Product Manager
Aéropostale
full-time
Posted on:
Location Type: Office
Location: New York City • New York • United States
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Salary
💰 $75,900 - $138,000 per year
About the role
- Manage the end-to-end product development and sourcing lifecycle from concept to production.
- Own seasonal development milestones and manage the time and actional calendar to ensure on-time execution in both key business deadlines and bulk delivery.
- Partner closely with Design, Merchandising, Technical teams to bring product concepts to production-ready samples for seasonal presentations.
- Manage vendor allocation and cost negotiations to achieve IMU targets while maintaining product standards and brand expectations.
- Build and maintain strong vendor relationships and support onboarding of new vendors to strengthen sourcing capabilities.
- Partner with Demand Planning to review seasonal projections and align vendor capacity planning, ensuring key suppliers and product categories are planned appropriately to support future order demand.
- Monitor vendor performance across cost, quality, and delivery metrics and proactively address issues to ensure successful seasonal execution.
- Manage samples, approvals, development, and order placements using key tools and systems (FlexPLM, CAP, and other tools).
- Monitor vendor performance across cost, quality, and delivery metrics and proactively address issues to ensure successful sourcing strategies.
- Maintain knowledge of apparel manufacturing processes from raw material development through factory production, including fabric mills, factory production flow, and quality control checkpoints.
- Communicate development status, risks, and solutions clearly across cross-functional partners and external vendors.
- Travel as needed to vendor offices and factories to support development alignment, production readiness, and vendor partnership initiatives.
- Familiarity with factory compliance standards, including social compliance and factory audit requirements, to ensure vendors meet company and industry standards is a big plus.
Requirements
- 4-6 years of experience in apparel product development and sourcing.
- Strong understanding of the apparel development lifecycle from concept through production.
- Experience working directly with vendors and factories, including managing development execution and production readiness.
- Knowledge of apparel manufacturing processes, including fabric mills, garment construction, factory production flow, and quality checkpoints.
- Familiarity with product testing standards and factory compliance requirements, including social and factory audit standards.
- Experience collaborating cross-functionally with Design, Merchandising, Technical, and other critical business teams within an organization.
- Experience working in a fast-paced retail environment managing seasonal development, chase opportunities, and speed-market initiatives.
- Experience supporting both DTC (brand) and wholesale business models. DDP model understanding a plus.
- Strong negotiations, communication, and problem-solving skills in a fast-paced seasonal business environment.
- Experience using and/or understanding PLM, SAP/Infor Nexus, Microsoft Office, various buy systems. (FlexPLM preferred).
- Ability to manage multiple priorities and seasonal deadlines while maintaining strong attention to details.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills.
- Travel may be required, both domestic and internationally, to vendor offices and factories as needed.
- Adhere to regular in-office presence, including to engage in in-person team interaction, meetings and collaboration.
Benefits
- Health insurance
- 401(k) matching
- Paid time off
- Remote work options
Applicant Tracking System Keywords
Tip: use these terms in your resume and cover letter to boost ATS matches.
Hard Skills & Tools
apparel product developmentsourcingvendor managementcost negotiationsapparel manufacturing processesproduct testing standardsfactory compliance requirementsseasonal developmentDTC business modelwholesale business model
Soft Skills
negotiationcommunicationproblem-solvingattention to detailcross-functional collaborationtime managementrelationship buildingrisk managementadaptabilityorganizational skills