Product Development Manager

Role overview

Development and materials

• Leads seasonal development across smart and casual wovens, coats, jackets, cut-and-sew, and knitwear through proto, salesman sample, and pre-production approval.
• Translates sketches into samples with BOMs, construction details, fabric specifications, and trim specifications.
• Manages sample requests, tracking, review, and comments; owns calendars, milestones, and early risk flagging.
• Hands Production approved specifications, materials, and costings.
• Partners on fabric and trim selection, performance fabrics, finishes, and bonded or seam-sealed construction.
• Coordinates mills and trim suppliers on development, lab dips, strike-offs, and testing to agreed standards.
• Obtains factory prices, maintains cost sheets against target margins, and hands development costings to Sourcing for production negotiation.
• Recommends material and construction alternatives and supports responsible fabric choices, testing, and compliance.

Collaboration and team leadership

• Coordinates fit, grading, and construction with Technical Design, attends fit sessions, and relays comments to vendors.
• Aligns development with Merchandising on line plan, price architecture, margin targets, and delivery.
• Works with Production and Sourcing on vendor allocation, factory trials, capacity, and timelines.
• Communicates with overseas vendors and provides consolidated feedback to reduce sample rounds.
• Maintains PLM and tracking tools, mentors junior team members, improves processes, and presents status, risks, and solutions at milestone meetings.

Essential experience

• Degree-level education in Fashion Design, Product Development, or Apparel Production.
• At least 7 years of product development experience specializing in premium womenswear.
• Experience developing multi-category collections, including formal and casual wovens, coats, jackets, cut-and-sew, and knitwear, through production handover.
• Strong garment construction, fabric suitability, fit, and performance knowledge; experience with factories and mills in Asia.
• Commercial fluency in costings and margins, balancing design, quality, and price.
• Confident collaboration with Technical Design and Merchandising; highly organized, calm under pressure, and detail-oriented.
• Proficiency in PLM systems, Excel, and Adobe Illustrator; excellent written and verbal communication.

Workplace

• Hybrid working schedule: four days in the office and one day from home, based in Toronto.
• The employer ideally seeks someone based in Canada or available to relocate from the US; the description also states candidates should currently live and work in the US or Canada.

Compensation and benefits

• Salary is described as competitive and aligned with experience; no pay cadence or amount is specified.
• Benefits package includes healthcare.