Product Development Manager- Fashion

Shade Of The Vine Pty; Sydney; On-site; AUD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Vine Apparel is seeking a Product Development Manager to lead the development of apparel from concepts to production at our Cromer head office. You will translate design intent into precise technical specifications, manage samples and fit, coordinate with suppliers, and ensure fit, quality, cost, and manufacturability targets are met.

You will work closely with Planning to ensure commercial viability and on-time delivery, while maintaining strong supplier relationships and strict adherence to

Qualifications

• Strong garment construction and manufacturing knowledge.
• Advanced understanding of fit, grading, and size standards.
• Experience creating and managing tech packs and specs.
• Knowledge of fabrics, trims, garment finishing, and production processes.
• Sample management and critical path coordination skills.
• Supplier and factory communication and relationship management.
• Costing and commercial awareness, balancing quality and margins.

Responsibilities

• Develop detailed tech packs and specification sheets communicating requirements to suppliers and manufacturers.
• Review fabric, trim, colour, and approve submissions to ensure alignment with design intent, quality standards, and commercial requirements.
• Act as main contact for supplier development communication, providing technical guidance and managing timelines.
• Collaborate with Planning to ensure products are viable, manufacturable, and delivered on schedule.
• Coordinate sample reviews and provide feedback to suppliers within required timelines.
• Maintain an accurate sample tracking register for visibility and actions.
• Ensure sample room is organised and ready for fittings, range reviews, and stakeholder presentations.
• Coordinate fit sessions and document detailed fit comments and technical feedback.
• Conduct measurement checks to ensure compliance with specs and fit standards.
• Evaluate garment construction and workmanship with improvement recommendations.
• Manage product development timelines and track approvals across samples, materials, and specs.

Skills

Garment construction knowledge

Fit & grading expertise

Tech packs & specs

Supplier communication

Critical path coordination

Job description

Job Description

Vine Apparel is a fast-growing women's fashion brand with both eCommerce and retail operations, proudly based on Sydney's Northern Beaches. With a loyal customer following and strong connections to the local community, we are known for delivering effortless, accessible fashion that helps women feel confident every day.

Located at our Head Office in Cromer, we are looking for a Product Development Manager to join our Buying team. In this role, you'll ensure the successful development of apparel products from concepts, samples through to production. This includes translating design intent into accurate technical specifications, managing samples and fit processes, coordinating with suppliers, and ensuring all products meet required standards for fit, quality, cost, and manufacturability-

Key Performance Indicators

Product Development -

• Developing and maintaining detailed tech packs and specification sheets that communicate all product requirements to suppliers and manufacturers
• Review fabric, trim, colour, and approve submissions to ensure alignment with design intent, quality standards, and commercial requirements
• Acting as the primary point of contact for supplier development communication, providing technical guidance, resolving product issues, and managing development timelines
• Collaborating closely with Planning to ensure products are commercially viable, manufacturable, and delivered on schedule

Sample Management -

• Coordinate sample reviews and communicate feedback to suppliers, ensuring all amendments are implemented accurately and within required timelines
• Maintain an accurate sample tracking register, providing visibility of sample status, approvals, and outstanding actions.
• Ensure the sample room is well organised, with samples correctly labelled, stored, and readily accessible for fittings, range reviews, and stakeholder presentations.

Fit & Technical Review -

• Coordinate fit sessions and document detailed fit comments and technical feedback.
• Conduct measurement checks to ensure compliance with approved specifications and fit standards.
• Evaluate garment construction and workmanship, providing recommendations for improvement where required.

Critical Path -

• Manage product development timelines to ensure key milestones and critical path deadlines are achieved.
• Coordinate and track approvals across samples, materials, and specifications to support timely decision-making.
• Ensure products are production-ready by confirming all technical, quality, and commercial requirements have been approved and documented.

Skills Required

• Strong garment construction and manufacturing knowledge.
• Advanced understanding of fit, grading, measurement specifications, and size standards.
• Experience creating and managing tech packs, specification sheets, and technical documentation.
• Knowledge of fabrics, trims, garment finishing, and production processes.
• Sample management and critical path coordination skills.
• Supplier and factory communication and relationship management.
• Costing and commercial awareness, with the ability to balance quality and margin requirements.