Product Development Manager

Alton Lane; New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Alton Lane is seeking a strategic, highly organized Product Development Manager to lead end-to-end product lifecycle, sourcing, production, and QA across retail, wholesale, and e-commerce channels. The role bridges product development, wholesale management, and operations to scale growth.

You will oversee the global vendor network, drive margin performance, ensure strict quality control, and manage internal product teams and in-house factory staff for continuous improvement and luxury outcomes.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in Product Development, Quality Assurance, Sourcing, or Production within the apparel industry.
• Deep understanding of garment construction, textile testing, AQL standards, QMS, factory audits, RCA, and CAPA.
• Previous experience managing B2B/Wholesale product relationships, VMI programs, and safety regulations compliance.
• Highly proficient in PLM systems, Business Intelligence tools and Digital Feedback platforms.
• Experience leveraging AI tools to streamline workflows and customer feedback analysis is a strong plus.
• Exceptional project management, communication, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to travel internationally as required.

Responsibilities

• Time & Action (T&A) Leadership: Create, oversee, and optimize the Product T&A calendar. Establish key milestones, track progress, and communicate updates proactively to all necessary stakeholders.
• Lifecycle Management: Maintain and optimize the overarching Product Lifecycle Calendar, ensuring alignment across all seasonal drops and replenishment programs.
• Workflow Digitization: Digitally streamline workflows by integrating PLM tools and AI technologies to boost productivity and enhance daily continuous improvement practices.
• Project Leadership: Lead project management for all product team activities, tracking major milestones from initial concept through to final delivery, including off-cycle production initiatives.
• End-to-End QA: Drive end-to-end product quality across manufacturing and global supply chains by leveraging Quality Management Systems, risk assessments, and in-market investigations.
• Standards & Inspections: Implement strict Acceptable Quality Level standards to decrease garment defect rates and improve overall product craftsmanship, comfort, and durability.
• Fit & Risk Assessment: Conduct fit clinics and product assessments to resolve construction issues and ultimately reduce customer return rates.
• Continuous Improvement: Utilize Root Cause Analysis and Corrective Action Preventative Action methodologies to address and resolve manufacturing issues.
• Vendor Management: Act as the key point of contact for external relationships with suppliers, mills, and manufacturers supporting retail, wholesale, and e-commerce channels, conducting seasonal on-site meetings and factory audits.
• Strategic Sourcing: Work directly with manufacturers to explore options for improved efficiency, cost reduction, quality control, and compliance.
• Financial Acumen & Costing: Manage complex costing exercises, analyze product cost breakdowns, and finalize product costing while identifying opportunities to cut freight-on-board (FOB) costs.
• Inventory & Materials: Direct vendor-managed inventory and rapid response programs, and design fabric reuse strategies to limit material liability and waste.
• Factory Oversight: Manage Alton Lane’s in-house factory employees, ensuring efficiency, quality, and a positive working environment.
• B2B Expansion & Collaborations: Lead B2B growth initiatives by managing essential product samples, and serve as the production lead for 3rd-party brand collaborations.
• Commercial Synergy: Partner with Commercial sales teams to strategize, concept, and support new and existing business opportunities.
• Customer-Centric Directives: Partner with cross-functional teams to ensure vendors meet brand directives while preparing and presenting Voice of the Customer reporting to senior leadership to guide future material and manufacturing decisions.
• Financial & Operational Alignment: Partner with Finance to budget for product needs, monitor production costs, and supervise PO entry. Partner with Ops to ensure orders are on track for delivery.

Skills

8+ years experience in Product Dev/QA/

Quality & Technical Expertise

Strategic Background

Systems Proficiency

AI/Productivity Integration

Soft Skills + Travel

Tools

PLM systems

BI tools

Digital Feedback platforms

Job description

Alton Lane is seeking a strategic and highly organized Product Development Manager to lead our product lifecycle, sourcing, production, and quality assurance efforts. Serving as a hybrid leader with responsibilities bridging product development, wholesale management, and operational excellence, this role is critical to scaling our retail, wholesale, and e-commerce channels.

The ideal candidate will oversee the end-to-end production process—from concept and costing through to delivery—while acting as the primary liaison for our global vendor network and leading B2B expansion initiatives. You will drive margin performance, ensure strict quality control, leverage customer insights, and manage a growing internal product team and in-house factory staff to support continuous improvement.

