offering any costing issues, timelines or product details that either design, production or technical should be aware of.

• To establish any new relationships with factories ensuring smooth set-up from development through to production.

• To work on range plans, and range analysis.

• Responsible for tracking factory allocation and analysis.

• To Drive and manage any special projects such as collaborations.

• Based in our UK office and working within our UK team this role will also work closely with the team in our India office, particularly working with the Product Developer and Head of Design based in this territory.

IDEAL CANDIDATE

• The ideal candidate would have at least five years experience in a similar role.

• Must be a great communicator with polite and respectful manner.

• Excellent attention to detail is a key attribute in this role.

• Strong organizational and admin skills are important with the ability to work in a calm manner, even when under pressure.

• Excellent excel knowledge including building in formulas and analysis work.

• Good mathematical skills.

• Excellent understanding of product costing process with good technical knowledge and understanding, particularly of embellished product.

• Good photoshop and illustrator skills, to assist design on any fabric developments and CAD work that maybe required to develop the product

• Professional attitude with great work ethics.

• Good creative eye for product and textiles.

• Ideally previous experience in working with India as a territory would be great with experience in working on embellished product particularly.

• Not essential but would be beneficial to have good factory connections and able to offer business new opportunities in diverse product areas.

• Happy to work collaboratively within a small team and with a hands-on approach.

• Naturally driven and able to manage own workload and timelines with keen attention to deadlines.

• Preferred candidate to have an understanding and background in sustainable sourcing and supply chain