Prominent Surf Brand - Men's Product Developer Role

Ethos Brands; Irvine (CA); Vor Ort; USD 80.000 - 95.000; Vollzeit

Zusammenfassung

Ethos Brands in Irvine, CA is seeking a Men’s Product Developer to manage the lifecycle from design handoff to production handoff. You will bridge design, merchandising, and production to deliver seasonal collections on time, within quality standards, and to meet targeted margins.

The role demands strong collaboration with suppliers and internal teams, meticulous PLM oversight, and proactive communication to ensure prototypes, lab dips, and strike-offs progress smoothly toward final production.

Qualifikationen

• Bachelor's degree required or preferred
• Minimum 5 years in product development for men’s apparel

Aufgaben

• Design execution: translate concepts into market-ready products
• Drive Time and Action calendar to meet milestones
• Maintain and update PLM data, samples, and approvals
• Manage intake and tracking of strike-offs, lab dips, and prototypes
• Liaise with overseas and domestic vendors to track progress and negotiate margins

Kenntnisse

Attention to detail

Cross-functional collaboration

Communication

Organizational skills

Ausbildung

Bachelor’s degree in Apparel Design or related field

Tools

PLM system

Tech Pack auditing

Jobbeschreibung

The Prominent Surf Brand’s Men’s Product Developer is responsible for managing the lifecycle of a product from the initial design hand off through to production hand off. This role acts as the primary bridge between the design, merchandising, and production teams, ensuring that seasonal collections are delivered on time, meet quality standards, and achieve targeted profit margins.

SALARY RANGE: $80,000 - $95,000

Key Responsibilities and Job Duties

1. Product Development & Lifecycle Management

• Design Execution: Manage the development process for assigned Men’s categories, transforming creative concepts into market-ready products.
• Calendar Management: Drive and manage the "Time and Action" calendar for all assigned categories to ensure every milestone; from prototype to salesman samples is met on time.
• PLM Management: Responsible for maintaining and updating the Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) system, including all style data, sample comments, and approvals.
• Sample Tracking: Manage the intake, organization, and tracking of all strike-offs, lab dips, and prototypes through Photo, SMS, Marketing and TOP samples.
• Trim Development: Development, sourcing and negotiations of all Mens Trims
• Daily Communication: Serve as the primary point of contact for daily communication with overseas and domestic vendors to track development progress.
• Sourcing Collaboration: Partner with the design and management to make decisions based on volume, fabrication, and factory technique.
• Factory Travel: Occasionally travel to overseas factories to audit development processes and strengthen vendor relationships.
• Margin Achievement: Work closely with the Director of Merchandising and Design to ensure products meet company margin and targeted GP goals.
• Costing Negotiations: Negotiate with factories to achieve target gross margin costs, suggesting alternative fabrications or construction methods when necessary to hit price points.

4. Quality Control & Aesthetics

• Tech Pack Auditing: Review and audit designer-generated tech packs to ensure all information is accurate and complete before being sent to vendors.
• Lab Dip & Strike-off Approval: Partner with the design team to review and provide comments on all material submits, including color (lab dips) and artwork (strike-offs).
• Aesthetic Integrity: Ensure that the final production-ready samples maintain the original design intent and brand aesthetic while being functional for the consumer.

5. Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Internal Liaison: Act as the central link between Design, Merchandising, Planning, and Technical Design to ensure all communication is professional and timely.
• Fitting Participation: Attend all fittings to stay informed on fit standards and ensure that any changes are accurately reflected in the development documents.
• Sales Meetings: Partner with design during review meetings to ensure the product is presented accurately to management and sales teams.

Skills and Qualifications

Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Apparel Design, Textile Science, or a related field preferred.
• Minimum 5 years of experience in product, preferably in men’s performance or lifestyle apparel.

Analytical and Problem-Solving Skills

• Exceptional attention to detail with a proactive approach to solving complex production challenges.
• Ability to balance creative vision with technical feasibility and cost objectives.

Communication and Collaboration

• Strong interpersonal and communication skills to work effectively across diverse teams and vendors.
• Demonstrated ability to articulate technical concepts to non-technical team members.

Organizational Skills

• Highly organized, with the ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Skilled in tracking and documenting all aspects of the development process for future reference.

Industry Knowledge

• Passion for men’s apparel, with a deep understanding of current market trends in performance and lifestyle categories.
• Familiarity with sustainable and innovative production practices is a plus.