Sr. Product Development Manager, Apparel-West Hollywood

SIMKHAI; West Hollywood (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical

Dental

Vision

FSA

401(k)

PTO

Clothing allowance

Employee discount 50%

Job summary

SIMKHAI is seeking a highly experienced Senior Product Development Manager, Apparel to lead the development of Ready-to-Wear collections from concept through production handoff. You will partner with Design, Technical Design, Merchandising, and Production to translate creative vision into commercially viable, high-quality product.

The role demands strong organizational skills, factory relationships, and the ability to balance creativity with cost, quality, and delivery in a fast-paced

Qualifications

• Minimum 7+ years in apparel product development, preferably in contemporary luxury fashion.
• Strong knowledge of apparel construction, fabrics, trims, garment wash, embellishment, and manufacturing processes.
• Proven experience managing product development from concept through production handoff.
• Understanding of costing, margins, MOQs, lead times, and factory capabilities.
• Experience working with Design, Technical Design, Merchandising, and Production teams.
• Exceptional organizational and project management skills with multiple categories and deadlines.
• Strong communication and negotiation skills.
• Ability to identify problems quickly and develop practical solutions.
• High attention to detail and commitment to product quality.
• willingness to travel internationally as needed.

Responsibilities

• Own the end-to-end development process for assigned apparel categories from initial concept through production handoff.
• Partner with Design to translate concepts into commercially and technically viable product while protecting design intent.
• Review sketches, tech packs, construction details, fabrics, trims, and prototypes for opportunities and challenges early.
• Manage proto, SMS, and approval sample development, ensuring progress per seasonal calendars.
• Drive timely resolution of development issues related to fit, construction, materials, quality, and manufacturability.
• Ensure accurate and complete product information is maintained throughout development.
• Partner with Technical Design for a clear handoff from development to technical execution.
• Manage and own Bill of Materials, ensuring accuracy of product.
• Work closely with Production to ensure products are production-ready before order placement.
• Serve as a key Product partner to Design, Technical Design, and Production.
• Establish clear handoffs, ownership, and communication across product lifecycle stages.
• Collaborate with Production to improve quality, lead times, costing, and execution.
• Proactively communicate risks and provide solutions, not just escalations.
• Help create a culture of accountability, transparency, and collaboration across Product.
• Own and manage development costing with factories and internal teams.
• Review costs and identify opportunities to achieve target margins without compromising quality.
• Negotiate with vendors on development costs, materials, construction, minimums, and other terms.
• Partner with SVP of Product Development & Production on cost optimization opportunities.
• Bring understanding of fabric, construction, labor, and manufacturing implications to decisions.
• Develop and maintain relationships with apparel factories, mills, and strategic vendors.
• Clearly communicate SIMKHAI's expectations on quality, timing, costing, and execution.
• Holding vendors accountable to development calendars and quality standards.
• Own seasonal development calendars and proactively manage milestones.
• Align development with costing, fabric commitments, sample approvals, order placement, and production dates.
• Identify timeline risks early and establish recovery plans.
• Continuously improve product development processes, systems, and cross-functional workflows.
• Maintain seasonal reporting and visibility into development status, issues, and risks.

Skills

Product Development

Apparel Construction

Fabric & Trims

Costing & Margins

Cross-functional Collaboration

Project Management

Negotiation Skills

Attention to Detail

Travel Internationally

Job description

SIMKHAI is seeking a highly experienced and solutions-oriented Senior Product Development Manager, Apparel to lead the development of our Ready-to-Wear collections from initial concept through production handoff. This role will serve as a critical partner to Design, Technical Design, Merchandising, and Production, ensuring that the creative vision is translated into commercially viable, high-quality product that meets SIMKHAI's standards for fit, construction, quality, cost, and delivery.

The ideal candidate is highly organized, product-focused, commercially minded, and comfortable operating in a fast-paced environment. They have strong technical product knowledge and factory relationships, are confident driving timelines and accountability, and understand how to balance creativity with cost, quality, and execution.

