Apparel Costing Manager: Margin Optimization & Negotiations

Fourth Floor; New York (NY); On-site; USD 110,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Fourth Floor in NYC is seeking a Costing Manager to lead product costing across categories and seasons, partnering with Merchandising, Sourcing and Finance to optimize margins.

You will analyze all cost components, drive cost-saving opportunities, and negotiate with factories to improve profitability. Strong Excel and ERP/PLM experience are required in this fast-paced apparel environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a related field preferred.
• 5+ years in costing, sourcing, production, merchandising, finance, or product development.
• Experience in apparel, accessories, footwear, or related manufacturing.
• Strong knowledge of product cost structures, landed cost, and BOMs.
• Advanced Excel and ERP/PLM proficiency for cost analysis.

Responsibilities

• Lead development, review, and management of product costing across categories and seasons.
• Analyze all cost components: materials, labor, overhead, packaging, freight, duty.
• Partner with Merchandising, Sales, Sourcing, and Finance to hit target costs and margins.
• Identify margin risks and propose cost-saving opportunities via sourcing and negotiations.
• Lead cost negotiations with factories and vendors to improve profitability.
• Oversee costing trackers, cost sheets, approvals, and documentation for accuracy.
• Collaborate with Design/Product teams to assess cost impact of changes.
• Develop costing reports, margin analyses, and historical cost data.
• Drive continuous improvement of costing processes and reporting.

Skills

Costing

Sourcing

Merchandising

Finance

Product development

Advanced Excel

ERP/PLM systems

Data analysis

Cross-functional collaboration

Project management

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Business/Finance/Supply Chain

Tools

ERP systems

PLM software

Costing software

Job description

Fourth Floor in NYC is seeking a Costing Manager to lead product costing across categories and seasons, partnering with Merchandising, Sourcing and Finance to optimize margins.

You will analyze all cost components, drive cost-saving opportunities, and negotiate with factories to improve profitability. Strong Excel and ERP/PLM experience are required in this fast-paced apparel environment.