Senior Product Development Manager – Apparel & Margin

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

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.