Costing Manager, Wholesale Apparel

Job Description

Job Description

The Kasper Group is an apparel industry leader, offering women wardrobe solutions for their wear-to-work and special occasion dressing needs. Driven by excellence and exceptional talent, The Kasper Group has remained a forerunner in fashion for over 30 years. We are committed to delivering iconic brands ( Kasper, Anne Klein, LeSuit, Kenneth Cole ), relevant fashions and trusted, quality products to our consumers. So be a part of the exceptional talent!

Position Overview

We are currently seeking an experienced Costing Manager to join our Production team. This position will be responsible for overseeing garment costing activities across assigned divisions, ensuring accurate product costing, competitive factory pricing, and alignment with production requirements and financial objectives.

The Costing Manager will work closely with Production, Sourcing, Fabric, Trim, CAD, Design, and overseas manufacturing partners to analyze garment construction, fabric consumption, material costs, and production feasibility.

The ideal candidate will have strong technical knowledge of apparel production and garment costing, excellent analytical skills, and the ability to manage multiple seasonal deadlines while identifying opportunities to improve cost efficiency and protect margins.

Key Responsibilities

Production Costing & Cost Analysis

• Manage and oversee costing activities throughout the product development and production lifecycle, ensuring accurate and timely cost analysis across assigned divisions.
• Develop, review, and maintain detailed garment cost sheets, costing summaries, and reporting templates.
• Analyze garment construction, fabric yields, material consumption, trim costs, labor, and manufacturing requirements to establish accurate product costs.
• Review and validate factory FOB (Free on Board) and DDP (Delivered Duty Paid) quotations to ensure accuracy and competitiveness.
• Partner with Production and Sourcing teams to evaluate factory pricing, costing assumptions, and opportunities for cost optimization.
• Review costing against established targets and work with cross-functional partners to address discrepancies or margin concerns.
• Identify cost-saving opportunities through alternative materials, fabric utilization, garment construction, and production efficiencies.
• Review and verify fabric yields, width conversions, piece goods requirements, and related calculations impacting garment costs.
• Evaluate the cost implications of design modifications, material substitutions, and production changes.
• Ensure costing information is accurate, complete, and finalized within seasonal production timelines.

Production & Factory Coordination

• Partner closely with Production, Fabric, Trim, CAD, Design, Allocations, and Systems teams to support accurate costing and production execution.
• Maintain regular communication with domestic and overseas factories regarding FOB/DDP quotations, production requirements, fabric consumption, and costing discrepancies.
• Review style-level costing and collaborate with appropriate departments to determine commercially viable production solutions.
• Evaluate costing implications related to factory capabilities, fabric quality, garment construction, and production feasibility.
• Resolve costing discrepancies involving factories, suppliers, internal departments, and Accounts Payable.
• Coordinate with Production teams to ensure costing approvals support purchase order placement and production schedules.
• Proactively identify costing-related risks that could affect delivery, profitability, or production readiness.

Systems, Reporting & Process Improvement

• Develop and maintain Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for costing activities in alignment with established production critical path calendars.
• Monitor costing deadlines and ensure timely completion of costing requirements across assigned divisions.
• Develop and maintain management reports through RLM/BW and other applicable business systems.
• Create and maintain Excel-based costing tools to validate fabric yields, FOB confirmations, piece planning, width conversions, and related calculations.
• Review daily and weekly costing reports to identify outstanding approvals, discrepancies, and potential delays.
• Evaluate existing costing procedures and recommend improvements to increase accuracy, efficiency, and consistency.
• Maintain complete and organized costing records, supporting documentation, and seasonal reporting.
• Ensure adherence to established costing procedures and departmental standards.

Team Support & Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Provide training and guidance to costing associates and other team members on costing procedures, systems, and reporting requirements.
• Review cost sheets, summaries, and workloads to ensure accuracy and timely completion.
• Work closely with Production leadership to prioritize costing requirements and resolve outstanding issues.
• Support the implementation of improved costing tools, reporting procedures, and internal controls.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure costing decisions support overall production requirements and business objectives.