Head of Product

JR United Kingdom; Warrington; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading company in the fashion industry seeks a talented individual to lead and manage the Design, Development, and Sourcing Team. This position is responsible for creating innovative and commercially viable designs while ensuring alignment with brand goals and standards. The ideal candidate should possess exceptional leadership qualities, technical expertise in product development, and a keen eye for trends and market demands, ensuring the brand stands out in a competitive landscape.

Qualifications

• 5 years plus of experience in managing and developing a team.
• Ability to control product department budget.
• Exceptional leadership and collaborative skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop the Product Team.
• Execute vision of Creative Director.
• Manage critical path and timelines for product drops.

Skills

Innovative design thinking

Technical knowledge of product

Leadership skills

Trend forecasting

Attention to detail

Job description

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The ideal candidate will be responsible for strategically leading and guiding both the Design, Development and Sourcing Team, to create innovative, trend-focused, and commercially viable designs for the Couture Club customer. By understanding our customers and the brand handwriting you are able to define and execute the global product strategy. This position oversees all product development departments and serves as a key interface across creative platforms within the business. We are looking for someone who understands our customer, is trend led and process driven with technical skills that will ensure The Couture Club stands out amongst a highly competitive market.

What You Will Do

• Lead, manage & develop talent within the Product Team.
• Execute the vision of the Creative Director and Brand owners.
• Provide clear strategic direction for the whole Team in line with company direction.
• Maintain the brand’s identity and values.
• Enhance team productivity through recognition, skills development and mentoring.
• Build a strong working relationship with marketing and merchandising, to ensure stock remains efficient and commercial, working on product strategy and frameworks.
• Determine the seasonal colour palette and graphic direction for each collection based on market and trend research.
• Provide a balance of trend lead, innovative and commercial ideas for product sign off in line with Couture Club’s brand direction.
• Be equally strong in both men’s and women’s apparel and accessories.
• Responsible for the Critical Path and calendar timelines alongside Buying and Design to to ensure all key dates are achieved.
• Plot all key dates in the calendar and take the lead to present in each of these meetings where possible. Ensure all action points are clear and activated by the responsible team member at the end of each meeting.
• Supervising design workload for all product drops and seasons, providing direction to senior and junior designers
• Ensure all product is fit for purpose.
• Work closely with Buying and Merchandising Team to formulate the SKU plan for the season and maximise sales in the right categories.
• Interact with suppliers both present and future to deliver to The Couture Club’s standards. Assess and appraise these factories at regular intervals.
• Happy to travel to factories when required to source the best product for Couture Club at the best margins, whilst maintaining the brand’s high quality standards.
• Awareness of the latest fabric washes and print techniques to keep TCC ahead of the game.
• Visit Key style capitals and trade shows when necessary.

What You Will Need

• Innovative design thinking with the ability to generate and execute design ideas.
• Be prepared to take the product to the next level with an open mind to develop new categories.
• Highly organaised and capable of working in a fast-paced environment.
• Technical knowledge of product, raw materials, manufacturing techniques, and processes.
• Exceptional leadership skills with the ability to manage designers in a positive and strategic way, while nurturing creativity at all levels
• Always approachable.
• Collaborative, non-political approach.
• Attention to detail is key.
• Excellent presentation skills.
• Awareness of how important fit / garment block is. Ensure the garment tech team are able to execute this vision correctly.
• Skilled in trend forecasting and market analysis
• Ability to control a product department budget, including samples and travel.
• Able to work under pressure and to prioritise workload.
• Be reactive to market and trade data.
• Ability to deal with change
• Build a strong, aligned functional team, recognising and rewarding great performance.
• 5 years plus of experience in managing and developing a team