Associate, Product Development, RTW

Tory Burch • New York, NY

20h

About The Position

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.

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

Responsibilities

• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.

Benefits

• Generous benefits to help you take care of your health, create financial security, and achieve wellness in all areas of your life.
• Generous employee discount
• Access to exclusive sample sales
• Free executive coaching on-demand
• Opportunities to give back through the Tory Burch Foundation
• Paid volunteer days

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level