Established in 2010 and situated in the heart of London, our Client supplies exclusively designed Uniforms to establishments operating at the luxury end of the market including hotels, restaurants, bars, beauty and leisure spas and luxury retail brands.
They have an impressive portfolio of clients including the Savoy, the Dorchester, the Ritz, the Grosvenor House, Mandarin Oriental, Fortnum and Mason, Nobu Ibiza Bay, the FifeArms, Chatsworth House, Bow St Nomad, the Newt, De Beers, Gleneagles and many more.
We are looking for an experienced Senior Product Developer to join their team for a 12 month maternity cover contract.. The candidate needs a luxury, formal background with the ability to work across both Menswear and Womenswear and be able to develop product across multiple garment types. We are looking for candidates with experience working with Luxury and RTW Brands.
As a senior product developer, your ability to work hand in hand with the Design team is key to ensuring their concepts are represented for each Client or project.
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 very organised and be a good communicator.
A major part of this role is fabric and trim sourcing. You will have lots of experience and confidence in this area and would be able to quickly and consistently source up to 50 different fabric and trim options per project within a time frame of one to two weeks.
You will ensure styles are constructed cost effectively and to the high standards that the clients expect and meet 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
• Full time position
• The role reports into the COO
• The role is Senior Product Developer and there is one direct report
• You will work 5 days a week from our Client’s South Bank 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 projects from the design stage through design handover to pre-production sign off with the Client
• Part of the role includes presenting to Clients often at very high levels, so a confident and experienced level of presentation is required
• A major part of the role is the skill and the responsibility of sourcing up to 50 different qualities of fabrics and trim per project within a time frame of one to two weeks for client sign off, 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
• Very strong negotiation skills are required for both garment and raw materials suppliers worldwide
• 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 packs
• Maintaining Tech Packs and BOMs throughout the development process
• Managing alongside the Garment Technologist the in studio fit sessions, documenting changes to the garments and taking into account impact to costs and delivery dates for samples
• Attending the client fitting session (off-site), including assisting with 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 Technical team, Designers and Commercial team, as well as the CEO and COO to achieve objectives set.
The candidate
• Significant product development experience at a senior level
• Have the experience and confidence to lead and drive this area of the business
• Has 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
• We are looking for a product developer who can work across both menswear and womenswear
• Extremely experienced and confident in fabric and trim sourcing with a wide ranging experience in different fabric bases, construction and dyeing techniques
• Very strong negotiation skills across raw material and garment suppliers
• Product knowledge across wide range of categories including garment construction, fitting and production methods
• 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 for both in-house, Client, and supplier interaction
• 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 and thorough, with great time management skills and a keen eye for detail