Head of Product Development; Apparel

Position: Head of Product Development (Apparel)
Location: Farringdon

We have an exciting new opportunity for a Head of Product Development to take full ownership of clothing development across a portfolio of creator brands.

You’ll work 1-to-1 with some of the world’s biggest creators, becoming the person they trust to bring their product vision to life. Shaping collections, advising on where to take their brands next, and to ensure every product that reaches their audience meets the highest standards.

This is a hands-on role. You’ll work directly with creators, spend time in factories and be involved in every key decision — from the first product idea through to final bulk delivery.

Based in London with hybrid working, you’ll work closely day-to-day with brand managers, designers and the supply chain team, while building strong relationships directly with creators.

Your role will be to turn their ideas into products their audiences genuinely want to buy and wear.

You’ll also take ownership of building and managing our manufacturing base — identifying and developing the right factory partners, negotiating costs and commercial terms, and working closely with suppliers to maintain a consistently high standard across every sample and bulk order.

Head of Product Development (Apparel) - The role

Product development

* Own the end-to-end development process, from creator brief and design through to approved bulk production and delivery

* Build and manage tech packs, spec sheets, grading and measurement charts with the design team

* Run fit sessions and sample reviews at every stage (proto, fit, salesman, pre-production), giving factories clear, precise comments and getting to approval in as few rounds as possible

* Lead fabric and trim development, including lab dips, strike-offs and performance testing for active wear (stretch and recovery, opacity and squat testing, pilling, colourfastness, moisture management)

* Set and manage the critical path for every launch, flag risks early and keep launches on schedule

Sourcing and suppliers

* Source, evaluate and onboard manufacturers and mills across active wear, cut and sew jersey, knitwear, hosiery and outerwear, as needed.

* Bring and grow a trusted supplier network, and manage those relationships long term

* Negotiate cost prices, MOQs, lead times, payment terms and quality standards

* Build costings and landed cost models (fabric, trims, CMT, freight, duty, packaging) with finance and supply chain to hit target margins

* Carry out factory visits and make sure suppliers meet our standards on ethical compliance and sustainability.

Quality

* Own quality from first sample to bulk, including quality standards, AQL inspections and pre-shipment checks

* Act as the final sign-off before any sample or product goes to a creator

* Manage product compliance for the UK, EU and US, including fibre content, care labelling and testing requirements

* Track quality issues, customer feedback and returns data, and feed what you learn into the next development cycle

Creators and team

* Work directly with creators to understand their vision, present samples, gather feedback and set clear expectations on what is achievable, by when and at what cost

* Work closely with brand managers, designers and supply chain managers so every handover is clean and everyone knows where each product stands

* Bring trend and commercial insight into range planning: what will sell, at what price point and for which audience

Head of Product Development (Apparel)

- The Person

* 8+ years in clothing product development, including at least 3 years in a senior role (Senior Product Developer, Product Development Manager or Head of Product) at a successful clothing brand

* Confident dealing with high-profile clients. You have a point of view on product and you're comfortable sharing it

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