What are the responsibilities and job description for the Director of Product Development & Production position at Signal and Strand?
Signal & Strand partners with organizations at pivotal moments — when brands are scaling, categories are expanding, and operational clarity becomes a catalyst for what’s next. Across the apparel and lifestyle sectors, we help build leadership capable of translating creative ambition into disciplined, high-performing product organizations.
We’ve been retained by a confidential, high-growth apparel company to identify a Director of Product Development & Production. This leader will strengthen the product creation engine across seasons and categories — elevating quality, tightening process, and advancing the systems and partnerships that bring product to market with precision and consistency.
The RoleThe Director of Product Development & Production will manage the day-to-day execution of the full product lifecycle, partnering closely with Design, Raw Materials, Technical Design, Sourcing, Merchandising, and Planning. This leader will ensure that product moves through the development cycle with clarity, accuracy, and speed — while upholding fit, construction, and margin standards.
This role calls for a hands-on, solutions-oriented operator who brings both technical fluency and organizational rigor. Someone who can anticipate issues before they surface, create alignment across functions, and build the structure that supports a rapidly growing product engine.
What You’ll DoStrategic & Seasonal LeadershipSupport the development of multi-season product plans that balance creative direction with margin targets, feasibility, and operational realities.
Translate brand and category strategies into clear seasonal priorities, line requirements, and development pathways.
Serve as a connective partner across functions, ensuring alignment from concept through production handoff.
Manage all stages of product development — materials, costing, fit, sampling, approvals — ensuring accuracy and calendar adherence.
Maintain development tools, BOM accuracy, tech pack readiness, and sample tracking across categories.
Ensure technical consistency and quality through fit sessions, vendor communication, and development checkpoints.
Collaborate with Design, Merchandising, Raw Materials, and Sourcing to ensure seasonal handoffs, timelines, and deliverables remain on track.
Provide early visibility into feasibility, materials needs, production risks, and cost implications.
Partner with Planning and Supply Chain to support forecasting, raw material commitments, and production readiness.
Work closely with Sourcing on vendor allocation, costing rounds, sample execution, and quality expectations.
Maintain clear communication with factories to ensure accurate sampling, timely responses, and strong development execution.
Support vendor scorecarding and performance management to strengthen overall supply-chain output.
Manage and enforce seasonal product calendars, checkpoints, and cross-functional workflows.
Improve tools, processes, and documentation that support accuracy, visibility, and efficiency across teams.
Champion adoption and best practices for PLM, Adobe Suite, and development-critical systems.
Utilize KPIs — IMU, sample accuracy, fit approval rate, vendor performance, development timing — to guide daily execution.
Identify bottlenecks and operational gaps; develop action plans to strengthen speed, clarity, and cross-team efficiency.
Provide leadership with seasonal reporting that enhances visibility into product status and risks.
Manage and mentor Product Developers and cross-functional partners, providing clear direction and growth pathways.
Support hiring, onboarding, and capability building as the product function scales.
Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
8–12 years of experience in apparel product development, with strong understanding of technical design, sourcing, and production.
Deep fluency in garment construction, fabric development, costing, and the end-to-end development cycle.
Experience working across multiple categories; strong cross-functional coordination skills.
Proven ability to manage complex seasonal calendars and multiple product lines.
Strong communication and problem-solving abilities; able to influence without authority.
Hands-on experience with PLM, Adobe Illustrator/Photoshop, and development workflows.
A balance of creativity, process discipline, and operational awareness.
You are steady, organized, and relentlessly solutions-oriented. You excel in the details — materials, construction, costing — while keeping a clear view of the full seasonal picture. You thrive in fast-moving environments where success depends on partnership, precision, and proactive communication. You bring clarity to complexity, elevate the product process, and ensure great ideas make it to market beautifully, reliably, and on time.
Base Compensation Range: $150,000 USD - $175,000 USD
Equal Opportunity & Non-Discrimination Statement
Signal and Strand is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We—and our clients—do not discriminate in employment or contracting on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, ancestry, age, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, registered domestic partner status, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state, or local laws.
We comply fully with the provisions of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA). All employment decisions are made based on qualifications, merit, and business needs. We are committed to providing a workplace that is inclusive, respectful, and free from discrimination, harassment, and retaliation.
Salary : $150,000 - $175,000