Head of Product Development

ABOUT THE COMPANY

Tiger of Sweden is a Stockholm-based fashion house established in 1903 with a heritage in tailoring. For more than a century, Tiger of Sweden has stood for style with purpose, dressing men and women for whom true style is about the confidence to be themselves.

POSITION OVERVIEW

The Head of Product Development is responsible for the development of all Tiger of Sweden products in line with the creative vision, commerciality, business health KPI's and Tiger of Sweden sustainability targets. They have a solid understanding of garment construction and costing across all product groups to confidently lead a team of Product Developers and oversee Pattern Makers, as well as partner with the Production teams to support bulk delivery.

They will work closely with the manufacturers to ensure they understand and execute the specifications given and partner internally to troubleshoot points highlighted during the development process to ensure products are suitable for industrialisation.

TASKS & RESPONSIBILITIES

Timeline creation and management

Plan, coordinate, and execute projects from the brief stage, through design, development, costing, and into commercialisation (initiation/planning/execution/monitoring/closing).

Implementing and managing the critical path from concept to pre-production with design and manufacturers.

Ensuring deadlines are adhered to and follow up on all prototype/sample issues through to resolution.

Identifying and mitigating any risks/challenges within a good time to find solutions.

Factory & supplier partnership and management

Responsible for building and maintaining effective working relationships with factories and suppliers.

Developing a strong working knowledge of factory capability and the ability to meet demands.

Create and strengthen partnerships between fabric suppliers and garment manufacturers during the development cycle to ensure on-time raw material delivery and production-ready materials.

Product development and risk assessment.

Responsible for developing products that are fit for purpose, the customer, the brand and meet the gross margin.

Responsible for delivering all trials, prototypes, and salesman samples on time. These must be to the quality standard, within budget, and achieve a gross margin.

Ensuring risk assessments are carried out while developing the collections and finding solutions to mitigate any risks, including chemical testing according to TOS's quality standards.

Product knowledge and technical excellence.

Building and maintaining a close working partnership with Design to translate ideas into products.

Understanding and interpreting creative aesthetic and design vision, and translating this to teams and factories.

Acting as the partner for design during fittings - providing feedback on technical feasibility, brainstorming ideas and solutions to ensure the vision is translated into product.

Developing a strong working knowledge of vendor capability and availability to meet demands.

Accountable for ensuring PLM / PDM systems are kept updated with 100% accuracy at all times.

Team and budget responsibility

Supporting, coaching, and developing the Product Development teams.

Be open to travel often to visit new suppliers around the world and explore opportunities for collaboration, and evaluate strategic planning.

Plan and execute the team's travel in keeping with the budget and business needs.

Preparation of the annual budget for the Product Development team for sign-off with the CPO.

Participate in corporate and departmental projects and initiatives

Partner with production and QC teams to manage any feedback on quality control during bulk production.

Actively participate in the bi-annual supplier and factory review.

System and business process ownership for Product Development

Act as business process owner (BPO) for Product Development

Act as the key point of contact for the IT team and the system providers.

Create a team of key users for support and business continuity.

Identify and implement improvements in current business processes, systems, and procedures that improve efficiency.

Lead projects and tasks as required.

QUALIFICATIONS;

• Technical capability and product knowledge with the ability to confidently influence the Design team and lead the Product teams.
• Experience in managing vendor relationships.
• Experienced in critical path management to ensure collections are delivered on time. Knowledge and know-how in identifying risks and making recommendations to mitigate challenges identified.
• Having a strong understanding of product cost to achieve a balance between creativity and commerciality throughout the product development process and being responsible for achieving gross margin.
• Demonstrated experience working on-site with factories.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to negotiate with credibility, share information effectively, and work confidently with cross-functional teams.
• Solid experience in negotiating price, capacity, and production needs.
• Fashion sensibility; knowledge of the market, the consumer, and peer awareness.
• Experienced in working with FOB and CMT.
• Proven experience in leading a mid-sized team.

SKILLS & REQUIREMENTS

• 5 – 7 years of experience working within a similar position in the fashion industry.
• Degree in clothing manufacturing; textile background.
• Excellent technical knowledge of garment construction, materials, and manufacturing processes.
• Solid knowledge of fabrics.
• Excellent language skills, fluent in English required.

TOOLS & SYSTEMS

Computer skills: PLM / PDM, Excel. Indesign and Illustrator a plus.

The position is based in our Head Office in Stockholm and is a full-time position. If this sounds like the perfect fit for you? Please don't hesitate to apply by submitting a CV and a personal letter in English.

We look forward to receiving your application.

Tiger of Sweden stands against any form of discrimination and strives to be an inclusive brand and workplace. We welcome applications from all individuals, regardless of gender, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, race, or disability and recruitment is purely on the based on skills and experience.