Product Manager, Apparel

Job Description

Job Description

Pendleton has been woven in the West since 1863. Built on a legacy of craft, quality, and authenticity, our products are known for their timeless design and enduring stories. The Product Manager plays a critical role in shaping Pendleton’s product vision by translating consumer insights, marketplace opportunities, and business objectives into commercially successful apparel assortments.

This role owns assigned apparel categories and/or franchises across the seasonal product lifecycle, partnering closely with Design, Development, Technical Design, Sourcing, Planning, Sales, DTC, Marketing, and Creative teams to deliver consumer-led, brand-right product. In addition to managing assortment strategy, category performance, pricing, and margin opportunities, you will drive cross-functional execution from seasonal strategy through commercialization and in-market performance.

This position offers the opportunity to influence product direction, business growth, and consumer connection while protecting the heritage, craftsmanship, and enduring quality that define the Pendleton brand.

What You’ll Do

• Own assigned apparel categories and/or franchises across the seasonal product lifecycle.
• Develop seasonal assortment strategies using consumer insights, historical performance, marketplace trends, competitive analysis, channel feedback, and company growth priorities.
• Build and manage seasonal line architecture, including category roles, style/color counts, product flow, price ladders, franchise positioning, and lifecycle recommendations.
• Identify opportunities to grow, evolve, consolidate, refresh, carry over, or exit products and franchises based on consumer relevance and business performance, supporting multi-season franchise strategies and scalable product platforms.
• Partner with Design to translate business and consumer opportunities into clear product briefs and seasonal assortment direction that protects Pendleton's heritage and product integrity.
• Analyze sales, margin, sell-through, inventory, productivity, consumer performance, and seasonal hindsight to identify opportunities and inform future assortment decisions.
• Develop pricing recommendations and manage price architecture across assigned categories.
• Partner with Development, Sourcing, and Planning to manage product costs and achieve seasonal gross margin targets.
• Evaluate product adoption and investment decisions based on consumer relevance, assortment need, cost, margin, productivity, MOQ requirements, and financial opportunity.
• Partner with Planning, Sales, and DTC to align forecasts, channel needs, and product investments.
• Lead Product Management activities from seasonal strategy and briefing through adoption, commercialization, and in-market performance.
• Lead and participate in key seasonal product milestones and provide clear product direction and decision-making throughout the development process.
• Partner with cross-functional teams to ensure product execution aligns with product briefs, financial objectives, calendar expectations, quality standards, and brand direction.
• Identify and escalate risks related to assortment clarity, cost, margin, development capacity, quality, delivery, or calendar timing, and partner with Product Line Coordinator/Product Operations resources on product data and administrative execution.
• Partner with Sales and DTC to develop channel-appropriate assortments while maintaining a cohesive Pendleton brand and product strategy.
• Evaluate SMU, collaboration, regional, marketplace, and exclusive opportunities based on strategic alignment, revenue opportunity, margin, MOQ requirements, and organizational capacity.
• Manage approved special product programs through the product creation process in partnership with cross-functional teams.
• Serve as the primary Product Management contact for assigned categories and communicate product strategies, assortment decisions, financial implications, and development priorities.
• Build strong working relationships across Design, Development, Technical Design, Sourcing, Planning, Sales, DTC, Marketing, Creative, and external partners to drive alignment and execution.
• Present seasonal product strategies, assortments, business performance, risks, and opportunities to cross-functional teams, leadership, key accounts, and marketplace partners as needed.

Core Expectations

• Demonstrates strong consumer, product, and commercial judgment and balances brand strategy, financial objectives, and operational realities when making decisions.
• Uses consumer insights, business performance, and marketplace intelligence to identify opportunities and make recommendations.
• Understands apparel product creation, costing, pricing, margin management, assortment planning, and seasonal calendars.
• Manages multiple categories, projects, and seasonal priorities while maintaining accountability, attention to detail, and follow-through.
• Communicates effectively, builds strong cross-functional partnerships, and demonstrates curiosity, adaptability, and proactive problem-solving.

What You Bring

• Bachelor's degree in Merchandising, Business, Product Management, Apparel, Textiles, Fashion, or related field; or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• 4+ years of experience in apparel product management, merchandising, category management, buying, product development, or related consumer product roles.
• Demonstrated experience managing apparel assortments through the product creation lifecycle and using sales, margin, consumer, and marketplace insights to inform product decisions.
• Working knowledge of apparel costing, pricing, margin management, assortment planning, seasonal calendars, and cross-functional product creation processes.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint.
• Experience with PLM systems and product data management tools; business intelligence and reporting tools preferred.
• Operates in a standard office environment and regularly uses computers and digital tools; requires the ability to visually assess product details and handle samples and product materials.
• Occasionally requires lifting and carrying product materials up to 25 lbs. and domestic and/or international travel for markets, trade shows, account meetings, and production or vendor visits.