Director of Product Development

About Us NG Labs - Boxercraft Division is a dynamic and growing small-to-midsized apparel company with multiple product lines across diverse distribution channels.

From licensed sportswear to fashion-forward wholesale collections, our brands resonate with customers who value style, function, and identity.

We're looking for an experienced Director of Product Development to lead and scale our product innovation, development, and merchandising efforts across all channels.

Position Summary As the Director of Product Development, you will play a strategic and hands-on role in driving the creative and commercial success of our apparel lines.

This role requires a strong background in product development, merchandising, and sourcing, particularly within the licensed sports and wholesale apparel sectors.

The ideal candidate has a deep understanding of apparel embellishment techniques and market analysis, and a track record of building compelling assortments that drive growth and brand equity.

Key Responsibilities Product Development & Line Strategy Own and lead the seasonal product development calendar from concept to delivery.

Curate, design, and develop apparel assortments that align with brand identity and resonate with core customer segments.

Oversee development across multiple product categories and ensure alignment with market trends and business goals.

Develop and maintain multi season product roadmaps aligned with brand growth objectives and financial goals.

Integrate consumer trend forecasts and category lifecycle insights into strategic planning.

Merchandising & Competitive Analysis Conduct in-depth competitive market analyses and identify opportunities within product categories, key styles, and pricing architecture.

Translate consumer and market insights into actionable product strategies.

Leverage data analytics tools to track and sell through, margin performance, and product lifecycle KPIs.

Implement dashboards or reports to evaluate style-level performance post-launch and apply learnings to future assortments.

Develop SKU plans and merchandising strategies that balance innovation, margin, and sales velocity.

Digital Product Development tools Champion the use of digital tools (e.g.

PLM systems, 3D prototyping software like Browzwear) to accelerate development and improve communication with suppliers.

Sustainability Strategy Integration Integrate sustainable materials and ethical sourcing standards into the product development lifecycle.

Collaborate with sourcing and compliance to monitor factory certifications and sustainability metrics in applicable.

Sourcing & Production Partner with internal teams on sourcing strategy and factory relationships as it relates to development work and sampling Optimize costing strategies while maintaining quality and delivery standards.

Identify and implement new materials, embellishments, and production techniques that align with design intent and customer needs.

Embellishment Techniques Lead and guide team understanding and execution of key embellishment processes :

• Screen-printing, Embroidery, DTF (Direct-to-Film), and DTG (Direct-to-Garment).
• Ensure techniques are aligned with design, quality, and production requirements across channels.
• Finance and Inventory Collaboration Partner with Finance to align margin targets and inventory turn objectives within seasonal assortments.
• Coordinate with Planning to anticipate demand shifts and adjust development accordingly.
• Continuous Process Improvement Establish and refine internal workflows for calendar adherence, tech pack accuracy, and milestone tracking.
• Lead post-seasonal reviews to optimize development timelines and cross-functional collaboration.
• Cross-Functional Leadership Collaborate with Sales, Marketing, and Operations teams to ensure cohesive go-to-market strategies.
• Lead and mentor a small but growing team of merchandising support and creative art Act as a key liaison with licensing partners, ensuring brand compliance and innovation.
• Build development plans and training programs for junior team members to cultivate product leadership pipelines.
• Foster culture of innovation, accountability, and creative excellence.
• Qualifications 7+ years of progressive experience in apparel product development, merchandising, and sourcing.
• Expertise in licensed sports apparel and wholesale distribution.
• Proven experience managing the full product lifecycle across multiple channels (retail, e-commerce, team, promotional).
• Strong understanding of fabric development, garment construction, and embellishment techniques (Screen printing, Embroidery, DTF, DTG).

Analytical mindset with the ability to perform and apply competitive and trend analysis.