Product Development Manager – Athleisure, Outerwear

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in United States.

📋 Description

• Take charge of the comprehensive development and implementation of designated apparel categories.

• Assess sales performance, revenue, sell-through, average unit retail (AUR), margins, and product profitability to pinpoint growth prospects.

• Perform market research, conduct competitive analyses, and evaluate consumer trends.

• Transform business insights and consumer requirements into commercially viable product proposals.

• Assess product positioning, market potentials, target retail pricing, and product costs.

• Collaborate with Design and Merchandising on product roadmaps, assortment strategies, and new product initiatives.

• Discover innovative materials, fabrics, construction methods, and functional attributes.

• Oversee the product development lifecycle from concept to production approval.

• Collaborate with Design, Technical Design, Fabric Development, and Sourcing to realize product concepts.

• Supervise sampling, fit approvals, materials, construction, costing, and product specifications.

• Manage development schedules, critical milestones, and production transitions for timely launches.

• Identify development obstacles, propose solutions, and ensure prompt execution.

• Work with Sourcing to meet target costs, retail prices, and margin goals.

• Pinpoint value-engineering possibilities while maintaining quality, fit, and functionality.

• Engage directly with overseas vendors to understand manufacturing processes, lead times, and milestones.

• Collaborate with Quality Assurance to meet quality and performance standards.

• Evaluate consumer feedback, returns, and product performance for ongoing improvement.

• Work alongside Design, Merchandising, Planning, Sourcing, Production, and Marketing teams.

• Maintain development trackers, product specifications, costing, and project documentation.

• Relay product status, risks, opportunities, and suggestions to partners and leadership.

• Foster accountability, problem-solving, and continuous enhancement throughout development.

⛳️ Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Product Development, Fashion Merchandising, Apparel Design, Business, or a related field.

• 7+ years of experience in apparel product development, product management, or merchandising within the fashion, lifestyle, or consumer brand sectors.

• Comprehensive understanding of apparel construction, fabrics, fit, costing, and manufacturing processes.

• Strong analytical abilities with experience in interpreting sales performance, market research, and consumer insights.

• Experience collaborating directly with overseas manufacturers and managing development timelines.

• Keen awareness of fashion and market trends, with the capability to identify commercially relevant trends and innovation opportunities.

• Advanced proficiency in Excel or Google Sheets; familiarity with PLM systems is preferred.

• Exceptional project management, communication, organizational, and problem-solving abilities.

• Experience in product development, particularly in Athleisure, is preferred.

• Background in a rapidly growing DTC or omnichannel retail business is preferred.

• Proven capability to translate sales data and consumer insights into successful product opportunities is preferred.

• Experience working independently in a remote or hybrid setting is preferred.

• An entrepreneurial mindset with solid business acumen, attention to detail, and a sense of urgency is preferred.

• Strong technical knowledge in high-performance athleisure and outerwear.

• In-depth understanding of innovative fabric technologies, functional materials, garment construction, and performance features.

• Familiarity with performance fabrics and technologies, including moisture-wicking, breathability, temperature regulation, cooling, stretch and recovery, water resistance, and insulation.

• Capacity to balance technical performance, comfort, fashion, and commercial viability.

🏝️ Benefits

• No benefits, perks, or compensation extras are specified in the posting.