Product Development Manager

Role Overview

The Product Development Manager leads the end-to-end development process from initial concept through the Salesman Sample (SMS) stage for all categories and special projects. By partnering with cross‑functional teams, this role ensures the delivery of high‑integrity samples that are fully ready for production.

This is a highly technical, autonomous role that requires the ability to lead projects on one's own initiative without assistant support.

• Calendar Oversight: Work in conjunction with VP of Product Development and cross‑functional partners to manage the day‑to‑day seasonal calendar.
• WIP & T&A Tracking: Manage seasonal WIP charts—including active styles, proto costs, raw materials, and minimums—while communicating Time & Action and sample status to the VP of Product Development weekly.
• Sample Logistics: Manage the execution and handoff of all components to external partners to ensure successful on‑time delivery of prototypes and salesman samples.
• Style Setup & PLM Ownership: Lead the creation of all seasonal style numbers and names in PLM, while execute initial setup and daily upkeep in PLM for all RTW styles, trims, embellishments, and embroideries.
• BOM Development: Responsible for the initial setup and maintenance of the Bill of Materials (BOM) in PLM, including entering all fabric, trim, and combo details for categories.
• Data Integrity: Ensure the company product development drive and PLM systems are consistently updated to reflect the latest style numbers, cutters musts, fit notes, inventory lists, and budgets.
• Pre‑production Troubleshooting: Proactively identify issues and alert the Design team of costing escalations due to garment components as they arise.

• Style Setup Management: Lead the creation of all seasonal style numbers and names, ensuring data entry updates are consistent across all needed areas.
• PLM System Ownership: Execute initial setup and daily upkeep both in PLM systems and shared documents for all RTW styles, trims, embellishments, and embroideries.
• BOM Development: Responsible for the initial setup and maintenance of the Bill of Materials (BOM), including the detailed entry of all fabric, trim, and combo components for all divisions (RTW wovens, knitwear, accessories, shoes and belts).
• Data Integrity: Oversee the shared product development drive and PLM system, ensuring fit notes, inventory lists, and cutters musts reflect the latest information for internal and external teams.

• Direct Factory Liaison: Coordinate workload and technical direction directly with factories, troubleshooting any development issues daily.
• Shipping Logistics: Monitor daily package tracking and shipping for all materials to ensure they arrive on a timeline that supports sampling.
• Handoff Coordination: Ensure all fabrics and trims are procured and prepared for partners at each stage of sampling.

• End‑to‑End Procurement: Create and issue initial seasonal orders for trims, linings, and embroideries.
• Lining Selection: At the fabric level, select, order, and transfer all needed linings to support style creation, coordinating transfers directly with mills.
• Inventory Control: Responsible for pulling, ordering, and monitoring seasonal trim and lining inventory to ensure availability for all vendors.
• Logistics Monitoring: Maintain daily email interaction to track all packages for shipping and tracking purposes, ensuring materials arrive on a timeline that supports sampling.

• WIP Management: Lead the daily management of factory WIP charts, incorporating style revisions and communicating all changes directly to vendors.
• Sample Tracking: Provide daily status tracking of both prototypes and SMS to ensure key milestones are hit and communicate status to the PD Director weekly.
• Fit & Pattern Direction: Attend all fittings and relay technical corrections to factories or external pattern makers.
• Detailed Refinement: Oversee the ideal look and placement of garment details, while optimizing finishings with the design team to ensure integrity of…