Product Development Team Lead

Seafolly; Sydney; On-site; AUD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Employee discounts on Seafolly and JET

Parental leave

Birthday leave

Summer leave

Employee Assistance Program access

Career progression

Brand ambassador

Job summary

Seafolly is seeking an experienced Product Development Lead to helm the end-to-end development of swimwear and apparel from concept to bulk production. You will collaborate with Design, Production, and suppliers to ensure quality, cost targets, and timely delivery, while leading a dedicated Product Development team and supporting the Head of Sourcing in strategy execution.

Born in Sydney in 1975, Seafolly is renowned for beach lifestyle designs and global distribution.

Qualifications

• 8+ years in product development within apparel, swimwear, activewear, or a similar category.
• Strong technical expertise in garment construction, fit, pattern making, fabrics, and manufacturing processes.
• Proven ability to manage the full product development lifecycle from initial concept through to bulk production.
• Solid commercial acumen with experience in product costing, margin management, and cost optimisation.
• Extensive experience partnering with offshore suppliers and manufacturers to deliver quality outcomes.
• Advanced proficiency in AP21, Microsoft Office Suite (particularly Excel), Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, and InDesign.
• Demonstrated leadership skills, including coaching, mentoring, and developing Product Development team members while managing key stakeholders.
• Highly organised and solutions-focused, with the ability to manage multiple development calendars, drive continuous improvement initiatives, and collaborate effectively across Design, Technical, Production, Sourcing, Quality, and supplier teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead the end-to-end product development process across swimwear and apparel categories, ensuring products meet quality, cost, and commercial objectives.
• Translate design concepts into commercially viable products through strong technical development, fit management, and product documentation.
• Drive product innovation, standardisation, and continuous improvement through new materials, manufacturing techniques, block libraries, and fit standards.
• Identify and implement cost optimisation and margin improvement opportunities while maintaining product quality and brand integrity.
• Manage critical path milestones, development timelines, and cross-functional collaboration to support on-time delivery and production readiness.
• Build strong partnerships with internal stakeholders and suppliers to resolve technical, quality, and production challenges and improve supplier performance.
• Ensure products meet quality, compliance, safety, and sustainability standards through testing, wearer trials, regulatory compliance, and continuous product improvement.
• Lead, coach, and develop the Product Development team, fostering a high-performing culture focused on accountability, capability growth, collaboration, and business success.

Skills

Product Development leadership

Garment construction

Fit management

Costing and margins

Supplier partnerships

AP21 proficiency

Leadership & coaching

Project management

MS Excel

Adobe Illustrator

Adobe Photoshop

Adobe InDesign

Tools

Adobe Illustrator

Adobe Photoshop

Adobe InDesign

Microsoft Excel

Job description

Seafolly is seeking an experienced and commercially minded Product Development Lead, who will be responsible for delivering swimwear and apparel from concept through to bulk production. Working cross-functionally with Design, Production, and supplier partners, you will be accountable for product quality, cost outcomes, critical path delivery, and supplier performance, while leading the Product Development team and supporting Head of Sourcing to execute sourcing and product strategies.

About Seafolly:

Born on the sun-soaked beaches of Sydney in 1975, Seafolly has been making waves in swimwear ever since. Our mission? To give women around the world that unbeatable feeling of confidence through innovative designs that put fit first. We live and breathe the Australian beach lifestyle, using it's iconic energy to inspire all that we do. From bold prints to timeless silhouettes, our collections are designed to empower women to embrace the beach with confidence and style. Today, Seafolly is loved globally, with concept stores, online boutiques, and select retailers in over 50 countries.

You will:

• Lead the end-to-end product development process across swimwear and apparel categories, ensuring products meet quality, cost, and commercial objectives.
• Translate design concepts into commercially viable products through strong technical development, fit management, and product documentation.
• Drive product innovation, standardisation, and continuous improvement through new materials, manufacturing techniques, block libraries, and fit standards.
• Identify and implement cost optimisation and margin improvement opportunities while maintaining product quality and brand integrity.
• Manage critical path milestones, development timelines, and cross-functional collaboration to support on-time delivery and production readiness.
• Build strong partnerships with internal stakeholders and suppliers to resolve technical, quality, and production challenges and improve supplier performance.
• Ensure products meet quality, compliance, safety, and sustainability standards through testing, wearer trials, regulatory compliance, and continuous product improvement.
• Lead, coach, and develop the Product Development team, fostering a high-performing culture focused on accountability, capability growth, collaboration, and business success.

You have:

• 8+ years' experience in Product Development within apparel, swimwear, activewear, or a similar category.
• Strong technical expertise in garment construction, fit, pattern making, fabrics, and manufacturing processes.
• Proven ability to manage the full product development lifecycle from initial concept through to bulk production.
• Solid commercial acumen with experience in product costing, margin management, and cost optimisation.
• Extensive experience partnering with offshore suppliers and manufacturers to deliver quality outcomes.
• Advanced proficiency in AP21, Microsoft Office Suite (particularly Excel), Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, and InDesign.
• Demonstrated leadership skills, including coaching, mentoring, and developing Product Development team members while managing key stakeholders.
• Highly organised and solutions-focused, with the ability to manage multiple development calendars, drive continuous improvement initiatives, and collaborate effectively across Design, Technical, Production, Sourcing, Quality, and supplier teams.
  

We offer:

• Generous employee discounts on Seafolly, JETS & Tigerlily products
• Paid parental leave
• Birthday Leave. Treat yourself and enjoy a paid day off for your birthday!
• Summer Fun Leave. Enjoy 2 extra days off during summer to soak up the sunshine and enjoy the beaches!
• Access to our Employee Assistance Program for you and your family with the Sonder Platform.
• Great work culture in a passionate team environment
• Training, development and career progression
• The opportunity to be an ambassador for Australia's most loved swimwear brand
• Refer a friend. Enjoy a referral reward for successfully placing a referral