Product Developer - Product Development - London

TOAST; Greater London; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 46,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working hours

Staff discounts

Comprehensive induction and training

Job summary

TOAST is seeking a Product Development professional to source, develop and manage home textiles from sketch to shipment. You will ensure fabrics meet Toast quality and cost targets, manage technical workbooks, and communicate product details to photographers, wholesale and web teams.

Work closely with the Design & Merchandising team to meet range plans, schedule critical-path milestones, and maintain strong supplier relationships.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 3 years experience in product development.
• Deep knowledge of TOAST, its product & design aesthetic.
• Strong understanding of fabric construction and performance on wovens.
• Extensive technical knowledge of soft furnishings development.
• Experience with testing for quality, safety and legal standards.
• Excellent critical path management skills.
• Strong numeric skills for landed costs and margins.
• Highly organized with concise communication.
• Professional, collaborative, and flexible.
• Keen interest in sustainability.
• Knowledge of WFX or similar PLM system.
• Passion and affinity for TOAST.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with Design & Merchandising to ensure pricing architecture and margins align with range plans.
• Work with suppliers to understand capabilities and maintain relationships.
• Attend seasonal meetings, report margins and issues, and suggest solutions.
• Manage and maintain technical workbooks, specs, and notes for suppliers.
• Source and develop fabrics meeting performance, cost targets and minimums.
• Ensure textiles meet Toast quality, safety and legal standards and proper labelling.
• Update PLM system and track information for visibility across the business.
• Order and track samples for photography and wholesale teams in line with critical path.
• Review photography for accurate product representation and communicate feedback.
• Maintain collaboration with Design, Merchandising, Buying and Production to meet critical dates.
• Assist suppliers and internal teams, training as needed and communicating effectively to meet timelines.
• Support new suppliers when gaps/risks identified and ensure audits meet TOAST standards.

Skills

TOAST knowledge

Fabric construction

Critical path management

Costing & margins

Sourcing & supplier management

Technical product development

PLM systems (WFX)

Strong numeric skills

Communication & collaboration

Sustainability interest

Microsoft Word/Excel/Outlook

Tools

WFX PLM

Excel

Outlook

Word

Job description

To source, develop & manage technically correct, commercial products from sketch through to shipment sample, that represents the vision of the Design team, meets TOAST quality/functionality and in line with the range plan and critical path.

Working across all house and home textile products including cushions, blankets, napkins and more, Managing the full development process, ensuring a timely delivery of product across all areas.

To source and develop all fabrics for the homewares collection, ensuring they meet Toast quality, testing standards and range plan cost targets, whilst representing the vision of the design team.

To ensure that the products in the H&H range are fit for purpose, compliant and correctly labelled. That all samples are handed over and product information is clearly communicated in a timely manner to the photography, wholesale and web teams.

Working closely with the supply base to understand their strengths and capabilities, maintaining good & effective working relationships. To embrace the company values & behaviours, consistently communicating in a positive and collaborative manner.

ROLE IN DETAIL

• Working closely with the Design & Merchandising team, to ensure the pricing architecture & target margins are met, in line with range plan and company budgets.
• Working closely with the supply base to understand their strengths and capabilities, maintaining good & effective working relationships.
• Attend seasonal Sketch, Proto & Line Freeze meetings, reporting on margin and supplier issues, offering solutions where applicable.
• Manage & maintain technical workbooks, to include product specification sheets, detailed construction & make notes, and communicating clearly to suppliers.
• Source and develop all homewares fabrics (designed or briefed by the H&H Designers or print designers), ensuring they meet required performance levels, target costs and minimums.
• Responsible for the testing of all textile items and ensure they meet Toast quality, safety and legal standards. Responsible for the correct labelling of all developed products, including packaging, for all relevant markets (UK/ USA). Liaising with the copyright team to develop and ensure accurate wording on homewares packaging and products.
• Communicating all product details and stories to the copyright team for captions.
• Responsible for updating the PLM system and tracking information to ensure clear transparency throughout the business.
• Responsible for ordering and tracking all developed homewares samples for the photography team and wholesale teams in line with the critical path.
• Review all photography to check that products are accurately represented for the customer.
• Maintain a close working relationship with Design, Merchandising, Buying and Production, meeting regularly to discuss any issues and resolve collaboratively and ensure critical path dates are maintained.
• Supporting the suppliers and internal teams during the development process, training where necessary and communicating promptly to ensure critical dates are achieved.
• Support the sourcing of new suppliers when gaps/risks identified, ensuring they are to TOAST quality & ethical standards. Ensuring audits are in line with TOAST Code of Conduct.
• Working closely with supply base for cost negotiations to ensure company targets are met, carrying out cross costings where necessary.
• Manage the schedule for product reviewing, liaising with Product Development & Production Managers, ensuring company priorities are addressed and reviews are completed in line with critical dates.
• Plan monthly store visits for both you and the team, maintaining a customer-focussed approach in understanding of fit and quality, and monitoring returns.
• Support Production teams in additional information relating to any customer feedback, applying any lessons learnt from faulty product to future collections. Manage the development of additional products for the marketing team, such as seasonal gifts for our Kindred customers and wrapping papers for our gift wrap service.
• Travel to supply base when required.

SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

1.Minimum of 3 years experience in the industry – in product development.

2.Indepth understanding of TOAST, its product & design aesthetic and position in the market.

3.A strong understanding of fabric construction and performance on wovens

4.Indepth technical knowledge of the development process in soft furnishings and fabrics

5. A Good understanding of testing for quality, safety and legal standards.

6.Strong critical path management skills

7.Excellent numeric skills for calculating landed costs and margins.

8.Highly organised and self-motivated with clear & concise communication skills

9.Professional, with a collaborative nature and positive & flexible attitude

10.Confident but embraces feedback

1.Keen interest in sustainability

2.Knowlegdge of WFX or similar PLM system

3.A keen interest in arts and culture.

4. A genuine passion and affinity to TOAST

5.Proficient in Word, Excel and Outlook.

ABOUT TOAST

Born in a Welsh barn in 1997, TOAST has grown from loungewear and nightwear to become a unique lifestyle brand, creating and curating simple, functional, beautiful clothing, home ware and editorial.

TOAST is renowned for its thoughtful, contemporary design and commitment to traditional textiles and craftsmanship. The brand aspires to the global lifestyle brand synonymous with Social Conscience.

TOAST has studios in both London and Swansea and is one of the very few UK clothing brands with its own pattern room.

TOAST celebrates a slower more thoughtful way of life in shops throughout the UK, concept stores around the world and online at www.toa.st

The emphasis within the TOAST workplace is:

Thoughtfulness - in all we do and all we say, in our actions and our interactions

Simplicity- in our aesthetics, communications, processes and solutions

Creativity- and the encouragement of fresh thinking and the free exchange of ideas

Collaboration - both among ourselves and with other inspiring individuals, organisations and traditional craftsmen

As a strategic priority TOAST nurtures imaginative talent and change makers. As part of the TOAST team, you are a catalyst for the brand’s successes. To realise our ambitions we need you to share our interests and values, have an enthusiasm for TOAST itself as well as a deep knowledge and love of your own specialist area.

In return for your dedication, TOAST will offer a supportive and stimulating working environment with flexible working hours and generous staff discounts. You will receive a comprehensive induction, including product and brand training, that helps to plant a deep understanding of TOAST that can be carried confidently through your work and into the outside world.