Head of Product

Triple Wimbledon champion Fred Perry founded his brand in 1952 who played and fought his way through, always with style – and despite the establishment. Today, Fred Perry is a global community of over 370 employees, all inspired by the Laurel Wreath and what it represents.

PURPOSE

You will be responsible for the Global shaping and development of the Product Strategy in-line with the Business Plan for Menswear, Womenswear, Footwear & Accessories.  Working collaboratively and cross-functionally (Design, Quality, Brand, Planning, Merchandising) to ensure the goals and ambition are supported and succeed.

You will need to have excellent leadership skills, a genuine passion for the development of great product ‘the best it can be’ and the ability to work collaboratively and effectively, providing a strong voice for Product and the product teams.  

To be able to inform and influence the direction of the business with credibility.

KEY RESPONSIBILITES

• Have ownership of Product Management: range planning, the development & execution of product, costing (margin control) and pricing strategy. To lead the Product Teams with clarity and with focus on the Business Plan and Product & Brand Strategy. Prioritising and supporting the unblocking of issues to ensure working at pace To manage the Product Calendar with the Head of Creative and Head of Quality & Sustainability, keeping the processes and teams on track to achieve agreed goals and great product, with sustainability at the heart.  Always challenging “is this the best we can do” To drive innovation and research & development for the continuous progression and elevation of the collections To work closely with the Head of Quality & Sustainability to support the sustainability strategy, agreeing and working together on future initiatives and ambitions Capture insight from our Global Retail & Ecommerce business, Global Markets and Research & Development to establish the product focus, range plan building blocks and growth opportunities. To gain insight from the Global Business Development Heads Of and Managers.  Using this commercial insight to feed into the Range Plan thinking You will keep focussed on the Business Plan & ‘Business As Usual’, whilst bringing to the table on-brand solutions To manage and mentor direct reports to achieve their goals & ambitions and for the long-term health & success of the business. Working closely with our Best Companies ongoing commitment to make Fred Perry a great place to work Supplier relationships and efficiency to market, working closely & collaboratively with the relevant Head’s Of. To share with Key Suppliers the Business Plan and key objectives, as well as reviewing performance & operational issues.  Meeting also with prospective factories to review capabilities and new market innovations To support the European Sourcing Project as part of the sourcing strategy, with the objective to dual source and achieve a more sustainable balance of Asia and European business – in collaboration with the Head of Quality & Sustainability and the Product Managers Leverage the supply base across the departments to maximize productivity and economies of scale Manage cost engineering to achieve target costs and negotiate with suppliers as necessary To work closely with the Head of Brand to effectively communicate the value of the styles and product in the collections enhancing the overall storytelling and communication Championing & supporting PLM, ensuring data accuracy within the teams to support the downstream business functions Be part of the Heads of Department team to deliver cultural change and key business objectives

THE PERSON:

• To have at least 12 years’ experience, knowledge and passion to develop great product

• To be a genuine team player with a hands-on approach.  Someone who is able to manage their time, be able support multiple teams & projects and lean into difficult conversations & situations
• The individual must be highly organised and a strong communicator & collaborator – both with internal colleagues and external partners. To have a positive can do approach i.e. enthusiastic, motivated and proactive 
• To be committed to mentoring, training and supporting the direct reports and ensuring the Fred Perry work ethos and behaviours are channelled into the teams

• To be socially and culturally aware, supporting and initiating the Best Company commitments
• To have an openness to ideas, working flexibly and collaboratively - with respect & professionalism.
• Professional & behavioural consistency.  A brand Ambassador at all times

HOURS:

We actively encourage our teams to have a good work/life balance and so we are pleased to offer flexible working shifts at Fred Perry HQ. Our core shift hours are from 10am – 4.30pm and so employees can choose to start and finish early, or start and finish late. (i.e. work 8:00am-4:30pm, or 10:00am-6:30pm etc). We also have 30-minute early finish on Fridays.

As we continue to work in a more flexible way, the Head Office acts a brand hub, where we can all connect and collaborate with one another. This role is a mix of office based (London) and remote working. We will expect the employee to come into the office regularly for face-to-face meetings and to work alongside their team on collaborative projects.

BENEFITS:

We are proud to offer a wide range of benefits to all our staff, and continue to reassess what our community needs from us to thrive. We don’t want to be a good company to work for, we want to be a great one. Here are some things we currently offer:  

• Annual performance-related bonus
• Competitive salary, reviewed every year
• Generous staff discount and regular sample sales

• Generous pension scheme with 8.5% company contribution
• Option to buy an extra 5 days holiday annually
• Enhanced maternity and paternity packages
• Life insurance
• Private healthcare
• Cycle to work scheme
• Access to the EAP
• Flexible working
• Early finish Fridays
• Season ticket loan
• 25 days annual leave plus Bank Holidays
• Annual Birthday vouchers
• Regular opportunities to attend gigs / events