Senior Manager, Product Development

About the role

We are seeking a Senior Manager, Product Development to join our dynamic team at LAKE. Reporting to the Sr Director, Product Development & Production, you will oversee the full seasonal development calendar, leading all aspects of style development, managing vendor relationships, and ensuring each collection meets LAKE's brand values and business goals.

Responsibilities

• Oversee the full seasonal development calendar—from fabric initiation through SMS approval—ensuring milestones align with creative direction, quality, and business goals.
• Lead all aspects of style development, including material approvals, fit readiness, sample flow, and vendor accountability across multiple categories.
• Manage and strengthen global vendor partnerships, driving innovation in fabrics, trims, and sustainable materials while maintaining margin and delivery targets.
• Partner cross-functionally with Design, Tech, Planning, Production, and Finance to align on cost, quality, and aesthetic objectives.
• Own the costing process from initial development through final buy, ensuring styles achieve target IMUs and identifying opportunities for savings or efficiency.
• Monitor vendor performance, negotiate costs, and support capacity and business reviews to ensure scalability and alignment with company priorities.
• Oversee Centric PLM data integrity, ensuring all style, material, and BOM information is accurate, current, and synchronized across systems.
• Drive process improvement by documenting SOPs, refining workflows, and promoting operational consistency across teams.
• Lead and mentor the Product Development team, fostering collaboration, accountability, and professional growth while reinforcing brand values and behaviors.
• Provide expertise in fabric performance, fabric testing, fabric and garment construction, and fit integrity to ensure products meet LAKE’s standards for comfort, quality, and wearability.
• Evaluate and guide material and construction decisions throughout development to ensure technical feasibility, consistency, and alignment with design intent.
• Represent the PD function in milestone meetings, providing clear communication on development status, risks, and solutions.

Requirements

• 8+ years of experience in fashion production across aspirational brands.
• An exceptional personal ownership and accountability mindset and are a strategic thinker with strong operational and leadership skills.
• Proven ability to manage multiple vendors across global sourcing regions (India, China, Peru, etc.).
• Advanced proficiency in PLM (Centric), ERP (NetSuite), and Excel/Google Sheets.
• Exceptional communication and negotiation skills with the ability to influence cross-functional partners.
• Highly organized, adaptable, and solution-oriented in a fast-paced environment.
• The ability to drive operational discipline; ensuring processes are followed meticulously while continuously identifying areas to improve efficiency and effectiveness proactively.
• Strong knowledge of textile properties, garment construction methods, and fit fundamentals with the ability to translate fabric capabilities into successful product development outcomes.