Senior Manager, Product Development Apparel (Kidswear)

Manages a team of product developers in the creation and commercialisation of assigned products, actively monitoring development calendars to ensure deadlines, costing KPIs and quality standards are met. It acts as an advocate for product integrity, working closely with cross-functional creation centre teams and related support services. The position sits within the Product Development & Operations team and combines team leadership with hands-on product development.

• Partner with Marketing and Design to achieve the goals and objectives set by the business unit, and communicate proactively with the development team and cross-functional teams to ensure a smooth product development process.
• Research new technologies and materials and communicate new potential development options to Design and Marketing.
• Supervise the costing process to achieve the best possible cost throughout the creation process, ensuring target price and product designs are aligned through predictive costing, and reviewing, validating and approving T1 costing information and negotiating with T1 as needed.
• Communicate seasonal product initiatives, process changes and longer-term category vision to internal and external teams.
• Take responsibility for Buy Ready performance through strong interfaces with Marketing, Design, Materials Development, Pattern, Logistics and Sourcing (Technical Services, Materials, Merchandising and Production).
• Manage the team to achieve high performance by fostering a positive team environment through effective delegation, objective setting, performance assessments, motivation, and training and development.
• Communicate all necessary information to Marketing, Design, suppliers and LO/OC to ensure the effective and efficient creation of outstanding product, and manage the handover from design to T1 so that all information provided is complete
• Incorporating T1 feedback where quality or cost can be improved without sacrificing product aesthetics.
• Ensure timely and accurate data entry by T1 regarding Article Description (AD)/BOM, costing or other data as required at calendar milestones.
• Evaluate all prototypes for compliance with AD, manage fit approval and size specification, approve colour, accessories and materials, and manage comments to T1.
• Ensure that all materials and accessories as well as prototypes are tested and adhere to quality, safety and A01 (chemical) standards, managing quality exceptions with senior management as needed.
• Review size sets for accuracy of measurements and merchantability of the complete size range, including logo placement and fit.
• Review and sign off sealing samples with complete AD and all related documents prior to buy ready dates, ensuring full conformity to published policies so that a final legal AD exists for the final product.
• Research innovation from the market or supply chain in garment construction, pattern/fit, embellishment and trims, working cross-functionally with Materials, Costing, Pattern, Sourcing teams and T1/T2 to implement it into product creation.

• Four-year college or university degree with emphasis on clothing technology and/or manufacturing.
• Minimum 8 years of progressive work experience in the garment/textile industry.
• First experience in managing a team.
• Strong communication skills, both written and verbal, and facilitation skills for small and large groups.
• Ability to create, plan and effectively deliver presentations in formal and informal settings.
• Ability to manage and motivate a team.
• Ability to anticipate problems and develop solutions through to resolution.
• Ability to cope with change, make decisions and act comfortably with risk and uncertainty.
• In-depth knowledge of production garment construction and manufacturing.
• Advanced knowledge of material construction and related testing.
• Advanced knowledge of wear and physical product testing.
• Advanced knowledge of costing and ability to negotiate as required.
• Ability to fit a garment and comment to T1 on changes required.
• Fluent in English, written and spoken.
• Strong IT skills (MS Office, PDM, CAD) and ability to work with Product Data Management Systems.

The company believes that embedding diversity, equity and inclusion into its culture and talent processes gives its employees a sense of belonging and its brand a real competitive advantage.