Product Development Manager, Sonia Rykiel (New York)

Product Development Manager

Location: New York City, Midtown Manhattan – Fashion District (On-Site)

Department: Sonia Rykiel

About G-III Apparel Group:

G-III excels at bringing excitement and confidence to customers through the fashion we create. We are global experts in design, sourcing, manufacturing, distribution and marketing, which enables us to fuel the growth of a substantial portfolio of brands. With more than 30 licensed and owned brands, including some of the most sought-after names in global fashion, our success is driven by our team’s entrepreneurial spirit and our deep relationships across the industry.

Position Summary:

We are seeking a highly organized and detail-oriented Product Development Manager to join our Sonia Rykiel team. This role will play a pivotal part in managing the product development process, with a strong focus on fabric sourcing, material development, sample yardage management, and cross-functional coordination. The Product Development Manager will partner closely with the Vice President of Fabric R&D, Design, Merchandising, Production, and overseas mills and factories to ensure design integrity, cost efficiency, and timely execution throughout the development lifecycle.

The ideal candidate brings a strong understanding of women's apparel construction, fabric development, costing, and production timelines, along with exceptional organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.

Key Responsibilities:

Product Development & Logistics

• Execute day-to-day product development activities based on priorities established by management, ensuring timely task completion and issue resolution.
• Manage development activities in alignment with the Product Development Timeline and coordinate with Design, Merchandising, Materials, Production, and other cross-functional teams.
• Prepare and send development packages to overseas partners and sample facilities.
• Initiate, monitor, and track material and sample requests, approvals, and development status, escalating exceptions or delays to management.
• Create, update, and maintain development tools, including Design Cards, Functionality Charts, Development Logs, and Matrices.
• Maintain daily communication with overseas offices to support product development and resolve outstanding issues.
• Support prototype reviews to ensure product execution, consistency of design details, and adherence to development milestones.
• Ensure fabric and product development activities uphold the intended design aesthetic.

Fabric Sourcing & Development

• Partner with the Vice President of Fabric R&D to source and develop new fabric qualities each season, including coordinating pricing requests with mills and suppliers.
• Order sample yardage for woven and cut & sew categories from overseas mills, monitoring development and delivery through daily communication to ensure materials arrive at designated factories on time.
• Request 1/4-yard fabric references for all sample yardage orders and review received materials against original color and quality requirements.
• Coordinate remake requests, lab dips, handlooms, and strike-offs when fabric references do not meet established requirements.
• Request and maintain Fabric Detail Sheets (FDS), communicating increased pricing, extended lead times, and discrepancies against original fabric headers to the appropriate teams.
• Support seasonal fabric selection and development while ensuring alignment with design direction, costing objectives, and production requirements.

Fabric Tracking, Documentation & Systems

• Create and maintain the Sample Yardage (S/Y) Master Fabric Chart, providing Design and Production teams with visibility into fabric requests, available prototype yardage, ready dates, and duplicate reference receipts.
• Create and maintain an updated fabric mill contact list for Design team use, ensuring accurate supplier information each season.
• Develop and maintain an organized sample yardage library containing all 1/4-yard fabric references.
• Create fabric cards and seasonal fabric boards to support Design team presentations and development activities.
• Maintain fabric swatch binders containing fabric references and corresponding Fabric Detail Sheets for each quality.
• Enter and update seasonal fabric qualities within PLM systems, including Yunique and Centric.
• Enter all relevant fabric information into end-of-season Buy Charts.
• Review and hand off 1/4-yard fabric references to the Fabric Production team following Buy Meetings.
• Prepare and submit sample invoices to Accounts Payable for processing.

Who You Are:

• A highly organized product development professional with strong knowledge of fabric sourcing, materials, and apparel construction.
• A collaborative team player who builds strong relationships across Design, Production, Merchandising, overseas mills, and vendors.
• A proactive problem-solver who identifies development issues and works efficiently toward resolution.
• A detail-oriented professional who maintains accurate development records, fabric tracking systems, and seasonal documentation.
• A strong communicator who can manage daily correspondence with overseas partners while coordinating multiple development timelines.
• A self-starter who thrives in a fast-paced environment and takes ownership of projects from initial development through completion.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree required.
• 5+ years of experience in apparel product development, preferably specializing in women's apparel.
• Strong knowledge of garment construction, fabric development, sourcing, and the apparel product development lifecycle.
• Experience working with overseas fabric mills, suppliers, and factories.
• Experience managing sample yardage, fabric approvals, lab dips, strike-offs, and material development timelines preferred.
• Strong understanding of woven and cut & sew fabric qualities, specifications, and development processes.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and Adobe Illustrator.
• Experience with Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) systems preferred; familiarity with Yunique and Centric is a plus.
• Strong organizational skills with exceptional attention to detail.
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making abilities.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to manage multiple development projects, vendor communications, and seasonal deadlines simultaneously.
• Experience with technical design preferred.
• Ability to work efficiently in a high-pressure, fast-paced environment.

What We Offer:

• Competitive salary
• Comprehensive benefits including medical, dental, vision, and 401(k)
• PTO and company holidays
• Employee discounts

The pay range for this position is: $80,000 – $90,000 per year.

Please note that the foregoing compensation information is a good-faith assessment associated with this position only and is provided pursuant to the New York City Salary Transparency Law.

G-III Apparel Group is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.

About G-III Apparel Group, Ltd. |

G-III's owned brands include DKNY, Karl Lagerfeld Paris, Donna Karan, Vilebrequin, Sonia Rykiel, G.H. Bass, Bass Outdoor, Andrew Marc, Eliza J., G-III Sports and more. G-III has fashion licenses under Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger, Cole Haan, Dockers, Guess?, Converse, Kenneth Cole, Levi's, Vince Camuto, Margaritaville and more. G-III also operates retail stores for the DKNY, Karl Lagerfeld Paris and Donna Karan brands.