Senior Product Developer - Menswear and Womenswear – Multi Product

Our Client is a supplier of uniforms to the luxury sector including hotels, bars, beauty and leisure spas and luxury retail brands.

They are expanding and looking for an experienced Senior Product Developer to join the team to achieve their ambitious growth plan. The candidate needs a luxury, multi product formal background with the ability to work across both Menswear and Womenswear . Experience is required from Luxury and RTW Brands as opposed to suppliers in the industry.

You will be required to manage the full product development process from the handover of the design concept through to delivery of pre-production samples, and then handing over to the production team. Multiple projects run alongside each other so the candidate must be highly organised and be a good communicator.

A major part of this role is fabric and trim sourcing. You will have extensive experience and confidence in this area and would be able to quickly and consistently source up to 30 different fabric and trim options per project within a time frame of one to two weeks.

You will ensure styles are constructed cost effectively to the high standards that meet our client’s expectations and critical path deadlines. It will be your responsibility to ensure all designs are functional and practical for the job role intended with the right level of design flare.

You will be the main point of contact for development with our mills, trim suppliers and vendor base, and will liaise with them on a daily basis ensuring requests and deliveries are met according to the critical path.

The role’s responsibilities include:

• The role reports into the COO

• The role is Senior Product Developer and there is one direct report

• You will work from the Client’s Waterloo studio so must live within commutable distance

• A multi-product Product Developer, working across a wide range of fabric bases with a strong knowledge of tailoring and garment construction

• The role is managing from the design stage through design handover to preproduction sign off with the Client

• A major part of the role is the skill and the responsibility of sourcing up to 30 different qualities of fabrics and trim per project including negotiation on pricing and MOQ’s.

• Responsible for meeting key dates in accordance to critical path requirements and offer guidance and support to the design and commercial team to meet these deadlines

• Responsible for managing and working within each project budget constraints

• Ability to manage multiple projects consecutively

• Manage the process of purchasing and delivery of sampling raw materials from suppliers to vendors according to critical path deadlines

• Working closely with Design to interpret the sketches and understand and communicate in detail what is achievable for uniform garments in terms of fabrics and construction

• Creating and managing project supporting excel documents to achieve on-time garment sample delivery including, Style Technical Packs & BOMs, Range plans, Fabric Information Bibles

• Maintaining and altering garment design sheets, tech packs and BOMs throughout the development process

• Assisting studio fit session, documenting changes to the garments and taking into account impact to costs and delivery dates for samples

• Managing the client fitting session (off-site), including document set up and management, fitting individual employees, and managing collection and re-delivery of altered garments

• Support the relevant teams with the expansions of the company and working with technical to source correct supplier base

• Work closely with the Pattern Cutter, Assistant Designers and Commercial teams, as well as the CEO and COO to achieve objectives set

The candidate:

• Significant product development experience at senior level

• Have the experience and confidence to lead and drive this area of the business

• Has previous management experience and has managed the growth and development of a direct report before

• Experience of tailoring is essential with the ability to cover casual wear and accessories across Mens and Womenswear

• Experienced and confident in Fabric and Trim sourcing • Product knowledge across wide range of categories including garment construction, fitting and production methods

• High-level Illustrator and Excel skills.

• Must have experience within a luxury and premium brand or high-end high street retailer

• Uniform design experience a benefit though not essential

• Excellent social and communication skills required

• You will be a problem solver and decision maker offering multiple resolutions to solve issues for each client brief

• Motivated and ability to work in a team or independently

• Strong communications skills with a clear and professional approach

• Calm but assertive and a driven leader who stays calm under pressure

• Professional, dedicated, hardworking and a committed person willing to invest long term in a growing and exciting company

• You will be passionate, hardworking, and accountable for your role. Able to work with minimal direction

• Highly organised with great time management skills