Head of Product Development

HEAD OF PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT | NORTH WEST | PERFORMANCE BRAND | £75,000 - £90,000 + BENEFITS |

If you love apparel, more importantly performance sports & athleisure product, then this is a role where you can embrace innovative thinking whilst pushing the boundaries!

Arguably, these guys are one now becoming one of the biggest retailers in their field, making market leaders watch their backs. They're now on the lookout for making certain departments bigger so that they can go after, and deliver their ambitious growth plans.

AS THE HEAD OF PRODUCT, YOU WILL:

• Manage all ranges with merchandising, product developers and designers
• Work collaboratively with your product developers, designers and garment techs to ensure quality is at all times the best it can be and in line with company standards & expectation
• Be responsible & accountable for all ways of working across the product development function: costing and negotiating exercises, margin targets, clear pricing architectures, range building, lessons learnt, trading actions on a weekly basis, new product development, sourcing innovative fabrics and trims.
• You will want to know how each product line fits into the overall category mix across the full product offer so will be actively involved at the start of each season or each collection that is being developed
• Ability to maximise best-selling, historic lines vs implementing exciting GTM strategies around growing certain ranges with newness
• Review all product proposals at a detailed level, from fabric, price point, supplier and volumes
• You will monitor and review department mixes with the merchandising function
• Attend wholesale & partner meetings, supporting the selection process
• Create parameters with the supply base to overcome delays, cancellations and phasing issues with pragmatic solutions with the support of the merchandising function
• Work closely with the merchandising function when monitoring all reporting, actions and strategies at category & line level
• Continuously strive for improving product - working closely to design and product developers - always staying one step ahead!
• Define and strategically plan the full trading calendar whilst then managing the product teams' full critical path for them to manage
• Monitor and regularly track critical dates with the product teams and suppliers
• Review all market intel monthly (if not weekly) by always having your eye on the competition along with the wider product team
• Plan key strategy decks, sharing with all internal and external stakeholders
• Review the full supply base with identifying all levels of risk or opportunity for the brand
• You will actively work with the sourcing manager to ensure that all quality, capacities and supplier capability is in line to the brands overall direction when going to market
• As the Head of Product, you will want to strategically plan volume with suppliers and set to achieve advantageous returns on bottom line margin
• Along with the Sourcing Manager and wider product team you may introduce new suppliers for better trading reactions, whilst also exploring and building out a tendering programme as you look to always improve the product offer.

HEAD OF PRODUCT REQUIREMENTS:

• Motivate and encourage team members around you, whilst pushing personal development goals for them
• This is an entrepreneurial thinking business so you will naturally champion innovative and new ways of working
• Track and monitor team development monthly and annually
• Be approachable and empathetic at all times
• Have a positive outlook and attitude to all situations & challenges
• Be a true team player
• Must have at least 6 years' experience in a Buying, Product Development or Category Management position
• Sports or Performance athleisure background is essential

Zachary Daniels is a Niche, National & International Recruitment Consultancy.

Specialising in Buying, Merchandising & Ecommerce | Design, Technical, Wholesale & Production | Finance | HR & Talent | H&S & Compliance | Marketing, Digital & Technology | Property & Centre Management | Retail, Trade, Leisure & Wholesale Operations | Senior Appointments & Exec | Sales | Supply Chain & Logistics

BBBH30917