Product Development Assistant

Clare V.•Los Angeles, CA

4d•Onsite

About The Position

In this role, you will assist in the development process starting from raw material stage to sample management. You will be responsible for supporting the team in every aspect to meet seasonal milestones and maintaining integrity of product throughout the entire development process.

Requirements

1-2 years’ experience working in Product Development role for an apparel and/or handbag/accessories company.
Strong proficiency in Excel and Google Suites is required.
Must be organized, detail oriented, and a great communicator.
Ability to multi-task and manage competing priorities and can work with a strong sense of accuracy and urgency.
Proficiency in reading and understanding tech packs and bill of material.
PLM experience required.
Ability to remain in a stationary position for extended periods while working at a computer or reviewing materials.
Frequent movement throughout office and warehouse areas to organize, retrieve, and manage samples and materials.
Frequent use of hands and fingers to handle materials, samples, and office equipment.
Ability to visually inspect materials and samples with close attention to detail.
Ability to communicate effectively with internal teams and external vendors.
Ability to lift, carry, push, and/or move boxes, samples, and materials up to 30 pounds.
Ability to bend, reach, stoop and navigate office and warehouse environments as needed.

Nice To Haves

WFX experience a plus.
Leather and handbag development experience preferred.

Responsibilities

Receive, process, and check in all incoming packages including leather skins, hardware, trims, and webbing; update material trackers with receipt details, shipping information, and article notes.
Route new material submits to Design for approval and maintain accurate status tracking through the approval process.
Swatch all incoming development materials to R&D approval standards and maintain organized reference binders including core leather, hardware, and color standard references.
Coordinate outbound shipment of RM color standards to vendors and ensure in-house references are current.
Prepare RM handoff binders for cross-functional use at key seasonal milestones.
Monitor hardware, trim, and webbing inventory levels; coordinate with the Raw Materials Manager on reorders and replenishment as needed.
Help pull, label, and ship materials and trims to import vendors for sampling as needed.
Track market sample status and provide seasonal updates to cross-functional partners.
Manage seasonal sample allocation to showrooms via the market sample log, including pulling complete sample sets for multiple showroom locations, supporting in-house photo shoots throughout the year, and managing sample check-in and check-out for both scheduled events and ad hoc internal team requests.
Partner with Product Developers to maintain an organized archive system: ensure samples are properly organized by season, dropped styles are cleared out in a timely manner, and the warehouse archive remains accurate and accessible.
Support sample sale preparation including swatch and quantity handoff coordination.
Maintain an organized and functional PD materials workspace in the warehouse, including hardware and trim shelves and sample inventory.
Develop a strong working knowledge of the seasonal calendar and its impact on the raw material and sample coordinating process.
Manage outgoing shipments for PD and R&D: create shipping labels, pack goods, and coordinate with UPS and other carriers as needed.
Maintain organized market sample storage.
Ensure market samples are being checked in and out properly at each stage.