Athleisure Product Lead: Innovation & Development

Comfrt; United States; On-site; USD 100,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Comfrt in the United States is seeking a Product Development Manager – Athleisure & Outerwear to own end-to-end development across assigned categories, collaborating with Design and overseas vendors to elevate fabrics, fit, and quality.

The ideal candidate will analyze sales performance, market trends, and consumer insights to drive innovative, comfortable products that balance performance and profitability, with on-time launches and rigorous cost management.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Product Development, Fashion Merchandising, Apparel Design, Business, or related field.
• 7+ years of apparel product development, product management or merchandising experience within fashion, lifestyle, or consumer brands.
• Strong understanding of apparel construction, fabrics, fit, costing, and manufacturing processes.
• Strong analytical skills with experience interpreting sales performance, market research, and consumer insights.
• Experience working directly with overseas manufacturers and managing development timelines.
• Strong fashion and market awareness with the ability to identify commercially relevant trends and innovation opportunities.
• Advanced proficiency in Excel or Google Sheets; experience with PLM systems preferred.
• Excellent project management, communication, organizational, and problem-solving skills.

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end development and execution of assigned apparel categories.
• Analyze sales performance, including revenue, sell-through, AUR, margins, and product profitability.
• Conduct market research, competitive analysis, and consumer trend assessments to inform product development and innovation.
• Translate business insights and consumer needs into commercially viable product recommendations.
• Partner with Design and Merchandising to support product roadmaps, assortment strategies, and new product opportunities.
• Identify innovative materials, fabrics, construction techniques, and functional features that differentiate Comfrt in the market.
• Strong technical expertise in high-performance athleisure and outerwear, with a deep understanding of innovative fabric technologies, functional materials, garment construction, and performance features.
• Manage the product development lifecycle from concept through production approval across assigned apparel categories.
• Partner with Design, Technical Design, Fabric Development, and Sourcing to execute product concepts while maintaining design integrity.
• Oversee sampling, fit approvals, materials, construction, costing, and product specifications.
• Manage development calendars, critical milestones, and production handoffs to ensure on-time launches.
• Proactively identify development challenges, recommend solutions, and drive timely execution.
• Partner with Sourcing to achieve target product costs, retail pricing, and margin objectives.
• Identify value-engineering opportunities without compromising product quality, fit, or functionality.
• Work directly with overseas vendors, demonstrating a strong understanding of manufacturing processes, production lead times, and critical milestones. Partner with Quality Assurance to ensure products meet Comfrt’s quality and performance standards.
• Analyze consumer feedback, returns, and product performance to drive continuous improvement.
• Collaborate with Design, Merchandising, Planning, Sourcing, Production, and Marketing to align product development with business objectives.
• Maintain accurate development trackers, product specifications, costing, and project documentation.
• Communicate product status, risks, opportunities, and recommendations to cross-functional partners and leadership.
• Drive accountability, problem-solving, and continuous improvement across the development process.

Skills

Analytical skills

Excel

Google Sheets

Project management

Cross-functional collaboration

Problem-solving

Education

Bachelor's degree in Product Development, Fashion Merchandising, Apparel Design, Business, or related field

Tools

PLM systems

Job description

Comfrt in the United States is seeking a Product Development Manager – Athleisure & Outerwear to own end-to-end development across assigned categories, collaborating with Design and overseas vendors to elevate fabrics, fit, and quality.

The ideal candidate will analyze sales performance, market trends, and consumer insights to drive innovative, comfortable products that balance performance and profitability, with on-time launches and rigorous cost management.