Urban Outfitters: Product Development Manager-Home Textiles

Founded in 1970, Urban Outfitters (www.UrbanOutfitters.com) operates more than 200 stores in the United States, Canada, and Europe, all offering an eclectic mix of merchandise.  We stock our stores with what we love, calling on our—and our customer's—interest in contemporary art, music, and fashion.  From men's & women's apparel and accessories to items for the apartment, we offer a lifestyle-specific shopping experience for the educated, urban-minded individual in the 18 to 30 year-old range—both online and in our stores as well as through our catalog.

Title

Urban Outfitters Home, Product Development Manager-Textiles

Reports to

Director of Sourcing-Textiles

Overview

The Product Manager is a supervisory level position responsible for partnering with design, concept, buying, and inventory. Main responsibility is to develop and execute product consistent with design’s vision and the Brand’s global sourcing strategy.  The Product Developer manages the development and execution of products from design inception through bulk production, with a focus on on-time, quality, deliveries at the right cost, with the required speed and flexibility in support of the brand strategy.  May manage 1 or more direct reports. 

Responsibilities

Product Solutions

• Own and drive product development with the cross functional team and vendors in partnership with design. Understand aesthetic & technical direction of product to guide best product realization.
• Maintain current knowledge of vendor’s strengths and weaknesses. Understand all methods in marketplace for solving design requirements. Propose vendor allocation. Gather development timing.
• Ensure all development meets calendar requirements. Continually assess time impact to deliverable. Contribute on resolution.
• Create & share product risk assessments that are robust, all-encompassing & fluid for each collection throughout the development cycle of the product.
• Alert vendors on collection adoption. Partner with Production on readiness details for adopted collection and raise awareness of critical product development milestones.
• Own the detailed product pass off to the Production team. Encourage continued communication throughout life of collection/styles.

Costing and Cost Engineering

• Create internal cost breakdowns for styles within design collections. Provide cost estimates to design & buying as needed to develop into established IMU goals.
• Validate & challenge any discrepancies in estimated costing to vendor in partnership with production. Negotiate programs not meeting goals.
  Own entry on style BOM components & color into PDM system (Tradestone) at development stage & collection adoption stage.
• Own communication of accurate & finalized cost to buyers

Sample Tracking

• Own the development request & monitor delivery of samples from vendor. Report status to cross functional teams.  Troubleshoot for any roadblock to on time delivery.

• Check samples for accuracy & alert design on any sample accuracy call outs
• Work with vendor & agents on sample accuracy & quality call outs.
• Makes decisions on acceptable substitute materials for sampling, cost options for development, and delivers production ready styles.

Continuous Improvement

• Understand relevant retail product development intelligence & report on product within the Global market.
• Own or assist in special projects as needed to move development towards organizational goals.
• Close working relationship with cross functional teams: design, design operations, print, color & concept, raw material design, merchandising, textile technology, regional development partners and vendors.
• Communicate openly and directly, listening to others and speaking effectively. Lead meetings and represent sourcing department at cross functional meetings.
• Champion change, taking risks as needed and demonstrating flexibility. Be inclusive & spirit of team building always.

Talent Management

• Provide talent development of direct report.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in product development, sourcing, merchandising, or business fields. Emphasis on textile or fashion industry a plus.
• 5+ years related experience.
• Demonstrate strong, consistent problem solving abilities and result-driven communication with business partners.
• Keen written, verbal and electronic communication skills, computer proficient with Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook. PDM or PLM systems a plus.
• Ability to be a team player and foster a commitment to teamwork with other associates.
  Ability to communicate design aesthetic & accurate product development direction to vendors/regional offices.
• Working knowledge of textile production processes:  Weaving, Knitting, Print Methods, Wash Methods, Sewing Construction, Packaging Requirements, Testing Requirements
• Working knowledge of product costing, components, and international business requirements.

Location

Philadelphia, PA

Travel

Some travel required.