What are the responsibilities and job description for the Product Development Director position at FRAME?
About FRAME
FRAME is a brand that bridges heritage and quality of manufacturing in Los Angeles with a distinctly European aesthetic. Its collections take inspiration from a French way of 'dressed-up casual,' embodied by style icons of the 1970s.
Since its inception in 2012, FRAME has rapidly evolved from being the off-duty model's favorite denim brand to a fashion house producing four ready-to-wear collections annually. The brand is known for its coveted wardrobe classics, American craftsmanship, and loyal following.
Role Overview
The Senior Manager of Product Development will report to the Senior Director of Production. They will be responsible for developing and managing the sourcing strategy for both women's and men's Ready-to-Wear categories while maintaining positive relationships with all departments.
Responsibilities
- Create and manage the product 'time and action calendar' to ensure milestone dates are met.
- Set up global sourcing strategies & manage vendor allocation to meet business objectives.
- Manage sample fabric and trim reservations, collaborate with Design to develop production-ready samples for quarterly design presentations, and ensure on-time delivery of all prototypes and sales samples.
- Evaluate development samples, identify major issues, and problem vendors, creating action plans to resolve them.
- Support costing teams by negotiating raw materials and driving the product development process from concept through production-ready styles.
- Manage development testing processes, ensuring communication of any potential production issues to internal teams.
- Oversee adoption rate quantification for review with management, merchandising, and design teams.
- Train and mentor new hires, conducting individual and team reviews.
- Serve as an information resource about products for internal departments.
Skills & Requirements
- Minimum 7 years of experience in product development.
- Ability to lead and mentor team members.
- Strong analytical and decision-making skills.
- Ability to proactively troubleshoot and problem solve.
- Excellent organizational skills & attention to detail.
- Must possess the ability to prioritize multiple projects.
- Must have basic retail math skills needed to determine costs & margins.
- Strong background working in contemporary fashion.
- Proficient in Microsoft Office, Word, Excel, and Outlook.
- Experience with Full Circle and Adobe Illustrator is a plus.
