Associate Manager, Product Development

Centric Brands Inc.; Northern, New York (KY, NY); Hybrid; USD 75,000 - 80,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision insurance

401(k) matching

Summer Fridays

Generous PTO

Merchandise discounts

Career development opportunities

Centric Cares volunteer program

Job summary

Centric Brands seeks an Associate Manager, Product Development to drive the process from concept through production, coordinating across Design, Production, Sales, and overseas offices to ensure timely, high-quality samples and seasonal lines.

You'll review tech packs, provide actionable feedback, and maintain color/trim standards while collaborating with global partners to meet brand objectives.

Qualifications

• Solid understanding of the apparel product development process from concept through production.
• Familiarity with fabric technologies, color evaluation, print and art applications.
• Knowledge of apparel construction techniques, sewing methods, and seam classifications.
• Experience reviewing development submissions and providing clear, actionable feedback.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines.
• Effective verbal and written communication with cross-functional and overseas partners.
• Understanding of child safety requirements and product compliance standards.
• Proficiency in FlexPLM and Microsoft Office; Adobe Illustrator experience preferred and Photoshop a plus.
• Bachelor's degree in Product Development, Apparel Design, Textile Development, or a related field preferred.
• 3-5 years of Product Development, Apparel Development, or related industry experience.

Responsibilities

• Partner with Product Development leadership and cross-functional teams to support development of seasonal lines.
• Participate in milestone meetings to align on customer, brand and design objectives with timelines.
• Review and evaluate tech packs to ensure details are complete and executable by factories.
• Work with overseas vendors and factories on proto samples, lab dips, strike-offs, and pre-production samples.
• Provide clear feedback to maintain product quality, brand standards and customer requirements.
• Monitor development timelines and communicate status and risks to partners.
• Evaluate fabrics, trims, prints, and colors to support quality and aesthetics.
• Maintain libraries of fabrics, trims, prints and colors for consistency across categories.
• Foster strong relationships with internal partners and external vendors for efficient development.

Skills

Product development process

Cross-functional collaboration

Organization

Verbal and written communication

Problem-solving

Attention to detail

Fabric technologies knowledge

Color evaluation

Sewing methods knowledge

Child safety/compliance

Education

Bachelor's degree in Product Development, Apparel Design, Textile Development, or related field

Tools

FlexPLM

Microsoft Office

Adobe Illustrator

Adobe Photoshop

Job description

About Us

Centric Brands is a leading lifestyle brand collective that designs, sources, markets and sells high quality products in multiple segments, including women’s, men’s and kid’s apparel, accessories, entertainment and beauty. Centric Brands is focused on our customers and our brands that will drive the company’s future growth. We are defined by innovation as we seize new opportunities and thrive in an environment informed by creativity and thinking that is both analytical and outside the box. Centric Brands reflects a team built on respect, for others and for the hard work it takes to achieve our goals and build our bright future together.

Production/Product Development

From sourcing raw materials to manufacturing, order placement, pricing, quality control and getting the finished product where it needs to be, our production/product development team is responsible for ensuring we keep our standards high and our business profitable at every step of the journey. If you are a focused, results-driven, tenacious and highly flexible team player, we’ll give you every opportunity to build a rewarding career with one of the world’s foremost major lifestyle brand collectives.

Specific Responsibilities Would Include

Product Development, Associate Manager supports and contributes to the product development process from initial design concept through production. This role partners closely with cross-functional teams to coordinate the accurate and timely development of samples that meet both aesthetic and customer requirements. Working collaboratively with Production, Design, Sales, and our Overseas Offices, the Associate Manager helps execute seasonal product initiatives and supports the development of assigned product lines.

• Partner with Product Development leadership and cross-functional teams, including Design, Technical Design, Merchandising, Production, and Overseas Offices, to support the development and execution of seasonal product lines.


• Participate in milestone meetings throughout the product development process to gain alignment on customer, brand, and design objectives while supporting key deliverables and timelines.


• Review and evaluate tech packs through PLM to ensure product details are complete, accurate, and executable by factory partners.


• Work directly with overseas vendors and factory partners to review product development submissions, including proto samples, lab dips, strike-offs, sales samples, and pre-production samples.


• Provide clear and timely feedback on development submissions to help ensure product quality, brand standards, and customer requirements are maintained throughout the development process.


• Monitor seasonal development timelines and communicate project status, risks, and approval needs to cross-functional partners to support on-time execution.


• Evaluate fabrics, trims, print techniques, and color submissions to support product quality, performance requirements, and aesthetic expectations.


• Maintain fabric, trim, print, and color standards libraries to support consistency across product categories and future development initiatives.


• Foster strong working relationships with internal partners and external vendors to promote efficient communication and a collaborative development process.

Our Best Fit Candidate Would Have

• Solid understanding of the apparel product development process from concept through production, including key milestones and cross-functional touchpoints.


• Familiarity with fabric technologies, color evaluation, print and art applications, garment construction, and manufacturing processes.


• Knowledge of apparel construction techniques, sewing methods, and seam classifications across multiple product categories, with the ability to apply this expertise when reviewing development submissions and samples.


• Experience reviewing development submissions and providing clear, actionable feedback to internal teams and external partners.


• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple projects, prioritize competing deadlines, and maintain a high level of accuracy and attention to detail.


• Effective verbal and written communication skills, with a collaborative approach to working across cross-functional teams and overseas partners.


• Understanding of child safety requirements and product compliance standards.


• Proficiency in FlexPLM and Microsoft Office applications; Adobe Illustrator experience preferred and Adobe Photoshop experience is a plus.


• Demonstrated problem-solving skills and the ability to build effective working relationships in a team-oriented environment.


• Bachelor's degree in Product Development, Apparel Design, Textile Development, or a related field preferred.


• 3-5 years of Product Development, Apparel Development, or related industry experience.

In return, we provide an industry-competitive salary, along with a comprehensive benefits plan (medical, dental, vision) that includes a matching 401(k), Summer Fridays, generous PTO, merchandise discounts, excellent career development opportunities, and a work environment that reflects our industry leadership. Our social impact program, Centric Cares, focuses on volunteerism to make a difference in communities we live and work in and our D&I committee is shaping the future of diversity, equity and inclusion at Centric Brands though workshops, resources and inspiring conversation.

Salary Range: $75,000 - $80,000

At Centric Brands, we believe our people are our greatest asset, and we seek to structure competitive compensation offers to ensure that we are able to attract and retain the best talent. Our job postings include an annual base salary range at the time of employment. The stated base salary range represents our good faith estimate as to what candidates are likely to expect, and we tailor our offers within the range based on several factors, including the selected candidate's educational and professional experience, industry knowledge, location, technical and communication skills, and other factors that may prove relevant during the selection process. Base salary is a part of a total compensation package, which, depending on the position, may also include commission earnings, annual bonus and other Centric Brands sponsored benefit programs.

Be part of our growing community by getting involved with groups, teams and initiatives like Be Green, Be Giving, and Be Celebrated.

Centric Brands is an Equal Opportunity Employer

Please note that Centric Brands will only reach out to interview, make an offer of employment or conduct onboarding activities for candidates who have applied through our careers site. When interviewing for a position, the candidate experience will include live interaction, such as a video conference or telephone call, with a Recruiter and/or company employee(s). We will never ask for any money or payments from applicants at any point in the recruitment process. Be aware of suspicious recruitment activity. If you think you are a victim of an employment scam, you may contact your local law enforcement agency and/or visit the Federal Trade Commission website here: https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/job-scams.