Apparel Product Developer

Fashion Design Coordinator

HW Staffing is seeking a qualified individual for a direct hire opportunity with an apparel manufacturer. This position will be based out of Kannapolis, NC, with some meetings and responsibilities in the Salisbury area. The successful candidate will have a strong background in fashion trends, as well as technical skill with technological tools and resources.

About the Company:

We specialize in the design and production of apparel for women with a strong focus on stylish, trend-forward shirts of various styles. One division produces licensed collegiate apparel, and the second division produces everyday casual apparel. We supply goods to various large chain retailers as well as small retailers and have a direct-to-consumer website.

Position Overview:

A Fashion Design Coordinator for women's casual apparel is responsible for developing and executing product strategies to drive sales and profitability. This includes forecasting trends, potentially buying and managing inventory, and collaborating with design and marketing teams to ensure products resonate with the target customer. The Fashion Merchandiser will be responsible for managing the complete product lifecycle for our women's casual apparel line, from trend forecasting to in-store and online visual merchandising. The ideal candidate will combine a strong sense of fashion with data analysis to ensure our products are both trend-right and commercially successful.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Market and Trend Analysis: Research fashion trends and competitor products in the casual apparel market to identify new opportunities and predict customer demands. Attend fashion shows and trade events to stay current on market changes.
• Facilitating the design process: Execute activities including managing sample development and assisting with creating mood boards and presentations for seasonal collections.
• Sample coordination: Responsible for managing the flow of samples from tracking their delivery to organizing them for fittings and photoshoots to ensure the prototypes meet brand standards.
• Merchandise Planning: Collaborate with the design and buying teams to develop a seasonal merchandise strategy and create a compelling product assortment.
• Vendor and Supplier Communication/Relations: Act as the main point of contact for external partners, communicate technical specifications, negotiate with suppliers to secure optimal prices and ensure on-time delivery of products.
• Visual Merchandising: Work with the marketing and sales teams to develop and execute visual merchandising plans for customers and e-commerce channels.
• Pricing, Marketing and Promotions: Help plan and coordinate marketing materials, develop pricing strategies for new products and promotional strategies for markdowns to maximize profit.
• Sales Performance Analysis: Track sales performance, report on key metrics, and provide insights to inform future product decisions.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with marketing and sales teams to create cohesive product campaigns that drive brand awareness and sales. Communicate with buyer/planner to assist in creating and managing budgets for purchasing and reordering.
• Competitor analysis: Continuously monitor competitor activity and market trends to stay ahead and maintain a competitive edge.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications and Requirements:

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor's degree in Fashion Merchandising, Business, Marketing, or proven industry experience.
• Proven experience in a retail or fashion merchandising role, with a focus on women's apparel.

Skills and Abilities:

• Strong analytical and critical-thinking skills, with the ability to interpret sales data and market trends.
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and interpersonal skills.
• Creative flair with a keen eye for aesthetics and great attention to detail.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, particularly Excel, and familiarity with merchandising software.
• Strong organizational skills and the ability to prioritize, multitask, work in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.
• Ability to travel between and work at two locations (approximately 10 minutes apart)

Preferred qualifications:

• A strong understanding of the casual apparel market and target consumer.
• Experience with both brick-and-mortar retail and e-commerce platforms is helpful.
• Experience creating tech-packs, approving samples, digital CAD design for storyboards, product line creation.
• Quality Control and production auditing of overseas shipments.
• Familiarity, contacts, resources, and access to apparel market trends.