Key Responsibilities:

Product Development & Execution

• Own the end-to-end development process for assigned apparel categories from initial concept through production handoff.
• Partner closely with Design to translate creative concepts into commercially and technically viable product while protecting design intent.
• Review sketches, tech packs, construction details, fabrics, trims, and prototypes to identify development opportunities and potential production challenges early.
• Manage proto, SMS, and approval sample development, ensuring product is progressing according to seasonal calendars.
• Drive timely resolution of development issues related to fit, construction, materials, quality, and manufacturability.
• Ensure accurate and complete product information is maintained throughout the development process.
• Partner with Technical Design to ensure a clear and efficient handoff from development into technical execution.
• Manage and own Bill of Materials, ensuring accuracy of product
• Work closely with Production to ensure products are fully developed and production-ready prior to order placement.

Cross-Functional Partnership

• Serve as a key Product partner to Design, Technical Design, and Production.
• Establish clear handoffs, ownership, and communication across each stage of the product lifecycle.
• Collaborate with Production to identify opportunities to improve quality, lead times, costing, and overall execution.
• Proactively communicate risks, delays, and development challenges and provide solutions rather than simply escalating issues.
• Help create a culture of accountability, transparency, and collaboration across the Product organization.
• Own and manage development costing in partnership with factories and internal teams.
• Review initial and revised costs and identify opportunities to achieve target margins without compromising product integrity.
• Negotiate with vendors on development costs, materials, construction, minimums, and other commercial considerations.
• Partner with the SVP of Product Development & Production to identify opportunities for cost improvement and margin optimization.
• Bring a strong understanding of fabric, construction, labor, and manufacturing implications to product decisions.
• Develop and maintain strong relationships with apparel factories, mills, and strategic vendors.
• Clearly communicate SIMKHAI's expectations around quality, timing, costing, and execution.
• Hold vendors accountable to development calendars and quality standards.
• Calendar & Process Management

Calendar & Process Management

• Own seasonal development calendars for assigned categories and proactively manage key milestones.
• Ensure development is aligned with critical dates for costing, fabric commitments, sample approvals, order placement, and production.
• Identify potential timeline risks early and establish recovery plans.
• Help continuously improve SIMKHAI's product development processes, systems, and cross-functional workflows.
• Maintain accurate seasonal reporting and visibility into development status, open issues, and key risks.

Qualifications

• Must have a minimum 7+ years of apparel Product Development experience, preferably within contemporary, contemporary luxury, or luxury fashion.
• Must have demonstrated, strong knowledge of apparel construction, fabrics, trims, garment wash, embellishment, and manufacturing processes.
• Must have proven experience managing product development from concept through production handoff.
• Must have demonstrated, strong understanding of costing, margins, MOQ's, lead times, and factory capabilities.
• Must have experience working closely with Design, Technical Design, Merchandising, and Production teams.
• Must have exceptional organizational and project management skills with the ability to manage multiple categories and deadlines simultaneously.
• Must have strong communication and negotiation skills.
• Must have ability to identify problems quickly and develop practical solutions.
• Must have high attention to detail and a strong commitment to product quality.
• Must have ability and willingness to travel internationally as needed.

• We offer a competitive benefits package including medical, dental, vision, FSA, 401(k) and PTO
• Additionally, we offer a generous clothing allowance and 50% employee discount off retail

About Us:

SIMKHAI is a luxury American fashion house where modern sensuality meets timeless luxury. Founded in 2010 by designer Jonathan Simkhai, SIMKHAI redefines the contemporary wardrobe, transforming essentials into statements through innovative techniques and enduring design.

In the SIMKHAI studio, Jonathan and the design team bring creative visions to life with precision and artistry. Each collection is designed for celebr ating life’s defining moments and elevating the everyday. enduring design. As SIMKHAI continues to evolve, its dedication to craftsmanship and innovation remains unwavering, ensuring every piece reflects the brand's modern spirit and timeless appeal.