What are the responsibilities and job description for the Product Development Programming Manager - Waterbury, VT position at Darn Tough Vermont®?
The Company
Founded in 1978, Cabot Hosiery Mills is an American manufacturer of premium socks with uncompromised comfort, durability, and fit. With a family of brands including Darn Tough Vermont, Wide Open, and Cabot & Sons, our mission is to make the world’s best socks, in Vermont, USA, and back them with our Unconditional Lifetime Guarantee. We are family owned, three generations strong, and have yet to produce our best sock.
Job Summary
As we continue to scale one of the fastest growing apparel brands, we are seeking a Product Development Programmer Manager to lead our Programming & Sampling team and represent a team that is the technical authority for knit machine programming and sample production. Working closely with the Product Development and Design teams, this role drives new concept development including chassis innovation, novel stitch construction, patterning, and materials testing. This role leads day-to-day team operations, staffing, scheduling, and performance, and is a critical piece in driving cross-functional collaboration and communication.
Key Responsibilities
This job description should not be interpreted to be a complete list of all the duties, qualifications and responsibilities performed by the jobholder. To maintain organizational flexibility, the organization has the discretion to add, drop or change at any time the duties, responsibilities and expectations of this position. This job description does not constitute an offer of employment, continuous employment or an employment contract. Reasonable accommodations will be considered to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this position.
Founded in 1978, Cabot Hosiery Mills is an American manufacturer of premium socks with uncompromised comfort, durability, and fit. With a family of brands including Darn Tough Vermont, Wide Open, and Cabot & Sons, our mission is to make the world’s best socks, in Vermont, USA, and back them with our Unconditional Lifetime Guarantee. We are family owned, three generations strong, and have yet to produce our best sock.
Job Summary
As we continue to scale one of the fastest growing apparel brands, we are seeking a Product Development Programmer Manager to lead our Programming & Sampling team and represent a team that is the technical authority for knit machine programming and sample production. Working closely with the Product Development and Design teams, this role drives new concept development including chassis innovation, novel stitch construction, patterning, and materials testing. This role leads day-to-day team operations, staffing, scheduling, and performance, and is a critical piece in driving cross-functional collaboration and communication.
Key Responsibilities
- Work with the Product Design and Development team to support new designs; identify and resolve any constraints or concerns to keep the original design intent intact.
- Lead the team in translating new design concepts from CAD into workable patterns and programs.
- Support structured experiments while tracking iterations and on-the-fly changes to dial in new concepts.
- Oversee all SMU (Special Make-Up) requests.
- Provide clear feedback to the Product Development team on machine capabilities and restrictions.
- Support Master Technicians in troubleshooting technical issues.
- Partner with cross-functional teams — including Production, Quality Control, and Continuous Improvement — to facilitate the transition from development to production while maintaining collaborative working relationships.
- Audit specs, BOMs, and programs prior to production.
- Support the maintenance of accurate and current spec documentation; ensure all running changes are documented.
- Provide progress updates via internal shared reports.
- Ensure the team has necessary resources — staffing, equipment, and safety.
- Manage day-to-day team operations; delegate tasks to ensure targets are met.
- Conduct performance reviews; address issues as they arise.
- Make decisions aligned with company values and goals.
- Treat all co-workers with respect, honesty, and flexibility; follow all safety regulations and SOPs.
- Perform other job-related responsibilities as assigned.
- Knowledge of circular knit machine programming and manufacturing processes.
- Exceptional communication skills — written, verbal, and cross-functional.
- Strong leadership and people management skills; able to build and develop a high-performing team.
- Highly responsible, reliable, and able to work well under pressure in a fast-paced environment.
- Ability to work cohesively with colleagues across all levels of the organization.
- Passionate about working for a values-driven company and committed to building great culture and high-performing teams.
- Analytical mindset with strong math skills.
- Computer proficiency, including knowledge of BOM processes.
- Attention to detail is essential.
- High School Diploma or GED required; technical degree or equivalent training preferred.
- Minimum of 10 years of experience in machine programming and knit quality.
- Prior management or team lead experience strongly preferred.
- Manufacturing environment — regular exposure to machinery, noise, and other adverse conditions.
- Flexible nature to manage competing and changing priorities.
- Travel locally to all of the organization's sites and locations.
This job description should not be interpreted to be a complete list of all the duties, qualifications and responsibilities performed by the jobholder. To maintain organizational flexibility, the organization has the discretion to add, drop or change at any time the duties, responsibilities and expectations of this position. This job description does not constitute an offer of employment, continuous employment or an employment contract. Reasonable accommodations will be considered to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this position.