Product Developer Leathergoods: 12 Month Maternity Cover

Aspinal of London are looking for a curious, pro-active and hands on Product Developer to join our Leathergoods Product Development team as maternity cover. Reporting to the Head of Product Development, you will be supporting the team to deliver first prototypes from initial concepts through to collection sign off, and final OTD of SMS for all Aspinal of London Seasonal Leathergoods. You will be a key member of the PD team working to ensure all seasonal products are developed in line with company expected intake margin requirements, are fit for purpose and meet all key stakeholder milestones to deliver the collection to the highest quality standards.

Working closely with the Head of Product Development to achieve business-critical path deadlines. This position works closely with key stakeholders such as Design, supply base, Production, Marketing and Merchandise.

This role requires being in the Fernhurst office 5 days per week

Key Duties:

Accountabilities

• Support the Head of Product Development in the delivery of prototypes and SMS at all key stages of the development cycle, ensuring the range plan criteria and design brief is met for each seasonal collection.
• Support the Head of Product Development in OTD of SMS in house for operational handover.
• Ensure the Product Development Bible is kept updated, working directly with suppliers to receive latest costs, accurately inputting information and reporting price risks to HOPD.
• Collaborating with the design team to ensure all techpacks are updated and new seasonal launches have correct Bill of Materials, CADs and critiques to ensure accurate delivery of samples from first prototype.
• To be fully informed on the Business Critical Path milestones across the development process, alongside wider business milestones, supporting the Product Team to deliver seasonal collections on time.
• Responsible for the development of the seasonal collections across large and small leather goods.

Collection Development

• Create and maintain accurate techpacks, sending packs out to suppliers for each launch.
• Lead weekly meetings with key suppliers to ensure samples are on track to development timelines.
• Build strong partnerships and relationships with the manufacturers & supply chain.
• Responsible for updating seasonal sample tracker across the week to accurately reflect sample line.
• Main point of contact for suppliers for seasonal sample developments, communicating daily across the supply base to deliver accurate samples.
• Anticipate technical issues and highlight these to HOPD, working closely to find solutions and communicate these clearly back to supply chain to ensure corrective action is followed. 
• Working closely with the Junior Co-Ordinator, Raw Materials to ensure all raw materials requests are launched, following these in to ensure samples are delivered to deadline and meet the design brief.
• Present in new samples at weekly design and fit for purpose reviews.
• Responsible for critiquing all new seasonal products and issuing comments to factories, working closely with the design team to align comments and ensure techpacks and CADs are updated to reflect changes.
• Understand how the collection is built based on the range plan requirements from Merchandising, delivering a balanced price architecture, reviewing sales analysis and competitor research.
• Manage range boards for seasonal collections, ensure they’re updated at each stage of the collection development, liaising with Design and Merchandising to ensure clarity throughout process.
• Responsible for coordinating product testing, ensuring all test reports are logged and relevant counter samples and further tests are completed, to ensure product is secured ahead of production handover.
• Responsible for all wear trial surveys of new samples, collating responses and reporting these to HOPD.

Production Handover

• Support the HOPD in handover of agreed prices, collection bible, range boards, fabrications and SOPs to Production for all seasonal collection product.
• Flag any product that is still under development, agreeing a timeline to handover completed.
• Ensure product history is passed over in agreed timelines to ensure on time delivery.
• Responsible for new season style handover, presenting the collection to the Production Team.
• Liaising closely with suppliers on packaging SOPs at SMS stage for of all new products, with clear handover to Production, to be reviewed and signed off by HOPD and Head of Production.

Pricing Management

• Supported by HOPD, understand product costings and how they are calculated by each factory, responsible for chasing in updated costings for each new style throughout the development lifecycle.
• Track the cost of each developed technique within a product, communicating costs to the HOPD to ensure products are viable for Production.
• Follow in shipments, highlighting delays and liaising with the logistics team to ensure samples are delivered on time, and presented to Product Director ahead of key milestone meetings.
• Ensure bill of materials accurately reflect agreed raw material costs and are shared with suppliers to support accurate costings.
• Working with the wider team; perform regular sample cycle counts ahead of annual stock take

Competencies:

• Proficiency in using Microsoft Word, Excel & PowerPoint
• Experience using Adobe Illustrator
• Highly organized and excellent attention to detail
• Ability to prioritise, manage own time and work well under pressure to meet critical path deadlines
• Self-motivated and proactive
• Excellent communications skills and a can-do attitude
• Suppler management 
• Availability to travel
• Confidentiality