Head of Product Development - Apparel

People Marketing's client has an exciting new opportunity for a Head of Product Development to own clothing development across their portfolio of creator brands.

The Head of Product Development will work 1-to-1 with some of the world’s biggest creators, becoming the person they trust to bring their product vision to life. This will include shaping collections, advising on where to take their brands next, and ensuring every product that reaches their audience meets the highest standards.

This is a hands-on role. The Head of Product Development will work directly with creators, spend time in factories and be involved in every key decision — from the first product idea through to final bulk delivery.

Based in London with hybrid working, you’ll work closely day-to-day with brand managers, designers and the supply chain team, while building strong relationships directly with creators. Your role will be to turn their ideas into products their audiences genuinely want to buy and wear.

You’ll also take ownership of building and managing our manufacturing base — identifying and developing the right factory partners, negotiating costs and commercial terms, and working closely with suppliers to maintain a consistently high standard across every sample and bulk order.

Head of Product Development (Apparel) - Why this role:

• Full ownership. You will own clothing development across key creator brands.
• Work directly with some of the world's biggest creators – you will work 1-1 with creators who have an audiences of 22M+
• Be the voice they listen to. Creators will look to you for direction on their clothing: the next collection, the next category, and what their audience will actually buy.
• Real impact at scale. Every range you build goes out to some of the largest and most engaged audiences online. You will see the results of your work quickly and publicly.
• Build it from the ground up. We have multiple brands in the pipeline, starting with activewear and outerwear. You will build the supplier base, the process and eventually the team

Head of Product Development (Apparel) - The Role

Product Development:

• Own the end-to-end development process, from creator brief and design through to approved bulk production and delivery
• Build and manage tech packs, spec sheets, grading and measurement charts with the design team
• Run fit sessions and sample reviews at every stage (proto, fit, salesman, pre-production), giving factories clear, precise comments and getting to approval in as few rounds as possible
• Lead fabric and trim development, including lab dips, strike-offs and performance testing for activewear (stretch and recovery, opacity and squat testing, pilling, colourfastness, moisture management)
• Set and manage the critical path for every launch, flag risks early, and keep launches on schedule

Sourcing & Suppliers:

• Source, evaluate and onboard manufacturers and mills across activewear, cut and sew jersey, knitwear, hosiery and outerwear, as needed.
• Build and grow a trusted supplier network, and manage those relationships long-term
• Negotiate cost prices, MOQs, lead times, payment terms and quality standards
• Build costings and landed cost models (fabric, trims, CMT, freight, duty, packaging) with finance and supply chain to hit target margins
• Carry out factory visits and make sure suppliers meet our standards on ethical compliance and sustainability.

Quality:

• Own quality from first sample to bulk, including quality standards, AQL inspections and pre-shipment checks
• Act as the final sign-off before any sample or product goes to a creator
• Manage product compliance for the UK, EU and US, including fibre content, care labelling and testing requirements
• Track quality issues, customer feedback and returns data, and feed what you learn into the next development cycle

Creators & Team:

• Work directly with creators to understand their vision, present samples, gather feedback and set clear expectations on what is achievable, by when and at what cost
• Work closely with brand managers, designers and supply chain managers so every handover is clean and everyone knows where each product stands
• Bring trend and commercial insight into range planning: what will sell, at what price point and for which audience
• Build the processes and, over time, the team needed to run development across multiple brands at once

Head of Product Development (Apparel) – The Person:

• At least 8 years' experience in clothing product development, including at least 3 years in a senior role (Senior Product Developer, Product Development Manager or Head of Product) at a successful clothing brand
• Confident dealing with high-profile clients – you have a point of view on product, and you're comfortable sharing it
• You have taken multiple ranges through the full process from concept to bulk delivery, and can tell us what went wrong along the way and how you fixed it
• An established network of factories and mills, and a track record of building supplier relationships that last
• A tough, commercially sharp negotiator who knows what a garment should cost and why
• A sharp eye for fit, construction and finish. You can pick up a sample and tell a factory exactly what is wrong and how to fix it
• Solid knowledge of garment construction, fabrics, grading, costing and critical path management
• Close to the market. You know what is selling in activewear and athleisure, who is doing it well, and why
• Calm and clear with clients. You can explain a delay or a trade-off to a creator and keep their trust
• Highly organised, with high standards and a strong sense of ownership. When something is wrong, you catch it before anyone else does
• Based in or within easy reach of London, and happy to travel to factories when needed
• Experience at a DTC or digitally native brand, or launching a brand from scratch is a plus.
• Experience with creator, influencer, celebrity or athlete collaborations is a plus.
• Knowledge of sustainable materials and certifications is a plus.
• Supplier relationships in key sourcing regions such as Portugal, Turkey, China, Vietnam or Sri Lanka is a plus.