Own Brand Product Development Lead - 12 Month FTC

JD Sports Fashion Plc; Luton; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

Join a leading omnichannel retailer as an Own Brand Product Development Lead. This role encompasses managing product development processes, optimizing strategies for growth, and ensuring compliance with quality standards. You'll lead a dedicated team while contributing to JD Sports' innovative approach in the sports fashion industry.

Benefits

Staff Discount on JD Group and other brands

Personal development opportunities

Qualifications

• Strong experience in Critical Path Management.
• Effective communication skills with senior stakeholders.
• Proven people management and leadership ability.

Responsibilities

• Manage the Product Development team and support project management.
• Ensure compliance with product quality and safety standards.
• Drive departmental strategy and support long-term planning.

Skills

Critical Path Management

Communication

People Management

Leadership

Adaptability

Job description

Own Brand Product Development Lead - 12 Month FTC

JD Sports- Head Office, Warwick House, Bury, Bury, United Kingdom Req #1563

14 May 2025

Established in 1981 with a single store in the Northwest of England, the JD Group is a leading omni-channel retailer of Sports Fashion, Outdoors and Gyms with our colleagues working in stores across several retail fascias in many markets around the world.

JD Sports Fashion Plc was listed on the London Stock Exchange in 1996 and has been a FTSE100 publicly quoted company since 2019 and continues to grow in the UK and internationally.

We want to be the leading global omnichannel retailer in the sports and outdoor industry. To be a part of this successful company and help us to achieve this you will have the desire to ingrain our strategic goals of being a people-led, innovative and customer-focused organisation which provides operational excellence whilst identifying new areas of growth as part of our day to day objectives.

Key Roles and Responsibilities:

• Manage the Product Development team in their category and provide support where needed with ranges.
• Manage the Critical Path within their category.
• Manage role-specific projects as briefed by the Own Label Development Manager.
• Support process and information sharing across roles/departments/externally as appropriate for role-specific projects.
• Implement best practice, with quality and efficiency of process, ensuring integration of Own Brand into the wider business for role-specific projects.
• Support Own Brand system & process to ensure best quality/construction/price of Own Brand product within their product category.
• Work with Own Label development manager to develop systems and process to support the international growth of Own Brands, Joint Ventures and Franchises.
• Support long term strategic planning for Product Development.
• Monitor/report on sampling, margin and quality performance for their category.
• Support to ensure excellence in product safety and compliance to all relevant local and global standards for their category.
• Support the development of the Critical Path and Own Brand calendar.
• Manage the system & process of blocks/size charts/grading and garment fit within the category to ensure compliance, safety and fitness for purpose.
• Ensure ethical negotiation and supplier management in their category.
• Provide technical advice and support to the category team.
• Support the category to work towards departmental sustainability initiatives.
• Conduct factory visits/warehouse trips to develop/improve production, evaluating sources for lead-time/£/Capability/location.
• Drive the departmental strategy within their category.

Key Skills

• Excellent Critical Path Management skills.
• Confident communication with senior stakeholders.
• Ability to demonstrate excellent people management and leadership skills.
• Adaptability to work across projects and category ranges to benefit departmental strategy

We know our colleagues work tirelessly to make JD Sports the success it is today and in turn, we offer them some amazing benefits including staff Discount On JD Group and other brands within the organisation and personal development opportunities to learn and develop at work.

• JD Sports- Head Office, Warwick House, Bury, Bury, United Kingdom