Apparel Development Manager

About the role

The role supports the development of Major League Soccer (MLS) apparel and American football uniforms, ensuring they meet quality, fit, performance, and timeline expectations. It involves close collaboration with Design, Product Marketing, Sourcing, and Manufacturing partners.

Responsibilities

• Communicate all necessary information to Marketing, Design, Suppliers and LO/OC to ensure the effective and efficient creation of outstanding product
• Ensure target price and product designs are aligned through predictive costing
• Review, validate and approve T1 costing information throughout the entire creation process
• Ensure compliance to agreed standards
• Negotiate with T1 as needed
• Manage handover from design to T1 to ensure that all information provided to T1 is complete
• Manage T1 feedback to design and marketing and incorporate where quality or cost can be improved without sacrificing product aesthetics
• Evaluate all prototypes for compliance with AD, manage fit approval/size specification, approval of color, accessories and materials
• Manage comments to T1
• Ensure that all materials and accessories as well as prototypes are tested and adhere to adidas quality, safety and A01 standards
• Manage quality exceptions with senior management as needed
• If required, review size sets for accuracy of measurements and merchantability of complete size range including logo placement and fit
• (LO/OC to approve size sets not requested/approved by CC after buy ready release)
• Research innovation from market or supply chain as far as garment construction, pattern/fit, embellishment, trims
• Work cross functionally with marketing and Design teams, Quality and Testing, Sourcing and T1/T2 to implement into product creation

Requirements

• College or University degree in clothing technology and/or manufacturing or comparable education
• Minimum 4 years of work experience in garment/textile industry
• Knowledge of material construction and related testing
• Knowledge of wear and physical product testing
• Knowledge of production garment construction and manufacturing
• Ability to fit a garment and comment to T1 on changes required
• Knowledge of costing and ability to negotiate as required
• Effective communication and negotiation skills
• Understanding of the respective vision and strategy for the brands
• Fluent in English (written and spoken)
• Strong IT skills (MS Office)
• Ability to work with Product Data Management Systems

Qualifications

• Domestic and International Travel as required

Skills

• Garment testing and wear-testing knowledge is a plus

Benefits

• Robust and progressive medical, including HSA (Health Savings Account) with employer funding or FSA (Flexible Spending Account) options, dental, vision, prescription drug coverage, adoption, with surrogate and fertility support, short and long-term disability, and basic life and AD&D insurance, which can be supplemented with employee-paid coverage
• Employees are able to enroll in adidas’ 401k plan and Stock Purchase Plan with employer match
• Full-time employees are eligible for education assistance and generous Leave policies including 12 weeks of paid parental leave
• Employees are eligible to earn an annual bonus based on both company and personal performance
• Employees accrue prorated flexible time off in the amount .4388 hours per day that increases with years of service, twelve paid holidays throughout the calendar year and Service Time Off during milestone years
• At adidas we offer a Hybrid work policy which requires attendance in the office Monday through Thursday, with the flexibility to work remotely on Friday each week

Pay

• Competitive salary commensurate with experience

Schedule

• Hybrid work policy requiring attendance in the office Monday through Thursday, with the flexibility to work remotely on Friday each week