Product Developer

Socket.dev; Montreal (administrative region); On-site; CAD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous discounts

On-site perks

Job summary

ALDO Group in Montreal is seeking a Product Developer to support fashion-forward footwear and accessory development from concept to sample.

You will liaise with suppliers, internal teams, and retail partners, interpreting trends and managing cost targets while ensuring quality and timely delivery.

Ideal candidates have 5+ years in footwear or handbag product development, strong trend vision, and proficiency with MS Office; Illustrator and Photoshop are a plus.

Qualifications

• University degree preferred.
• At least 5 years in a footwear or handbag product development role.
• Highly attuned to fashion trends with the ability to translate them visually.
• Positive, self-motivated and strong attention to detail.
• Capable of meeting multiple deadlines in a timely manner.
• Able to work both independently and in a team setting.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office including Excel and Word.
• Knowledge of Illustrator and Photoshop, an asset.

Responsibilities

• Conduct research of current and upcoming fashion trends and interpret for the appropriate wholesale brand customer.
• Assist in design meetings to provide brand-building ideas.
• Develop relationships and work closely with suppliers to develop new products and negotiate initial product costs.
• Calculate the IMU (initial markup) and provide recommendations to achieve design and targeted IMU price targets with suppliers.
• Responsible for price closing and negotiations taking into consideration material, construction, etc.
• Oversee sample development (prototypes, sales, and confirmation) to ensure proper execution.
• Tracking the modifications and obtaining approvals with the director and design team.
• Ensure that the product quality feedback is communicated to agents and internal teams (buyers, design and product engineering).
• Lead communications for manufacturing leadtimes with the Operations team.
• Review development and confirmation samples for aesthetic, fit, design and quality, obtaining approval.
• Supervise worksheet creation and updates.

Skills

Fashion trend interpretation

Deadline management

Team collaboration

Detail-oriented

MS Office proficiency

Education

University degree preferred

Tools

Illustrator

Photoshop

Excel

Word

Job description

About the ALDO Group

Specializing in stylish and accessible footwear, handbags, and accessories, the ALDO Group has been around for more than 50 years. With over 1,500 stores in more than 100 countries, weoperateunder two signature brands, ALDO and Call It Spring, and we are the core footwear partner for Sperry in North America. The ALDO Group is also an industry-recognized wholesale licensed partner, specializing in the design, sourcing, and distribution of fashion footwear, handbags, and accessories. Our diverse portfolio includes household brands such as ROXY, Brooks Brothers, Ted Baker, Hunter, and G.H.BASS. In addition to our head office in Montreal, the ALDO Groupmaintainsinternational offices in Europe and Asia.For more information,visit www.aldogroup.com.

Enjoymeaningfulrecognition,flexibleworkoptions,greaton‑siteperks,generousdiscounts, and the pride ofbeingpart of a brandthatleadswithpeople, theplanet, anditspartnersatheart.

About theRole

ALDO Product Services (APS) partners with major global retailers to deliver branded wholesale, privatelabel, and sourcing solutions. AsProductDeveloper,you’llsupport communication between suppliers, internal teams, and retail partners while ensuring smooth product development from concept to sample.The Product Managerrole is ideal for candidates thatthrive inafast-pacedenvironmentwhile being driven by their passion for footwear fashion.

Key Responsibilities

• Conductresearchofcurrent and upcoming fashion trendsand interpret fortheappropriate wholesalebrandcustomer.

• Assistin design meetings to providebrand-buildingideas.

• Develop relationshipsand work closelywithsupplierstodevelopnew productsandnegotiate initial productcosts.

• Calculate the IMU (initialmarkup)and provide recommendationsto achieveboth design and targeted IMUprice targetsin conjunction withsuppliers.

• Responsible for price closingand negotiationstaking intoconsideration material, construction, etc.

• Overseesample development(prototypes,sales,and confirmation)to ensureproper execution. Trackingthe modifications andobtainingapprovals with the director anddesign team.

• Ensure that the product qualityfeedbackiscommunicated toagentsand internal teams (buyers,designand product engineering)

• Lead communications formanufacturing leadtimes with our Operations team(XF and delivery dates).

• Review development andconfirmationsamples for aesthetic,fit,designand quality, obtainingapproval.

• Superviseworksheet creationandupdates.

• Constantly analyzing sales results to propose new injections andrepeats.

• Manage Digital Filtering prep. (unbox proto samples,merchandise and set up theprotos into sectionsto reflect digital deck layout)

• Manage SMS specifications and requests.

• Validate target costs to reflect SMSrequests.

• Track allSMSwith the support of the Product Coordinator.

• Prep showroom for Handover Finalization (Unbox samples,merchandise and set up the SMS into sections.

• Manage HFregroup. Manage all sample comments and new additions.

• Manage revised SMSrequest.

• Validate all revisedSMS.

Key Requirements

• University degreepreferred.

• At least5years in a footwearor handbagproduct development role.

• Highly attuned to fashion trends with the ability to translate themvisually.

• Positive,self-motivatedand strong attention to detail.

• Capableof meetingmultiple deadlinesin a timelymanner.

• Able to work both independently and in a teamsetting.

• Proficiencyin Microsoft Office including Excel and Word.

• Knowledge of Illustrator and Photoshop, an asset.