Product Developer

Zachary Daniels Recruitment; Culcheth; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 42,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading apparel company in Culcheth is seeking a Product Developer to drive product development across categories. You'll take ownership from concept to production, ensuring quality and compliance with industry standards. The ideal candidate has strong technical knowledge of apparel, excellent attention to detail, and a commercial mindset. This role requires a proactive approach to collaboration with suppliers and internal teams, ensuring timelines and costs are accurately managed while mentoring junior team members.

Benefits

Competitive salary

Benefits package

Qualifications

• Natural sense of ownership and accountability.
• Exceptional attention to detail in fit, construction, costing.
• Experience with suppliers and factories, both UK and offshore.

Responsibilities

• Own product development from concept to production.
• Collaborate with design, suppliers, and product leadership.
• Ensure compliance with quality standards and timelines.

Skills

Ownership

Attention to detail

Technical knowledge of apparel

Autonomous working

Commercial mindset

Organisational skills

Supplier communication

Quality performance evaluation

Job description

Product Developer | North West | Performance | Apparel | £32,000 - £42,000 + Benefits

This is a rare chance to join a team where you can truly own your categories, make bold decisions, and help shape the future of a performance‑led brand making serious waves in the industry. If you’re ready to lead with confidence, roll your sleeves up, and take full control of your product - this is your moment.

Here - product is everything - and we’re looking for a Product Developer who’s ready to treat their categories like a brand within a brand. This is a role for someone who thrives on ownership, runs with responsibility, and takes pride in delivering market‑leading product - every season, every drop.

You’ll be the key link between design, suppliers, and product leadership. Owning development from first tech pack to final production. This isn’t a support role; it’s yours to lead. If you love solving problems, making decisions, and taking full accountability for timelines, quality, and margin - we want you on our team.

Your Categories, Your Call – What You’ll Own:

• Take full accountability for product development across your categories - from concept through to production, with complete visibility across timelines, costs, and quality
• Work directly with directors, designers, and product managers, bringing ideas to life while driving constant improvement across fit, finish, and function
• Own the critical path – ensuring tech packs are issued accurately and on time, with comprehensive construction, fit, and trim comments every step of the way
• Lead fit sessions with design and product, driving timely, commercial decisions and communicating clear, actionable feedback to suppliers
• Own sample management – inspecting and signing off styles from proto to PPS, with full confidence in your decisions
• Guard consistency across the range – ensuring size charts, fit blocks and grading follow this brand’s standards
• Take full control of lab dips, strike‑offs and trim approvals – making swift, informed calls to keep things moving
• Be the go‑to contact for your suppliers – maintaining clear, professional communication through weekly check‑ins, calls and relationship‑building visits
• Engineer for margin – collaborating with sourcing on open‑costing and smart fabric usage, without ever compromising quality
• Track product compliance across all relevant testing, care labelling and legislative standards – accuracy is everything
• Be proactive in identifying delays or risks, flagging them early in weekly development meetings and driving solutions
• Drive improvements with confidence – whether you’re optimising a block, renegotiating a detail, or finding new efficiencies with the factory
• Mentor and support junior members of the team – you lead by example, and others learn from how you operate

What You’ll Bring:

• A natural sense of ownership – you take accountability, seek solutions, and keep things moving
• Exceptional attention to detail – in fit, construction, costing and communication
• Strong technical knowledge of apparel, fabrics, trims, and manufacturing
• Confidence in working autonomously while still collaborating cross‑functionally
• A commercial mindset – you understand the impact of every product decision
• A positive, can‑do approach and strong organisational skills – nothing gets past you
• Experience working directly with suppliers and factories (UK & offshore)
• A sharp eye for quality and performance – especially within sportswear or technical apparel (bonus!)