Associate Product Manager

LT APPAREL•New York, NY

5d•Onsite

About The Position

We are seeking a highly organized, proactive Associate Product Manager to lead and drive the execution of woven and knit product development across multiple product categories across the Elderwear, adidas uniform and private label. The Associate Product Manager leads the end-to-end execution of product development across assigned categories, ensuring products are delivered on time, within cost targets, manufacturable at scale, and aligned with commercial objectives. This role partners closely with Senior Product Managers, Design, Technical Design, Sourcing, and vendors to ensure products are delivered on time, within cost targets, manufacturable at scale, and aligned with commercial objectives. The Associate Product Manager serves as the operational owner of development processes, proactively managing timelines, resolving issues, driving cross-functional alignment, and minimizing risks to delivery. This position plays a critical role in enabling Senior Product Managers to focus on strategy while ensuring flawless execution across multiple categories.

Requirements

3–6 years of experience in apparel product development, merchandising, or production
Experience managing multiple styles or categories simultaneously
BA degree or equivalent relevant experience
Strong understanding of garment construction, materials, and manufacturing processes
Excellent project management and organizational skills
Ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced environment
Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities
Clear, professional communication across global teams
Proficiency in Excel, Smartsheet, PLM systems
Self-starter with strong accountability and follow-through
Collaborative team player with a results-oriented mindset
Athleticwear brand knowledge

Nice To Haves

Blue Cherry (a plus)
Fluency in conversational Mandarin and Spanish (a plus)

Responsibilities

Own day-to-day execution of product development for all product categories
Drive development from concept through production readiness
Ensure all deliverables meet timeline, cost, quality, and commercial requirements
Proactively identify and resolve issues with minimal escalation
Serve as primary operational contact for assigned programs
Own and maintain development calendars across product lines
Drive milestone adherence for proto, fit, SMS, PP, and TOP stages
Ensure timely sample delivery and approvals
Anticipate risks and implement mitigation plans
Communicate status and critical path updates to stakeholders
Ensure tech packs are complete, accurate, and production-ready
Drive sample development cycles with vendors and internal teams
Oversee product data integrity, line lists, and development change management.
Maintain clear documentation of decisions, revisions, and approvals
Ensure readiness for commercialization and bulk production
Provide development insights and recommendations to Senior Product Managers to support product strategy and assortment planning.
Monitor BOM costs against target margins throughout development
Analyze cost drivers and support value engineering solutions
Provide cost analysis and development insights that inform sourcing and pricing decisions.
Track target vs. actual costs and flag risks early
Balance cost, quality, and speed-to-market considerations
Drive alignment across Design, Technical Design, Sourcing, and Merchandising
Serve as a key liaison with vendors on development execution
Hold partners accountable to timelines and deliverables
Own product meetings, communicate outcomes, and ensure follow-through
Enable efficient decision-making through clear communication and data
Apply knowledge of woven and knit construction to support product feasibility
Evaluate materials, trims, and construction options for manufacturability
Flag technical risks and recommend practical solutions
Convert design objectives into scalable production specifications
Prevent costly development issues
Reduce rework and vendor back-and-forth
Improve first-pass sample success rates
Support both woven and knit product complexities
Maintain assortment tools, trackers, dashboards, and status reports
Provide regular development updates to leadership
Lead seasonal readiness reviews and milestone reporting
Ensure data accuracy across systems and tools
Maintain basic knowledge of applicable product safety and regulatory requirements
Partner with Compliance and Product Integrity teams to support testing and documentation needs
Track testing submissions, approvals, and related milestones during development
Help ensure accurate care labeling, fiber content, and product information
Flag potential compliance concerns to appropriate teams
Support timely approvals and market readiness
Reduce risk of delays due to missing compliance requirements