Massachusetts Creative Jobs

Director of Apparel & Headwear  -  Located in SE Massachusetts; ahead is leading the competition with exciting and fresh apparel for golf, resort, corporate and collegiate customers! This is a Director level position working in an office based setting out of New Bedford Head Quarters.  

What You’ll Do

The Director of Apparel and Headwear will develop and implement an overall strategy for all softgoods products under the ahead brand. This position drives the creation of apparel and headwear products that are market right and brand enhancing in order to drive sales and has cradle to grave oversight of all products in these categories. This position is responsible for the overall sourcing strategy of these products to achieve quality and margin goals and will make recommendations on future sourcing opportunities. The Director will serve as an expert in the areas of design oversight, sourcing, and manufacturing and will work closely with sales, production, design, and creative to bring product lines to market in a timely and profitable manner

Primary  Responsibilities:

• Develop and implement an overall strategy for apparel and headwear.

• Manage seasonal/annual creation of new soft goods products.

• Collaborate with sales to drive market and brand right products and maintain a knowledge of current product trends across the markets ahead competes in.

• Responsible for attaining margin goals on all soft goods products.

• Direct soft goods sourcing strategy and maintain relationships with suppliers/sourcing partners.

• Partner with the creative team to ensure ornamentation options are considered as products are adopted. 

• Maintain an ongoing strategy to maximize profitable SKU productivity.

• Develop a seasonal line plan to guide design efforts for the upcoming development season. 

• Manage to key deadlines on the development calendar for apparel and headwear.

• Responsible for inventory management and purchasing of apparel and headwear.

• Communicate issues when the product concepts or merchandising strategy cannot be executed in a profitable or timely fashion and suggest alternatives. 

• Lead communication efforts to keep inventory management, logistics, design, sales and key management appraised of production status and establish companywide understanding of major sourcing related concepts.

• Guide design & supply chain teams with well framed, concise information that provides direction and solutions to product development.

• Provide mentoring and development opportunities to direct report(s) in the areas of product development and sourcing.

• As needed identify new sources for products to improve sourcing diversity, margins, or product offering.

  Education and Experience:

• Minimum Bachelor’s Degree.

• Minimum 15 years progressive apparel experience including design, sourcing, and operations.

• Experience with apparel development and sourcing.

  Skills/Qualifications:

• Knowledge of relevant computer software and systems.

• Excellent oral/written communication skills.

• Excellent electronic communication and functional ability.

• Ability to professionally interact with all levels of management.

• Previous experience with a PIM system a plus. 

• Ability to professionally interact with existing and potential customers, vendors and licensees.

• Ability to multi-task under pressure in a high-volume, fast-paced environment.

• Must possess initiative, energy and drive.

• Must possess strong strategic and analytical skills.

• Excellent organizational skills.

  Supervisory Responsibilities:

• Headwear Product Managers (2) -  internal

• Designer -  contract

• Associate Designer – contract

• Merchandiser - contract

  Travel

  This position requires some Domestic and International travel - at times for extensive duration.

   

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