Product Development Associate, Accessories

KITH

2d•$70,000 - $75,000•Onsite

About The Position

The Product Development Associate, Accessories supports the end-to-end development of seasonal accessories and lifestyle collections, partnering closely with Product Development, Design, Production, and cross-functional teams to bring product from concept through pre-production. This role plays a critical part in managing timelines, maintaining accurate product data, and coordinating with global factory partners to ensure products meet brand standards for design, quality, cost, and delivery. The ideal candidate is highly organized, detail-driven, and thrives in a fast-paced, collaborative environment where precision and proactive communication are essential to success.

Requirements

3–5 years of product development experience within accessories and/or lifestyle categories.
Experience working across men’s, women’s, and/or kids markets preferred.
Solid understanding of basic accessories and garment construction.
Strong organizational skills with exceptional attention to detail and the ability to manage multiple priorities under tight timelines.
Analytical and problem-solving mindset with the ability to balance creative vision and commercial objectives.
Effective communication, relationship-building, and presentation skills.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office and PLM systems; Google Sheets experience a plus.

Responsibilities

Support the Product Development Manager across multiple accessories projects each season in a fast-paced environment.
Manage the product lifecycle from initial sketch through pre-production samples, collaborating closely with Design, Production, and cross-functional partners.
Meet weekly with Design to review outstanding collections, development status, timelines, fabrics, trims, and allocation needs.
Build and maintain seasonal WIP once collections are confirmed, ensuring all style details are accurate and up to date.
Create and manage style numbers, color codes, and SKU-level details for all products.
Maintain accurate and complete product data within PLM and internal systems.
Build BOMs for all SKUs in PLM, ensuring materials, trims, and construction details are clearly documented.
Develop and maintain a material and trim library across all factory partners.
Assist with assigning and validating HTS codes for each SKU in collaboration with the Logistics team.
Create and distribute seasonal Time & Action (T&A) calendars to factories, clearly outlining milestones, due dates, and expectations.
Prepare and maintain seasonal Product Knowledge documentation for each SKU.
Communicate daily with vendors and factories regarding development status, samples, pricing, MOQs, and timelines.
Track sample requests, submissions, approvals, and revisions to ensure development stays on schedule.
Review weekly factory WIPs and update shared tracking tools accordingly.
Support the PD Manager in launching development trials for new techniques, materials, or constructions as needed each season.
Assist with overseas development shipments, including preparing reference materials, trims, fabrics, samples, and shipping documentation.
Assist with cost analysis, margin targets, and pricing discussions; support cost negotiations with suppliers as needed.
Ensure samples align with design intent, quality standards, and timeline requirements.
Receive, check in, and organize all samples and trims by development stage and corresponding collections.
Prepare samples and racks for internal reviews and Buy meetings, partnering with Design and Raw Materials teams to ensure all required components (lab dips, CADs, reference materials) are included.