The Merchandising Manager of Product Development VM will be responsible and accountable for monitoring the entire product development pipeline from development through to order placement by driving product excellence in the delivery, quality, cost and service level agreement required of external and internal customers. S/he will also be responsible for product innovation and proposing cost saving opportunities that are aligned with sourcing and vendor strategies cascaded by Category Sourcing team. ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES: Product Development & Vendor Management: Partner with design team on developing the assortment including inspiration shopping trips, vendor visits and sample approval. Manage garment and product development processes in a timely manner Manage development sampling and initial costs Ensure product execution meets the design aesthetic as well as commercially acceptable quality standards Escalation of any quality issues to the Category Sourcing team Work with vendors/tech team to ensure VDA for labdips and ensure VDA for fits/sampling changes Manage vendor relationship and new vendor on-boarding training Manages vendor loading in capacity process Monitoring vendor performance and Cost negotiation with vendors Holds vendors accountable to performance agreements and determines when course corrections are necessary and aligns with Director and Category Lead on final decision. Responsible for developing the leadership and coaching skills of direct reports Manages, trains & and coaches the team to be customer-focused, innovative, fast and team-oriented in their work EQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS: Experience in sample development/production follow up and with direct factory production exposure Familiar in construction and testing requirement Possess a clear understanding of financial measurements and how to impact product development Strong eye for product, understanding of target customer and knowledge of product trends Ability to learn and become a subject matter expert quickly Ability to plan, prioritize and adapt to change while achieving and maintaining results for multiple projects Excellent written and spoken English communication & presentation skills
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