Director of Product Development

Children's Licensed & Private Label Apparel (Walmart) The Director of Product Development will lead the end-to-end development process for children's licensed and private label apparel programs, with a primary focus on Walmart. This role is responsible for driving product execution from concept through production, managing offshore vendor relationships, ensuring compliance with licensor and retailer requirements, and leading a team of product development professionals. The ideal candidate brings deep experience in children's apparel, licensed products, and Walmart's business model, with a proven ability to deliver commercially successful programs while balancing quality, margin, and speed to market. Salary is $150K - $160K 4 days in office (Fridays are work from home) Key Responsibilities Lead all aspects of product development for children's apparel programs across licensed and private label businesses. Drive product execution from concept through bulk production while ensuring alignment with customer expectations, margin targets, and delivery deadlines. Partner closely with Design, Merchandising, Sales, Technical Design, Production, and Sourcing teams to bring seasonal assortments to market. Walmart Business Management Serve as a key product development leader supporting Walmart apparel programs. Manage development calendars, milestone tracking, line review preparation, and customer-specific requirements. Ensure products are developed to meet Walmart quality, compliance, testing, packaging, and cost objectives. Licensed Product Development Oversee the development of licensed apparel programs across major entertainment and consumer brands. Manage licensor approvals for artwork, garments, trims, packaging, and marketing materials. Partner with licensing teams to ensure adherence to brand standards and approval timelines. Develop and maintain strong relationships with global manufacturing partners. Lead negotiations related to costing, development timelines, MOQ requirements, and product execution. Collaborate with sourcing teams to identify opportunities for cost savings, speed-to-market improvements, and operational efficiencies. Manage, mentor, and develop Product Development Managers, Coordinators, and cross-functional team members. Establish clear development processes and accountability measures to drive consistent execution. Foster a collaborative, solutions-oriented team culture. Own product costing strategies to achieve margin objectives while maintaining quality standards. Analyze costing trends and identify opportunities for value engineering. Partner with Sales and Merchandising teams to ensure profitability targets are achieved. Compliance & Quality Management Ensure adherence to all Walmart compliance, testing, labeling, and safety requirements, including children's product regulations. Work closely with Quality Assurance and Production teams to proactively address potential risks. Oversee product approval processes and production readiness. Qualifications Experience 10+ years of progressive experience in children's apparel product development. Significant experience developing children's private label and licensed apparel programs for Walmart. Prior experience leading product development teams and managing direct reports. Strong understanding of the mass retail marketplace and high-volume apparel businesses. Licensing Expertise Extensive experience working with entertainment and character licenses. Strong understanding of licensor approval processes and brand compliance requirements. Experience managing licensed apparel categories for major licensors such as Disney, Warner Bros., Nickelodeon, Mattel, Hasbro, Pokémon, Universal, or similar brands. Technical & Business Skills Deep knowledge of children's apparel construction, fabrication, graphic applications, trims, fit, and costing. Advanced Excel and PLM system proficiency. Strong understanding of product lifecycle management, sourcing strategy, and vendor management. Ability to analyze margins, costing structures, and development timelines. #J-18808-Ljbffr SourceLab Search