Associate Product Manager

Description

TITLE: Associate Product Manager

JOB FAMILY: School Production Staff

JOB CODE: PRDEVASS

We are seeking a highly organized, proactive Associate Product Manager to lead and drive the execution of woven and knit product development across multiple product categories across the Elderwear, adidas uniform and private label.

The Associate Product Manager leads the end-to-end execution of product development across assigned categories, ensuring products are delivered on time, within cost targets, manufacturable at scale, and aligned with commercial objectives.

This role partners closely with Senior Product Managers, Design, Technical Design, Sourcing, and vendors to ensure products are delivered on time, within cost targets, manufacturable at scale, and aligned with commercial objectives.

The Associate Product Manager serves as the operational owner of development processes, proactively managing timelines, resolving issues, driving cross-functional alignment, and minimizing risks to delivery. This position plays a critical role in enabling Senior Product Managers to focus on strategy while ensuring flawless execution across multiple categories.

Key Responsibilities

Product Development Ownership

• Own day-to-day execution of product development for all product categories
• Drive development from concept through production readiness
• Ensure all deliverables meet timeline, cost, quality, and commercial requirements
• Proactively identify and resolve issues with minimal escalation
• Serve as primary operational contact for assigned programs
  
  

Development & Calendar Management

• Own and maintain development calendars across product lines
• Drive milestone adherence for proto, fit, SMS, PP, and TOP stages
• Ensure timely sample delivery and approvals
• Anticipate risks and implement mitigation plans
• Communicate status and critical path updates to stakeholders
  
  

Product Development Operations

• Ensure tech packs are complete, accurate, and production-ready
• Drive sample development cycles with vendors and internal teams
• Oversee product data integrity, line lists, and development change management.
• Maintain clear documentation of decisions, revisions, and approvals
• Ensure readiness for commercialization and bulk production
• Provide development insights and recommendations to Senior Product Managers to support product strategy and assortment planning.
  
  

Costing & Commercial Execution

• Monitor BOM costs against target margins throughout development
• Analyze cost drivers and support value engineering solutions
• Provide cost analysis and development insights that inform sourcing and pricing decisions.
• Track target vs. actual costs and flag risks early
• Balance cost, quality, and speed-to-market considerations
  
  

Vendor & Cross-Functional Leadership

• Drive alignment across Design, Technical Design, Sourcing, and Merchandising
• Serve as a key liaison with vendors on development execution
• Hold partners accountable to timelines and deliverables
• Own product meetings, communicate outcomes, and ensure follow-through
• Enable efficient decision-making through clear communication and data
  
  

Technical & Manufacturing Knowledge

• Apply knowledge of woven and knit construction to support product feasibility
• Evaluate materials, trims, and construction options for manufacturability
• Flag technical risks and recommend practical solutions
• Convert design objectives into scalable production specifications
• Prevent costly development issues
• Reduce rework and vendor back-and-forth
• Improve first-pass sample success rates
• Support both woven and knit product complexities
  
  

Reporting & Operational Tools

• Maintain assortment tools, trackers, dashboards, and status reports
• Provide regular development updates to leadership
• Lead seasonal readiness reviews and milestone reporting
• Ensure data accuracy across systems and tools
  
  

Compliance & Product Safety

• Maintain basic knowledge of applicable product safety and regulatory requirements
• Partner with Compliance and Product Integrity teams to support testing and documentation needs
• Track testing submissions, approvals, and related milestones during development
• Help ensure accurate care labeling, fiber content, and product information
• Flag potential compliance concerns to appropriate teams
• Support timely approvals and market readiness
• Reduce risk of delays due to missing compliance requirements
  
  

Education & Experience

• 3–6 years of experience in apparel product development, merchandising, or production
• Experience managing multiple styles or categories simultaneously
• BA degree or equivalent relevant experience
  
  

Skills & Competencies

• Strong understanding of garment construction, materials, and manufacturing processes
• Excellent project management and organizational skills
• Ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced environment
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities
• Clear, professional communication across global teams
• Proficiency in Excel, Smartsheet, PLM systems, Blue Cherry (a plus)
• Self-starter with strong accountability and follow-through
• Collaborative team player with a results-oriented mindset
• Athleticwear brand knowledge
• Fluency in conversational Mandarin and Spanish (a plus)
  
  

Reporting Structure

• Reporting to Sr. Director of Product Development
• No direct reports
  
  

Status

• Exempt
  
  

This role requires four days per week in the New York City office and may require additional in-office days based on business needs.