Job Description
We are now looking to add to our Miista product team an experienced Product Developer for Apparel, Footwear and Accessories
The position is based in London, UK, but travelling abroad during peak product design/development season and production is required
The product developer will be responsible for ensuring that each of the designs belonging to the footwear collections, apparel or accessories categories are produced to the desired specifications, quality and price, whilst coordinating raw materials and production critical path in a timely manner, and working closely with internal teams, including design, production, finance and merchandising
The position reports to the Head of Brand and Design.
In this position you will be managing the order process from the moment the sale is made, place the order with the factory, and manage the critical path through to final delivery.
Tasks will include, but not be limited to:
- Under the direction of the Head of Design, and in collaboration with the design team, help with the research of materials for the season, carrying out trial tests based on mood-boards
- In collaboration with the design team, visit the international fabric and leather fairs seasonally and look for new trends and suppliers, while working on maintaining strong relationships with current material suppliers
- Based on the sketches and design specs produced by the design team for each of the categories (Footwear, Apparel and Accessories), help with the planning of seasonal sampling materials and manage the raw material calculations and purchasing for each of the categories
- Negotiation of raw material prices with current and new suppliers
- Manage critical path for collections sampling, making sure raw materials are ordered and delivered on time
- In collaboration with the Design Team develop and manage Technical Specifications (SPECS) of samples and production for the different categories
- Meet weekly with the Team regarding the sample approval status in order to maintain company time/action calendars later for production
- Support the design team with fitting corrections and product improvements for the different categories
- Interact on a daily basis with factories/vendors to problem solve all issues related to garment, shoes and accessories engineering for production
- In synergy with the Design Team and the Merchandiser, work on the pricing structure of the prototypes for the different collections, finding solutions to achieve correct margins for each of the categories, without compromising quality or function on an obvious way
- Negotiate factory prices with each of the category’s suppliers
- Once all samples per category are approved, with production prices approved, to prepare the Factory Order sheets per product category and negotiate factory delivery dates with suppliers
- Organise and plan all production of raw materials per product category
- To manage and keep up to date of Purchase Orders of raw materials and finished product with correct prices for internal records
- To monitor delivery schedule with suppliers and with the Miista QC team
The Ideal Candidate
- Minimum bachelor’s degree in fashion design/product, ideally with Technical training
- Minimum 3 years’ experience in the fashion industry on a similar role
- Proven industry experience within the luxury fashion market and a strong understanding of both luxury products and high street
- A good textile and leather technical background
- Strong planning, organisational and problem-solving skills
- Highly proactive and solution oriented
- Excellent time management
- Must be resilient and work well under pressure
- Great at building relationships and able to influence suppliers, partners and team members in a positive way
- A good negotiator
- Able to work within a team where ideas are collaborative
- Strong communication skills in written and spoken English. Spanish, Portuguese or Italian would be a plus
- Have a strong team collaboration and networking attitude
As we interview candidates continuously, we kindly ask you to submit your application, including your portfolio, as soon as possible.