About Alton Lane

Alton Lane is an exciting and fresh face in the menswear space. While we are rooted in heritage, we are built for sustainability, and propelled by industry leading technology and human ingenuity. In 2010, we took the menswear industry by storm with our revolutionary 3D fitting technology. Today, we are able to offer the broadest range of custom tailored menswear with the quickest turnaround time in the market due to our innovative Alton Lane For You technology. Part AI, part algorithm, all parts innovative, our AL4U technology is a true differentiator in the market.

Headquartered in Richmond, VA, we have 6 showroom locations across the US and a growing presence in top menswear department stores, including Dillard’s, Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue, Macy’s and more.

While we take what we do seriously, we do not take ourselves too seriously. Here at Alton Lane, we regard work as an essential part of life that should be fun. We are quickly expanding and are building our team out with A players. You’ll learn, develop and grow by serving others, building long-term relationships—with customers and colleagues—and achieving inspiring results. We’re excited to meet you!

Check out our Instagram and company websites to learn more about who we are.

https://www.instagram.com/altonlane/eos

https://www.altonlane.com/

Key Responsibilities

Product Lifecycle & Project Management

• Time & Action (T&A) Leadership: Create, oversee, and optimize the Product T&A calendar. Establish key milestones, track progress, and communicate updates proactively to all necessary stakeholders.
• Lifecycle Management: Maintain and optimize the overarching Product Lifecycle Calendar, ensuring alignment across all seasonal drops and replenishment programs.
• Workflow Digitization: Digitally streamline workflows by integrating PLM tools and AI technologies to boost productivity and enhance daily continuous improvement practices.
• Project Leadership: Lead project management for all product team activities, tracking major milestones from initial concept through to final delivery, including off-cycle production initiatives.

Quality Assurance & Product Excellence

• End-to-End QA: Drive end-to-end product quality across manufacturing and global supply chains by leveraging Quality Management Systems, risk assessments, and in-market investigations.
• Standards & Inspections: Implement strict Acceptable Quality Level standards to decrease garment defect rates and improve overall product craftsmanship, comfort, and durability.
• Fit & Risk Assessment: Conduct fit clinics and product assessments to resolve construction issues and ultimately reduce customer return rates.
• Continuous Improvement: Utilize Root Cause Analysis and Corrective Action Preventative Action methodologies to address and resolve manufacturing issues.
• Vendor Management: Act as the key point of contact for external relationships with suppliers, mills, and manufacturers supporting retail, wholesale, and e-commerce channels, conducting seasonal on-site meetings and factory audits.
• Strategic Sourcing: Work directly with manufacturers to explore options for improved efficiency, cost reduction, quality control, and compliance.
• Financial Acumen & Costing: Manage complex costing exercises, analyze product cost breakdowns, and finalize product costing while identifying opportunities to cut freight-on-board (FOB) costs.
• Inventory & Materials: Direct vendor-managed inventory and rapid response programs, and design fabric reuse strategies to limit material liability and waste.
• Factory Oversight: Manage Alton Lane’s in-house factory employees, ensuring efficiency, quality, and a positive working environment.

Cross-Functional Collaboration & B2B Strategy

• B2B Expansion & Collaborations: Lead B2B growth initiatives by managing essential product samples, and serve as the production lead for 3rd-party brand collaborations.
• Commercial Synergy: Partner with Commercial sales teams to strategize, concept, and support new and existing business opportunities.
• Customer-Centric Directives: Partner with cross-functional teams to ensure vendors meet brand directives while preparing and presenting Voice of the Customer reporting to senior leadership to guide future material and manufacturing decisions.
• Financial & Operational Alignment: Partner with Finance to budget for product needs, monitor production costs, and supervise PO entry. Partner with Ops to ensure orders are on track for delivery.

Qualifications & Requirements

• Experience: 8+ years of experience in Product Development, Quality Assurance, Sourcing, or Production within the apparel industry.
• Quality & Technical Expertise: Deep understanding of garment construction, textile testing, AQL standards, QMS, factory audits, RCA, and CAPA.
• Strategic Background: Previous experience managing B2B/Wholesale product relationships, VMI programs, and safety regulations compliance.
• Systems Proficiency: Highly proficient in PLM systems, Business Intelligence tools and Digital Feedback platforms.
• AI/Productivity Integration: Experience leveraging AI tools to streamline workflows and customer feedback analysis is a strong plus.
• Soft Skills: Exceptional project management, communication, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to travel internationally as required.

Alton Lane is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We celebrate the diversity of all backgrounds and are committed to creating and fostering an inclusive culture for our Community.