Free People Senior Product Development Manager

URBN; Philadelphia (Philadelphia County); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision

PTO

Employee discounts

Retirement savings

Job summary

Free People, part of URBN, is seeking a Senior Manager of Product Development. You will drive commercialization from hand-off to buy-ready samples and bulk production, aligning with calendar, quality standards and profitability goals.

The role involves coordinating with design, sourcing, materials, and production teams, overseeing testing, costing, and vendor partnerships to ensure timely, high-quality product delivery.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in apparel design or related field.
• 12 years of experience in soft woven product development.
• Strong knowledge of garment construction, fabrics and specs.
• Experience with costings, global sourcing and manufacturing.
• Detail oriented with strong communication and leadership.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with design, buying, tech design and suppliers to meet IMU goals.
• Foster factories partnerships for bulk production and critical dates.
• Provide materials team support on quality, sustainability and costing.
• Analyze cost breakdowns and identify margin improvement opportunities.
• Communicate accurate product information to support execution.
• Plan development calendars and hand-off to production vendors.
• Present alternative construction options to meet margins while keeping design intent.
• Drive continuous improvement with suppliers, TD and design teams.
• Compile copy and features for marketing, events and content.
• Streamline processes to gain speed to market and efficiency.
• Manage multi-season development calendars and reporting in PLM.
• Communicate across teams to ensure on-time, quality finished goods.
• Travel internationally to visit vendors for development and cost negotiations.
• Manage a team.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Problem solving

Attention to detail

Travel willingness

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Apparel Design / Product Development / Textile Science

Tools

Microsoft Office

Adobe software

PLM systems

Job description

Role Summary

Free People is looking for a Sr. Manager of Product Development. Collaborating with a variety of cross-functional partners, the Senior Product Development Manager successfully executes strategies set by leadership and can proactively identify potential obstacles for their product category within their assigned Brand. In this role you will own the commercialization of product from hand off to buy ready for salesmen sample and bulk production. You will be responsible for executing products in accordance with the company’s operational calendar, standards of quality, functionality & accuracy, and in alignment with the brand’s profitability goals.

Role Responsibilities

• Collaborate with Design, Buying, Tech Design, Materials, Production, and external partners to effectively execute product development and IMU goals.
• Develop and foster a collaborative partnership with the factories to facilitate seamless product development through bulk production for assigned styles according to critical dates, product end use, sustainability, quality, performance, and margin goals. Delegating and planning workflow accordingly.
• Provide expertise and partnership with Materials team on necessary end-use requirements including quality, sustainability, and costing needs.
• Analyze cost breakdowns and manage costing data in PLM. Responsible for identifying opportunities for cost savings, efficient manufacturing, and construction that meet quality requirements. Strive to outperform margin goals while protecting product integrity.
• Ensure consistent, accurate information and communication to support desired product execution.
• Collaborate with Materials & suppliers to facilitate testing and ensure testing meets brand expectations. Be responsible for partnering on materials commercialization, risk assessment and decision-making.
• Plan, follow and communicate development calendars with partners. Facilitate the hand-off from product development to assigned production vendor. Assist in troubleshooting any issues as needed.
• Present and execute alternative options for construction, etc. when needed to meet margin goals while maintaining design intent/ aesthetic, product integrity and functionality.
• Drive continuous improvement partnering with suppliers, TD and Design teams to create supplemental technical construction guides and standard features packages. Troubleshoot manufacturing issues and incorporate learnings in future seasons.
• Responsible for compiling accurate copy and product features for marketing material and expert product support to the brand for in store marketing / events, online content, etc.
• Streamline processes to support efficiency & agility. Identify, initiate, and create opportunities in the Product Development process to gain speed to market, resource, quality, and overall efficiency.
• Manage multi-season development calendars tracking seasonal product development progress and reporting in PLM.
• Facilitate strong external and internal communication with the focus on superior product quality.
• Communicate closely with cross functional teams throughout the development process to ensure finished goods meet planned schedules and quality standards. Demonstrate leadership in managing projects that collaborate across various product teams.
• Travel internationally to visit vendors for development and cost negotiations.
• Manage a team

Role Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Apparel Design, Product Development, Textile Science, or related field
• 12 years of experience developing soft wovens
• Strong understanding of functional garment construction, fabrics, and technical specifications.
• Experience working with multiple COO's
• Strong knowledge of global sourcing, manufacturing, and the costing process.
• Ability to anticipate category business needs, and develop creative, long‑term solutions.
• Experience with Microsoft Office, Adobe software, PLM systems or other similar database systems.
• Candidate must have keen attention to detail, strong organizational skills and excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Must be deadline driven, have a proactive approach to problem solving and be comfortable with changing priorities.
• Works with a high sense of urgency and integrity, easily and quickly adapts to change, and is motivated by deadlines and new challenges.
• Ability to independently travel based on years of experience in field.

The Perks

URBN offers comprehensive Perks & Benefits to employees. Availability and eligibility to specific benefits may be subject to your location and employment status. Benefits include medical, dental, vision, PTO, generous employee discounts, retirement savings and much more! For additional information visit www.urbn.com/work-with-us/benefits

EEO Statement

URBN celebrates diversity and is committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We are proud to provide equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, sex (including gender, pregnancy, sexual orientation, and gender identity or expression), religion, creed, age, physical or mental disability, national origin or ancestry, ethnicity, citizenship, service in the uniformed services, genetic information, or any other protected characteristic as established by law. We believe strongly in fostering a safe, fair and respectful work environment. To ensure compliance with our non-discrimination and anti-harassment policies, we offer anti-harassment training to managers and employees.