Serving the needs of all families with young children, Carter’s Inc. is the largest North American apparel retailer exclusively for babies and young children, encompassing Carter’s, OshKosh B’gosh, Skip*Hop and Little Planet brands. Meaningful work, constant learning, genuine people, and a community guided by core values that promote inclusion and innovation is in everything we do. There are many reasons to build your career at Carter's.
How you’ll make an impact:
Directly responsible for all aspects of the product development process for one or more Strategic Business Units including the development, product cost reporting and approval process to deliver/exceed expectations related to the Quality, Revenue, Profitability and Costs. This role typically reports to the Sr Manager or Director of PDC and is based in our Buckhead office.
40% Strategic Collaboration
Manage the cost buckets for Good/Better/Best for a specific product or group of products by supplying suggestions of silos and materials that fit into each bucket. Create effective partnerships with merchandising, design/art, product integrity and Asia teams; balancing needs of style intent with optimal cost and margin for specified product group or program(s).
Partner and collaborate with other teams on fabric and trim development needs.
Collaborate with Merchandising to understand and anticipate customer needs, the cost and margin goals, and actively recommend low-cost alternatives that uphold the integrity of the design.
Collaboration with design and art teams to understand creative intent and needs. Identifying cost drivers and helping to manage expectations and prioritize needs to be completive and create compelling products.
Partner with the global sourcing team to provide benchmark and baseline cost guidance and collaborate on product cost targets.
Good understanding of sourcing strategy for their responsible area; provide inputs to global teams that can be used to help support the brand needs and priorities.
40% Process and Calendar Adherence
Manage the product development process for specific products and/or programs including the development, product cost reporting and garment and packaging approval process to deliver/exceed expectations related to the Quality, Revenue, Profitability and Costs.
Help enforce calendar timelines to ensure approval deadlines and fabric buy dates are met to deliver on time and satisfy customer ship dates. As well as enforcing policies related to product and style change requests.
Ensure accurate and timely records are maintained within designated enterprise technology systems (PLM). Making sure product design changes and maintained on product Bill of Materials (BOMs) to meet the desired design and quality requirements.
Partner with CGS teams to set standards, manage tolerances, and control product costs.
Manage potential development, safety, quality or cost concerns during the sampling & pre-production process and educate others to identify similar concerns
20% Product Management
Oversee that all sample and strike off needs for specific product and/or programs happen timely and accurately as possible.
Support the sourcing teams on providing commercial acceptability guidance when necessary.
Subject Matter Expert for special testing, shipping, and sampling needs for specific customers (Costco, Sam's, Wal-Mart, etc.)
We’d Love to hear from you if: (Requirements section)
Must have:
Identify and lead special projects to meet customer needs and drive productivity; continuously guard against complexity and complacency
Routinely perform external research to identify process improvements and is a champion for change
Advanced understanding of business and profitability, product margin (IMU vs. MMU), and the ability to influence decision makers
Professional conduct and communication with matrix-based organizations and global employees
Manage direct reports and potentially small teams of varying skill levels
Expert understanding of apparel design, fabric qualities, product costing, import duty rates, printing techniques, and merchandising and product development activities
Advanced grammar and communication skills; capable of interpreting and conveying international business concepts
Advanced skills using Microsoft Office applications (Excel, Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, etc.)
Superior analytical and project management skills; ability to anticipate and proactively arrive at viable solutions
Preferred skills and experience:
Potential for domestic or international travel, up to 10%
Ability to lift small parcels weighing up to 30 lbs.
OUR Team Members:
Lead Courageously: Have a strong sense of personal values that align with our Company values
Collaborates Broadly: Build cooperation, trust, and thrive in a consensus driven environment
Customer Focus: Proactively seek opportunities to leverage data and fact-based insights to serve customers and/or internal clients
Drive Growth: Set aggressive goals and implement plans precisely
Cultivates Innovation: Respectfully challenge the “we’ve always done it this way” mentality and explore new ways to achieve desired outcomes
Make a career at Carter’s:
Career Development: Success starts from within, and we have several paths from which you can choose to enhance your career evolution. From Carter’s University to Toastmasters to mentorship programs and more, we encourage you to utilize these tools to elevate your professional prowess.
NOTE: This job description is not intended to be all-inclusive. The duties described may be changed or reassigned at the discretion of management, and the employee may be required to perform duties that are not listed in the job description.
Carters is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, veteran status, or any other status protected by federal, state, or local law.