Director of Product Development

Director of Product Development

Westbury, New York, United States (On-site)

As our Pro Standard brand continues to see tremendous growth, our Product Development team is in search of a visionary, strategic, and operationally excellent

Director of Product Development.

Reporting directly to executive leadership and partnering closely with our Chief Executive Officer, you will own the product development function end-to-end, shaping the strategy, calendar, costing, and vendor relationships that power our brand portfolio.

The ideal candidate will have extensive

apparel design \& development

leadership experience, a proven ability to build and scale PDD organizations, and the executive presence to partner with

CEO

on strategic product decisions. If you're ready to define the next chapter of our product engine, apply today!

You'll love this role if...

• You are an accomplished PDD leader with a proven track record of building, scaling, and transforming product development functions in an apparel environment.
• You are comfortable operating as a

strategic partner to executive leadership

and can translate business vision into product development execution.

• You have deep expertise in PLM, tech packs, BOMs, costing, and sourcing strategy, and know how to drive both data discipline and creative excellence.
• You have managed large, global teams across multiple brands, categories, and factories.
• You obsess over speed-to-market, margin, and quality, and enjoy finding structural ways to improve all three.
• You are a hands-on leader who can zoom out to strategy and zoom in to a tech pack on the same day.
• You are a leader who proactively seeks to continuously learn, coach, and elevate the teams around you.

What you'll do...

As our

Director of Product Development

at Maxima Apparel, you will lead the entire PDD function across multiple brands and categories, partnering with CEO

on product strategy, margin, and growth initiatives while ensuring flawless execution from concept through production.

Strategic Leadership

• Executive Partnership:

Partner directly with CEO on product strategy, seasonal line architecture, margin targets, and growth initiatives, serving as the senior voice of Product Development at the leadership table.

• PDD Strategy \& Vision:

Define and drive the long-term vision for the Product Development organization, including team structure, PLM roadmap, vendor strategy, and process transformation.

• Cross-Brand Alignment:

Oversee product development across multiple brands and licensed categories, ensuring consistency in process, quality standards, and calendar discipline.

• Costing \& Margin Ownership:

Partner with Sourcing, Production, and Finance to drive costing strategy, negotiate with key vendors, and protect gross margin across the portfolio.

• Vendor \& Factory Strategy:

Own senior relationships with key overseas factories and raw material partners; lead factory capacity planning, capability development, and performance reviews.

• Organizational Development:

Build, coach, and scale the PDD organization, including the Associate Director, Managers, and international teams; develop succession plans and grow future leaders.

• Business Reporting:

Deliver executive-level reporting on calendar health, development KPIs, margin, and risks; surface strategic decisions and trade-offs to CEO.

Operational Leadership (inclusive of Associate Director scope)

• Cross-Functional Liaison:

Serve as the senior point of contact between Design, Technical Design, Raw Materials, Sourcing, and Production teams to ensure product intent is maintained throughout every phase of development.

• PLM \& Tech Pack Governance:

Ensure tech packs, Bill of Materials (BOMs), and product specifications are accurate and updated in Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) systems; own data integrity standards across the department.

• Process Improvement:

Identify and lead initiatives to improve the product development process, including material consolidation, reducing lead times, and adopting new tools and workflows.

• Seasonal Calendar Ownership:

Build, manage, and hold teams accountable to seasonal development calendars across brands and categories, including proactively addressing "long lead time" SKUs and risk mitigation.

• End-to-End Oversight:

Oversee the entire product development process (PDD) from concept handoff to production approval, ensuring all milestones are met across all verticals.

• Sample Development:

Oversee all sample development stages and timelines across the organization, ensuring feedback is captured, implemented, and escalated when at risk.

• Global Communication:

Lead cross-functional communication with internal and international teams, setting the standards and cadence for how PDD communicates across time zones and functions.

• Additional Duties:

Perform other duties as assigned by executive leadership, contributing to the overall success of the business.

You Should Have...

• 15\+ years' experience in apparel design, product development, or production, including 7\+ years in a senior leadership role managing large, cross-functional teams.
• Proven track record of partnering with C-suite executives / business owners on product strategy, costing, and vendor decisions.
• Deep expertise in

PLM systems

(e.g., Centric, Flex PLM, Backbone), tech pack governance, and BOM management at scale.

• Expert proficiency in Adobe Illustrator is Required.
• Strong costing, sourcing, and vendor negotiation experience; ability to protect and expand margin through development decisions.
• Demonstrated success building and scaling PDD organizations and managing international / overseas teams.
• Excellent executive communication and presentation skills; comfortable presenting to ownership and executive leadership.
• Deep technical knowledge of apparel construction, fabric, trims, embellishments, and production processes.
• Detail-oriented and highly organized; ability to toggle between strategic and tactical work seamlessly.
• Strong Microsoft Excel skills and data fluency to manage calendars, costing, and KPI reporting.
• Demonstrated business acumen and sense of aesthetics.
• Ability to speak Chinese or Spanish is a plus.

About Maxima Apparel

Maxima Apparel is a leading sportswear and licensed apparel brand collective known for its high-quality products. With a primary focus on men's and women's licensed apparel, outerwear, and headwear, we have established a strong presence in the market. Our success is built upon prestigious brands, a commitment to delivering products quickly with exceptional quality, competitive pricing, and outstanding customer service.

Maxima Apparel is dedicated to being a fast and agile manufacturer and design house in the industry, serving some of the best names in the business. As we expand our portfolio of brands and licenses, we remain focused on delivering the highest standards of quality and service to our customers. Join us and be part of a dynamic team that is setting new standards in the industry.

We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer