The Requirements
To be a good fit for the Director of Sourcing / Product Development opportunity, you will have:- A bachelor's degree, preferably in apparel marketing, textiles, engineering, manufacturing science or operations management.
- 5 to 8 years of experience, preferably within fitness/footwear/footcare accessories, apparel and/or fitness product development; we'll also consider candidates with experience in operations management, production and/or commercialization.
- Experience negotiating and managing relationships with suppliers in Asia.
- Experience overseeing product engineering and third-party testing.
- Experience managing teams.
- A basic understanding of costing.
- Analytical and reporting experience, along with high-intermediate skills with MS Excel.
- Computer proficiency, familiarity with MS Office applications, and the ability to learn new programs, such as Photoshop.
- Persistence and commitment -- you simply don't give up.
- Willingness to look at things differently and take calculated risks.
- Demonstrated leadership skills.
- Excellent organization skills and the ability to manage multiple tasks and competing priorities effectively.
- Strong oral, written and presentation communication skills.
- Broad knowledge of fitness, footcare / footwear products, textile, designs and trends.
- Experience with consumer packaged goods (CPG) suppliers or apparel design / development.
- Functional understanding of all/most of the following:
- Polyurethane material and molding.
- Thermoplastic rubber material and molding.
- Ethyl Vinyl Acetate material and molding.
- Injection molding.
- Woven/non-woven materials.
- Biomechanics of the foot and body.
- Textiles/yarn applications. Quick question for you - click here
- The ability to read, interpret and edit blueprints.
Pictured: Balega’s Ultralight No Show running socks combine ultrafine hi-tech performance yarns with protection-based design to create the sheerest, lightest performance no show running sock.
The Role
Opportunity SnapshotReporting to the Senior Vice President of Product Development & Commercialization, you will oversee a team of eight Product Developers and Product Development Specialists. The team is dispersed in North Carolina, California, and different locations in Asia.
Our product development timelines are very fast, and we redesigned this position, in part, to ensure seamless integration of product development and sourcing. Products and projects will be diverse, and we often don't know what we'll be working on in six months. To give you a bit of flavor, you may be involved with boot dryers, home gym accessories, apparel and more. Some will involve electronics and even proprietary technologies.
Key objectives will include:
- Directing the development of innovative footcare and fitness strategies, and products related to company product initiatives.
- Leading/monitoring the coordination with Product Managers to create product line(s) from concept to reality.
- Coordinating and managing relationships with Asian partners. Quick question for you - click here
- Assisting with the delivery of industry-leading products / stories.
- Maintaining/guiding all appropriate procedures and processes throughout design, development and production processes.
- Managing seasonal development and production of all new category products within established timelines.
- Contributing to all aspects of the product development process, including commercialization.
- Serving as backup to the division vice president and SVP.
As Director of Director of Sourcing / Product Development, you will:
- Manage and lead the development of products, focusing on construction, material applications and graphics treatments.
- Strategically partner with overseas factories to deliver distinct, good, better, best and premium product construction options.
- Ensure conformance to all product development specifications as established by design, development and sales teams through commercialization.
- Plan and organize resources to achieve product goals.
- Lead the initiative for category and process product management.
- Facilitate the creation and maintenance of clear communication channels (written and verbal) with Asian development staff to ensure clear and concise understanding of product requirements.
- Lead and maintain connections to Implus category consumer(s) to facilitate continuous product improvement.
- Ensure commercialization of all developments prior to mass production.
- Oversee production in coordination with the quality team in Asia.
- Assist in the development of viable vendor options for all product categories.
- Maintain communication with Design Team(s) on all styles / packaging graphics.
- Analyze and report on data from ERP system for VPs and teams as needed.
- Manage seasonal product development via tracking reports for the sales team.
More Good Reasons
Strategic impactThis is an important role in our fast-growing and highly agile company and, in addition to shaping this role moving forward, you will influence our product portfolio and our organization's success.
Professional development
Our unique business model means that everyone in Product Development is a jack of all trades, and by now it should be clear how many different products, projects and activities you'll be involved in.
Career options
Our senior leaders bring high integrity to managing the company and are very loyal to employees. They know that when a superstar comes along, it is important to keep that person engaged and rewarded. We hire with an eye to the future, looking for professionals with the bandwidth to grow along with us. And keep in mind: You'll interact regularly with the CEO and President, so your successes will be visible.
The best of both worlds
You'll enjoy the best of both worlds: An entrepreneurial environment where the sky is the limit as far as what's possible, alongside the strength of a global organization with long-term success and an ongoing growth initiative.
Positive company culture
Our culture is how we work together to serve our customers and grow. Our values foster an energized team environment, build on our strengths, promote innovation, and encourage accountability, commitment, and teamwork. Our philosophy is people over process. We strive to provide an environment that promotes entrepreneurialism, along with fun, healthy competition, and global partnerships. We believe in giving back to our communities and society.
A work environment that keeps employees in mind
We want our employees to enjoy coming to work every day. That's why we offer a casual environment where you can wear jeans and t-shirts every day. We also have an onsite fitness center, and off-site employer-sponsored events that allow you to engage with other employees, have fun and relax.
Excellent compensation
In addition to a competitive compensation, you will enjoy a comprehensive benefits package including paid holidays and PTO, great group health benefits (medical, dental, vision, FSA, life, short- and long-term disability) mostly beginning the first day of the month following your date of hire, a 401(k) plan starting from day one, a company match of up to 6% that begins just 90 days after hire, and more.
Pictured: We regularly sponsor employee teambuilding events and activities that promote a passion for our mission (above). Posing below is the champion team from a recent Global Summit Field Day. You don't have to be an athlete to participate -- you just need to like having fun.
Keys to Success
Like most great opportunities, this one comes with challenges. For example, 40+ suppliers represents a wealth of resources, but it also means lots of communication. Multiple brands will keep the job interesting, but there always will be a lot going on. You'll need to be highly organized and able to prioritize tasks. Your to-do list will change more than once each day. On the Product Development/Sourcing team we find that if people enjoy it during the first 12 months, they are hooked and will stay for years.We seldom work long extra hours, although there may be a need on occasion, such as a new product launch or during a seasonal ramp-up period. We'll look to you to be flexible about holding conference calls with Asian contacts later in the evening; in return, we'll be flexible about your schedule. When you travel, however, you should expect to work longer days in order to overlap East Coast time and Asian time.
There will be a learning curve as you get to know our business model, brands, team and suppliers. And we don't expect that you will have experience in every facet of this role. That's where your positive attitude will come in. In addition to being proactive about getting up to speed quickly, you should be enthusiastic about making contributions right off the bat. You should try to figure things out on your own, but also know when to ask for help.
Pictured: The Four Cs drive decisions and motivate our team.