The Director, Sourcing and Product Development reports to the VP of Production for Robert Graham/Saks and will drive seasonal product initiatives by partnering with cross-functional teams, including Production, Design, Sales, and Overseas Offices, to develop and execute assigned product lines. The role primarily focuses on apparel development, with additional responsibility for trims and packaging across Robert Graham and Saks Fifth Avenue Private Label.
Key Responsibilities
- Own and manage all aspects of the product development process, from concept and inspiration through quality assurance of finished goods to the end customer.
- Establish shared qualities and fabrics between Robert Graham and Saks Fifth Avenue to ensure alignment across brands.
- Partner closely with overseas hubs and vendor teams to ensure understanding of departmental objectives and leverage vendor capabilities to drive initiatives that expand competencies as needed.
- Analyze product costs, identifying opportunities and collaborating cross-functionally to create solutions through product engineering that maximize product value while accounting for cost impact.
- Oversee cross-functional milestone performance; communicate risks, deadlines, and business impacts when deliverables are at risk.
- Lead vendor sourcing initiatives aligned with driving innovation and service within the overall sourcing strategy.
- Manage new vendor onboarding and ensure all internal partners are connected and prepared to support production needs.
- Facilitate vendor meetings to review in-season development, production, and delivery challenges, and drive solutions.
- Identify business risks and opportunities, escalate appropriately, and propose actionable recommendations for improvement.
- Collaborate closely with Design and Merchandising on product creation from concept to execution, utilizing budget and SKU plans.
- Create and maintain comprehensive material and product libraries with detailed product attributes and testing documentation.