Manager, Product Systems & Governance

Carhartt•Dearborn, MI

1d•Remote

About The Position

The Manager, Product Systems & Governance is a strategic business partner responsible for the integrity, governance, and continuous improvement of product data, product systems, and pricing processes across the organization. The role works with Product Development, Design, Merchandising, Color, Raw Materials, GTM, Planning, Sales, Finance, IT, and other cross-functional teams to ensure product information, pricing activities, and system processes support business objectives and seasonal execution. The position provides leadership and oversight for product systems administration, product data management, pricing operations, and related governance. It establishes and maintains data standards, ensures product master data accuracy and completeness, oversees pricing audits and execution, and monitors system integrations and cross-functional workflows. The role also leads process improvement initiatives, establishes standard operating procedures, and develops reporting and controls to improve visibility, accountability, and adherence to business requirements. The Manager drives alignment across business functions and technology partners to identify risks, resolve data and process issues, and improve the efficiency and reliability of product and pricing operations. This role promotes data ownership, operational excellence, and continuous improvement while ensuring product data and pricing activities are executed accurately and consistently throughout the product lifecycle.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in textiles, apparel, or a related field, or equivalent years of experience in the apparel industry.
Minimum of 6 years of experience in product data management, PLM/ERP systems, Product Operations, Merchandising, Pricing, Supply Chain, or related business functions.
At least 3 years of leadership or project management experience.
Experience with integrated business systems, including SAP/ERP, PLM, PIM, GTM, planning systems, and vendor portals, and a strong understanding of product lifecycle processes, system integrations, and seasonal business requirements.
Expertise in product data governance, master data management, data quality controls, and standardized business processes, with working knowledge of pricing maintenance, audits, promotions, in-season changes, and closeouts.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, advanced Microsoft Excel proficiency, and experience with reporting and data analysis to identify discrepancies, assess impacts, investigate root causes, and drive sustainable solutions.
Ability to lead teams, develop talent, manage cross-functional projects, prioritize competing business needs, and deliver process and system improvements within established timelines.
Excellent communication, collaboration, and influencing skills, including the ability to translate business requirements into governance standards, system enhancements, testing requirements, and operational controls while driving stakeholder alignment and compliance.
Self-directed and proactive leadership, strong organizational skills, and sound judgment, with the ability to manage risks, balance strategic initiatives with day-to-day operations, and deliver results in a fast-paced, seasonal business environment.

Nice To Haves

Experience in apparel, retail, or consumer products.

Responsibilities

Lead product data governance and management practices to ensure product master data, attributes, supplier information, UPCs, size grids, pricing, and other critical product information are accurate, complete, consistent, and maintained to established standards and business requirements.
Provide leadership, direction, and development for product systems and pricing functions, establishing priorities, accountability, and performance expectations and ensuring reliable systems support, accurate data, and timely execution of seasonal and ongoing business activities.
Oversee administration, maintenance, and continuous improvement of PLM and connected product systems, including SAP, PIM, Centric Planning, GTM tools, vendor portals, and related applications; ensure configurations, integrations, and data flows support business processes and product lifecycle requirements.
Establish and maintain data governance policies, controls, standard operating procedures, and accountability measures for product data and pricing activities in partnership with cross-functional stakeholders.
Oversee product pricing timelines, audits, and execution with Pricing, Merchandising, Sales, Finance, and other partners; ensure accurate pricing is maintained and communicated in SAP and related systems for regular pricing, in-season updates, promotions, closeouts, and other initiatives.
Monitor product data quality, pricing accuracy, system integrations, and operational milestones using reporting, audits, and performance indicators; identify discrepancies, assess impacts, establish corrective actions, and escalate risks.
Partner with GTM, Merchandising, Product Development, Design, Raw Materials, Planning, Sales, IT, and other stakeholders to align product data, system requirements, pricing activities, and deliverables with seasonal timelines and cross-functional needs.
Lead continuous improvement initiatives across product data, systems, pricing, and workflows by identifying process gaps, evaluating automation and system enhancement opportunities, prioritizing improvements, and coordinating implementation.
Oversee documentation, SOPs, training resources, and reporting standards for product systems, data governance, vendor portal processes, and pricing activities; ensure end users understand requirements and follow established procedures.
Manage and influence cross-functional system and process initiatives, including requirements gathering, system enhancements, integrations, testing, user acceptance testing, and issue resolution; evaluate downstream impacts and ensure effective implementation with business alignment and controls.
Serve as a subject-matter leader and escalation point for complex product data, systems, integration, and pricing issues; identify root causes, coordinate resolution across business and IT teams, communicate risks and impacts, and drive sustainable solutions.
Provide visibility into product data governance, system performance, pricing execution, and operational risks through regular reporting and stakeholder communication; establish and monitor success measures, communicate progress, and recommend actions.
Drive continuous improvement in product master data accuracy, pricing execution, seasonal deliverables, system integration reliability, operational efficiency, and cross-functional adoption of governance processes.