Hardware Development Manager

Work with Design, Product Development, Merchandising, Costing and Asian offices towards the successful and timely execution of all aspects of the non-fabric components and packaging on Spyder garments. Proactively makes independent and sound business decisions that have direct impact on business operations, activities, and project schedules.

General Responsibilities

Product Development • Work with management to supply and maintain interdepartmental trim process due dates throughout product seasons • Manage the division of developments handled by all members of trim dev. team • Working with supplier resources to produce from artwork new custom trims, modify existing trims, or select workable stock items by category • Evaluating completed samples for quality, sharing with team on price and operation to ensure full understanding of impact of sourcing decision with Design, PD, and Merch • Entering development trims in RM database • Attending or conducting merchandising and PD meetings to advise on trim development • Ensuring all trims developed meet Spyder price requirements and quality standards • Coordinating development of locally sourced trims, to assure consistency Coordinating contact and managing relationship between garment factories and trim suppliers as needed • Managing execution of mould/prototype/setup fees and minimum order commitments with suppliers • Coordinate with all other departments, as needed, on the execution of variable projects and requirements • Provide raw material suppliers with seasonal projections. Manage and maintain trim stock as needed. • Manages negotiation strategy development and leads competitive supplier negotiations

Research & Development • Leading research and trim process needs for the product department • Coordinating directly with Design, vendors and approved trim suppliers to research trim items • Establishing and maintaining physical and digital trim libraries. Facilitating the use of libraries for research of potential trims to meet Design requests • Consulting and advising Design on their selection of trims to be researched and/or developed • Coordinating visits by suppliers to display new items and trend presentations to share seasonally with Design and Merchants • Attending key meetings/tradeshows/vendors to identify potential trims for new seasons and push R&D initiatives • Managing complex trim development and R&D development initiatives • Providing technical consultation to Design, and initiating development of new trim concepts, when existing ones do not meet the objectives • Driving development of new effects, performance standards and features, with suppliers and designers • Determining the long term sourcing selection for trim items

Other • Secondarily working with IT, Marketing, Logistics and Operations to ensure Spyder is following the internal, customer, and legal guidelines for data driven and legislative requirements of our products.

Team

• Responsible for training and mentoring Trim Developers and new Product team • Conducting Merchant, Design and Product Developer training classes on trim details and quality • Planning key supplier visits to assist Design and PD team in development • Leveraging existing supplier connections to assist marketing and other departments with non-product related objectives.

REPORTING/WORKING RELATIONSHIPS: Internal and External Partnerships

• Product Line Managers
• Product Developers
• Designers
• Planning Dept.
• Trim Suppliers
• Testing Laboratories

• Degree/diploma in Textiles or equivalent work experience.
• 0-3+ years experience in product development.
• Strong trouble-shooting and problem-solving abilities.
• Organizational and planning skills.
• Excellent technical writing and oral communication skills.
• Meeting management/facilitation skills.
• Computer literate, understanding of Excel, FilemakerPro database management, e-mail based communication.
• Ability to establish rapport quickly with internal and external contacts.
• Limited travel.