Manager, Product Development- Gap Licensing

Centric Brands; New York (NY); On-site; USD 90,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Salary commensurate with experience

Comprehensive benefits

Job summary

Centric Brands is seeking a seasoned Product Development professional to drive seasonal merchandising strategy for baby and kids lines, collaborating with Design, Sales and Production teams across global offices.

You will oversee production standards, partner with suppliers on cost-effective solutions, and guide the PD team to align with the brand vision while delivering on schedule.

Qualifications

• In-depth knowledge of wholesale apparel merchandising, global supply chain operations and manufacturing processes.
• Strong entrepreneurial mindset balanced with sound judgment and leadership ability.
• Exceptional organizational and communication skills with ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Highly detail-oriented with a blend of creativity and merchandising sense to meet customer needs and trends.

Responsibilities

• Develop seasonal product strategies for baby and kids sets with cross-functional teams.
• Interface with design to convey styling, fabric, color and design expectations to overseas offices.
• Enforce production standards across categories and vendors for preproduction and production.
• Collaborate with the Director of Product Development to align with brand vision across categories.
• Identify cost-effective solutions and alternative materials with suppliers within cost and delivery windows.
• Oversee the Product Development calendar and approvals to ensure timely delivery across channels.
• Communicate daily with overseas offices to clarify style details and address quality issues.
• Mentor and manage Product Development Associate to foster growth and performance.

Skills

Entrepreneurial mindset

Organizational skills

Communication skills

Attention to detail

Merchandising knowledge

Garment construction

Fabric sourcing

Production techniques

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Business, Fashion, Merchandising

Tools

Illustrator

PLM

Microsoft Office

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.

Roles & Responsibilities

Specific Responsibilities Would Include

Strategy & Innovation

• Facilitate development of seasonal product strategies for baby and kids sets by collaborating with Design, Sales, and Production teams to define trends, color palettes, concepts, styles and cost structures.
• Interface with design team to ensure the styling, fabric, print/ color and all design expectations are conveyed to overseas offices for development, sourcing and sampling.
• Follow and enforce production standards across all categories and vendors as they pertain to preproduction and production.
• Collaborate with the Director of Product Development to ensure alignment with the overall brand vision and cohesiveness across product categories.
• Partner with suppliers to identify cost effective solutions and alternative methods, fabrics, treatments, etc to achieve desired look within cost parameters and delivery dates.

Operations & Results

• Oversee the Product Development calendar/ WIP report to ensure efficient project management and timely approvals to maintain delivery across multiple channels, balancing expense management and margin targets.
• Align aesthetic/ design expectations within pricing structure, factory capability and delivery dates as needed.
• Communicate daily with overseas offices to clarify style details, address quality concerns, provide submit comments and manage overall production development.
• Partner with Production to proactively identify potential quality concerns or timing issues within vendor and supplier matrix as new orders are placed.
• Act as a key participant in product review meetings, including edits, pre-costing, and customs requirements, and addressing any quality or technical concerns.
• Review all PrePro samples with Design team for quality, overall aesthetic and artwork.
• Lead the creation and management of internal fabric library and maintain fabric binder for licensor.

Customers & Relationships

• Maintain clear and timely communication with internal team, suppliers, vendors, and licensors, fostering strong relationships across all parties involved.
• Collaborate with Production and Tech teams to identify new supplier opportunities and maintain strong working relationships with existing partners.
• Manage sending of PrePro and TOP samples to customers and corporate licensor.
• Attend weekly meetings with licensor to review artwork treatments, fabric qualities and factory samples.

Leadership & Team Management

• Contribute to a positive and collaborative team environment, managing team dynamics and providing leadership where necessary to drive results.
• Mentor and manage Product Development Associate to foster continuous growth, identify priorities and ensure high levels of engagement and performance.
• Participate in weekly Tech Pack priority, WIP and team meetings.

Our Best Fit Candidate Would Have

• In-depth knowledge of wholesale apparel merchandising, global supply chain operations and manufacturing processes.
• Strong entrepreneurial mindset balanced with sound judgment and a proven ability to lead and inspire teams.
• Exceptional organizational and communication skills, with a strong ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines in a fast‑paced environment.
• Highly detail‑oriented with a blend of creativity and a keen sense of merchandising to meet customer needs and market trends.
• Expertise in garment construction, fabric sourcing, and production techniques.
• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field (e.g., Business, Fashion, Merchandising).
• 5‑7 years of experience in apparel merchandising, private label buying, or product development, with a proven track record in managing product categories.
• Highly proficient in Microsoft Office; Illustrator and PLM knowledge a plus.
• Flexibility and willingness to tackle special projects and be hands on as needed.

Benefits and Compensation

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 through workshops, resources and inspiring conversation.

Salary Range: $90,000–$100,000

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.

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Equal Opportunity Statement

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 at https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/job-scams.