Product Manager

Aéropostale; New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 76,000 - 98,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical/dental/vision insurance

401(k) with company match

Associate discount

Job summary

Catalyst Brands is seeking a Product Manager to lead the full development and sourcing lifecycle for assigned categories, from concept to production. You will partner with Design, Merchandising, and Technical teams to translate concepts into commercially viable products while optimizing vendor strategy and margins.

In a hybrid in-office setting, you will manage timelines, negotiate with factories, and oversee samples, approvals, and order placements using PLM tools.

Qualifications

• Experience in apparel product development and sourcing, ideally with woven products.
• Hands-on with vendor management, cost negotiations and production readiness.
• Proven ability to collaborate cross‑functionally with Design, Merchandising and Technical teams.

Responsibilities

• Manage end-to-end product development and sourcing from concept to production.
• Own seasonal milestones and drive the action calendar to ensure on-time delivery.
• Collaborate with Design, Merchandising, and Technical teams to produce samples.
• Negotiate costs and manage vendor relationships to meet IMU targets.
• Monitor vendor performance on cost, quality, and delivery metrics.
• Oversee development, approvals, and order placements using PLM/CAP systems.

Skills

Apparel product development

Sourcing

Vendor management

Negotiation

Cross-functional collaboration

Strong communication

PLM

SAP/Infor Nexus

FlexPLM

Microsoft Office

Travel readiness

Education

Tools

FlexPLM

CAP

SAP

Infor Nexus

Microsoft Office

Job description

The Product Manager is responsible for managing the full product development and sourcing lifecycle for assigned product categories from concept to production. This role partners with key cross-functional teams – Design, Merchandising, and Technical to translate product concepts into commercially viable product while managing vendor strategy, cost negotiations, and production execution. The ideal candidate brings strong product development and sourcing expertise, connects big-picture strategy throughout the development cycle while maintaining ownership of day-to-day execution. This role requires a strong communicator (both written and verbal) who can navigate seasonal business challenges, manage vendor partnerships, and support brand strategy, margin goals, and OTB fast chase initiatives across both DTC and wholesale channels.

Responsibilities

• Manage the end-to-end product development and sourcing lifecycle from concept to production.
• Own seasonal development milestones and manage the time and actional calendar to ensure on-time execution in both key business deadlines and bulk delivery.
• Partner closely with Design, Merchandising, Technical teams to bring product concepts to production-ready samples for seasonal presentations.
• Manage vendor allocation and cost negotiations to achieve IMU targets while maintaining product standards and brand expectations.
• Build and maintain strong vendor relationships and support onboarding of new vendors to strengthen sourcing capabilities.
• Partner with Demand Planning to review seasonal projections and align vendor capacity planning, ensuring key suppliers and product categories are planned appropriately to support future order demand.
• Monitor vendor performance across cost, quality, and delivery metrics and proactively address issues to ensure successful seasonal execution.
• Manage samples, approvals, development, and order placements using key tools and systems (FlexPLM, CAP, and other tools).
• Monitor vendor performance across cost, quality, and delivery metrics and proactively address issues to ensure successful sourcing strategies.
• Maintain knowledge of apparel manufacturing processes from raw material development through factory production, including fabric mills, factory production flow, and quality control checkpoints.
• Communicate development status, risks, and solutions clearly across cross-functional partners and external vendors.
• Travel as needed to vendor offices and factories to support development alignment, production readiness, and vendor partnership initiatives.
• Familiarity with factory compliance standards, including social compliance and factory audit requirements, to ensure vendors meet company and industry standards is a big plus.

Qualifications

• 4-6 years of experience in apparel product development and sourcing. Ideally wovens experience.
• Strong understanding of the apparel development lifecycle from concept through production.
• Experience working directly with vendors and factories, including managing development execution and production readiness.
• Knowledge of apparel manufacturing processes, including fabric mills, garment construction, factory production flow, and quality checkpoints.
• Familiarity with product testing standards and factory compliance requirements, including social and factory audit standards.
• Experience collaborating cross-functionally with Design, Merchandising, Technical, and other critical business teams within an organization.
• Experience working in a fast-paced retail environment managing seasonal development, chase opportunities, and speed-market initiatives.
• Experience supporting both DTC (brand) and wholesale business models. DDP model understanding a plus.
• Strong negotiations, communication, and problem-solving skills in a fast-paced seasonal business environment.
• Experience using and/or understanding PLM, SAP/Infor Nexus, Microsoft Office, various buy systems. (FlexPLM preferred).
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and seasonal deadlines while maintaining strong attention to details.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Travel may be required, both domestic and internationally, to vendor offices and factories as needed.
• Adhere to regular in-office presence, including to engage in in-person team interaction, meetings and collaboration. Job duties may be performed effectively using the hybrid work program designated by the company.*

What You Get

If eligible, we offer a competitive benefits package including medical/dental/vision, term life insurance, paid vacation/holidays*, and 401(k) with Company match. All associates are eligible for an associate discount on Catalyst Brands merchandise. For paid holidays, associates who are eligible for paid vacation (MTO) are also eligible for eight paid holidays during the calendar year. All store hourly associates scheduled to work on a designated holiday will receive additional compensation. *For paid vacation days, as well as eligibility requirements for other benefits, please visit www.catalystbrandsbenefits.com

• Generous benefits: Medical/dental/vision insurance starting on day one, term life insurance, paid vacation/holidays, 401(k) Savings Plan with company match, and an associate discount on merchandise across all Catalyst Brands.
• Opportunities for growth and development: We are committed to helping our employees grow their careers and develop their skills. We offer a variety of training and development programs, as well as opportunities for advancement.
• Collaborative and supportive culture: We believe in creating a workplace where everyone feels valued and respected. We encourage teamwork and collaboration, and we are always looking for ways to support our employees' success.

About Catalyst Brands

Catalyst Brands reflects the bringing together the rich heritages of our brands with modern excitement and a new vision for success. Five iconic brands came together under a unified powerhouse portfolio to celebrate the essence of American style. We will leverage our rich history, resources and best-in-class industry talent to further build the success of our brands. At Catalyst we are united in one shared purpose: We exist to ignite America’s most beloved retail brands to make fashion accessible to all.

Pay Range

USD $75,900.00 - USD $97,950.00 /Yr.