Product Developer

  • Full-time
  • Employment Status: Regular

Company Description

Headquartered in Southern California, Skechers has spent nearly 30 years helping men, women and kids everywhere look and feel good. Developing comfort technologies is at the foundation of all that we do—delivering stylish, innovative, and quality products at a reasonable price. From our diverse footwear offering to a growing range of apparel and accessories, Skechers is a complete lifestyle brand.

With international business representing over half of our total sales, we have product available in more than 170 countries and significant opportunities for continued expansion worldwide. We sell our collections direct to consumers through more than 4,000 Skechers stores around the globe and Skechers e-commerce sites, as well as through a network of third-party partners.

A MULTI-BILLION-DOLLAR GLOBAL LEADER IN THE FOOTWEAR INDUSTRY.

Job Description

The Product Developer works autonomously and consistently analyzes, cultivates and drives their business forward. This role is a blended strategic and tactical function, proactively managing the TNA calendar with their counterparts to achieve deadlines without prompting by leadership. This role will analyze their business to identify cost trends with suppliers to drive sharper cost negotiations each season. The Developer owns product development from fabric concept through product X-Factory and attends all design brief meetings to kick off seasonal fabric development. The Developer is responsible for developing into target price points with suppliers and drives the negotiation process to achieve costs that meets or exceeds targets. They will understand the trends in the business to effectively manage the product development cycle and report to leadership any negative trends (i.e. cost increases, capacity issues, etc.) with suggested solutions to course correct. This role is a team leader who identifies best practices and solidifies SOPs for consistency with their colleagues. The Developer foresees possible delays in the pipeline and course corrects before an issue arises. From time to time, this role may be asked to help train other team members on best practices.

ESSENTIAL JOB RESULTS

  • Deliver quality product at or exceeding cost targets and executing to Design aesthetic.
  • Drives costing process with suppliers and delivers viable cost solutions to internal partners.
  • Proactively reviews cost roll-ups for accuracy and analyzes their business to achieve margin goals.
  • Proactively analyzes the business to identify costing or delivery trends with suppliers to assist Director with vendor base and seasonal allocation strategies.
  • Identifies issues, clearly communicates the problem internally/externally and offers solutions to course correct in a timely manner.
  • Proactively manages WIP and Calendar to drive timely approvals & deliver product on-time to X-Factory dates.
  • Sample Tracking: Manages style component & garment sample submits proactively to manage approvals on timely basis.
  • Enters information and maintains data in FlexPLM and Compass to ensure consistent and accurate reporting.
  • Fit Samples: Receives & logs fit samples. Reviews samples for accuracy with Design prior to handing garments to TD for the fitting. Pulls reference samples for the fitting. Attends fitting, takes notes, and relays next steps to suppliers.
  • Sends comments & communicates clearly and purposefully with overseas teams to drive the business forward.
  • Receives packages & reviews for initial feedback prior to passing to Design for review/approval.
  • Highly organized individual; maintains a clean workspace; filing samples/submits/folders by EOD.
  • Identifies opportunities to improve the Development process and makes suggestions to Director to continuously improve season after season.

ADDITIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES

  • As needed the Developer will manage off-cycle projects.
  • Developer will be trained on FlexPLM/Compass systems.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

  •  Yes

Qualifications

JOB REQUIREMENTS

  • 5+ years in Apparel Product Development, managing product categories from concept through completion
  • Fabric knowledge and garment construction/terminology is required.
  • Excel, Word, Outlook required; Illustrator & PLM systems are a plus
  • Strong verbal and written communication skills
  • Exceptional time management skills
  • Ability to multi-task in a fast-paced environment and prioritize workloads to remain on calendar.
  • Detail oriented & accountable to deliverables; must check their own work before handing off to next team member.
  • Basic Math skills required
  • Strong Team Player, Positive Disposition & Flexible Attitude.
  • Self-Starter, Proactive, Inquisitive, Creative Problem Solver

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

  •  BA Degree or equivalent training/experience

Additional Information

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily.  The skills, abilities and physical demands described are representative of those duties that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities, who are otherwise qualified for the job position, to perform the essential functions.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

 While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand; use hands to finger, handle, or feel, and talk or hear.  The employee frequently is required to walk; sit, reach with hands and arms, and stoop, kneel. The employee is occasionally required to sit for long period of times.  

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