Tory Burch Associate, Product Development, RTW
We are an American luxury lifestyle brand, founded in 2004. Anchored in the casual elegance of American sportswear, Tory's design philosophy is defined by effortless silhouettes, innovative materials, eclectic juxtapositions of color, and the tension of past and present. The collections include ready-to-wear, handbags, footwear, accessories, jewelry, home and beauty. Empowering women is the company's guiding principle, expressed through Tory's collections and reflected in the company culture as well as the work of the Tory Burch Foundation. Established in 2009, the Foundation provides women entrepreneurs in the United States with access to capital, education and community.
About the role
The Associate, Product Development- RTW will lead the development of RTW and Sport categories, serving as a key liaison between Design, Materials, Merchandising, Production, and Tech Design. This role is responsible for managing calendars, tracking timelines, updating costings, following allocations, and keeping Design aligned and informed across all cross-functional partners and categories. The Associate will support fast-paced seasonal development, ensuring adherence to operational timelines while driving clear communication, timely execution, and accuracy of samples across teams.
Responsibilities
- Development Management
- Act as a key liaison between Design, Materials, Merchandising, Tech Design, and Production, maintaining close, daily communication throughout development stages.
- Attend all design hand-off meetings and proactively raise questions to ensure product execution is clear and feasible.
- Demonstrate flexibility in approach to meet tight timelines, especially during Proto and SMS stages, ensuring timely development launches.
- Partner with Design and Materials teams to initiate development with global factory partners.
- Maintain an accurate and comprehensive style tracker capturing the full lifecycle from concept through production.
- Attend regular vendor calls and provide clear instructions for sample execution.
- Ensure calendar alignment by holding cross-functional teams accountable to milestone deadlines.
- Partner with Materials to confirm timely availability of all necessary components for development and escalate or resolve issues as needed.
- Communicate daily with global offices (Asia and Europe), external vendors, and internal stakeholders to troubleshoot and maintain process integrity.
- Costing
- Own and manage development-stage costing for assigned categories, providing updates and analysis at Pre-Proto, Proto and SMS stages.
- Collaborate with Design and Merch to identify and communicate cost drivers or changes that impact IMU.
- Recommend specification or construction changes to achieve target margins, offering alternatives in partnership with factories.
- Maintain accurate costing data in Centric PLM, including estimates for late styles, and hand off costs to Production.
- Attend and at times lead SMS costing reviews in partnership with Merch and Production and flag BILL OF MATERIALS (BOM).
- Bill of Materials (BOM)
- Initiate and manage BOMs for development and handover to Production post-Market, ensuring accuracy at every stage.
- Collaborate with cross-functional partners (Design, Materials, Tech Design, and overseas teams) to ensure alignment across lifecycle.
- Participate in all Proto and SMS fittings, taking detailed notes and promptly updating Centric PLM BOMs.
- Lead BOM review meetings prior to release to confirm accuracy and alignment across teams.
- Ensure all factory-sourced materials, colors, and quotes are captured in Centric PLM, supporting sustainability and traceability initiatives.
- Partner with Materials to maintain accuracy in color creation and ensure BOMs reflect the intended aesthetic.
- Streamline and align BOM practices across RTW and Sport to ensure consistency in trims, zippers, labels, and system entries season over season.
- Fittings
- Attend Proto, SMS, and Production fittings, documenting all changes and assessing implications on cost, design, and delivery.
- Uphold fitting protocols and manage sessions to stay on calendar while honoring design intent from Tory reviews and Design feedback.
- Collaborate with Tech and Production to troubleshoot and suggest construction improvements that balance aesthetic, cost, and functionality.
Requirements
- BA/BS degree or equivalent life experience
- 2-3 years' experience in RTW product development
- Strong organizational and interpersonal skills
- Strong time management skills; ability to adhere to deadlines
- Able to work in a fluid, fast-paced, multi-channel environment
- Ability to travel as needed
Benefits
We offer a generous set of benefits to help you take care of your health, create financial security, and achieve wellness in all areas of your life. Here are highlights of key benefits available to all eligible Tory Burch team members:
- Generous employee discount and access to exclusive sample sales
- Free executive coaching on-demand
- Paid volunteer days through the Tory Burch Foundation
- Competitive pay and rewards for high performance
- Comprehensive benefits supporting mental and physical health
Pay
The compensation range for this position is 70,000.00 USD - 90,000.00 USD. Our offer will be based on your relevant experience and work location.
Culture
The Product Development and Production team is a talented group of problem-solvers who work diligently to bring our beautiful collections to life. Our focus is on fulfilling Tory's creative vision and supporting our Design team in delivering extraordinary collections each season. We also collaborate closely with our internal partners and build strong relationships with premier manufacturers and luxury suppliers globally to ensure that our products are flawlessly executed and delivered on time.
#TeamTory values:
- We show up with honesty & kindness
- Act with integrity & compassion
- Work with passion & humility
- Lead with excellence & humor
How we work together:
- Adaptable - We change before we have to
- Entrepreneurial - We own it
- Collaborative - There's no "I" in Tory
- Client & Brand Focused - We put ourselves in Tory's shoes
- Live the Values - We show up for each other
- Functional Expertise - We're constantly learning and growing