Senior Product Developer
ABOUT US
Stio® is an omni-channel mountain brand that designs, develops and sells beautiful, functional, and innovative apparel, footwear and other accessories infused with the soul of the mountain lifestyle. With headquarters in Jackson, Wyoming, Stio draws inspiration from the surrounding Teton Range and offers product via Stio.com, catalog and its Mountain Studio® retail locations.
We live and love mountain life, and as such see ourselves as caretakers of the resources that provide it. We are proud partners of Protect Our Winters and the Conservation Alliance among many other organizations. We have a strong preferred materials platform, use Bluesign® approved textiles wherever possible, audit our supply chains for best practices, and operate our workplaces responsibly.
We think that outside is the best side and that you can’t improve on nature. It’s good for mind, body and soul, and it’s our responsibility to help enable access for all people, regardless of race, gender, beliefs, background or ability. We strive for inclusion at Stio and in our local and national communities.
YOUR ROLE
The Senior Product Developer (SPD) at Stio® executes all aspects of technical product development focused on apparel and accessories. Driving to seasonal timeline, production standards, materials, positioning and company margin objectives, the SPD owns fit excellence, fit consistency, pattern study, construction quality, BOM ownership, and costing support for each of their products. In partnership with Design, Materials & Product Line Management, and Production/Sourcing and with support from a team of other skilled developers, the SPD creates products in alignment with our premium brand and consideration of function, end use, competitive landscape, and trend. The SPD partners with Product Development Director (PPD) to make final product construction, fit and costing decisions then clearly communicates the technical design, feature benefit and detail associated with each commercialized product to support cross functional teams and go to market strategies. The SPD also will support creation and maintenance of tools and processes to gain efficiencies and consistency.
YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES
- Demonstrate effective, efficient, and timely communication throughout the product development team. Challenge the team to ensure execution excellence of each product.
- Collaborate with the Product Development Director to ensure successful execution of KPs laid out in OKRs.
- Effectively manage factory relationships including development timelines, execution excellence, communication and expectations, including product specifications.
- Support the product development process for products considerate of materials and construction that meet design and business (PLM) expectations and achieve gross margin targets
- Track the development schedule of all assigned products to ensure timely completion of development according to the GTM and product calendars & target factory approval dates.
- Execute technical development of the assigned range to ensure top quality construction suited for the materials and end use of the product. Ensure development testing is performed: at factory, 3rd party vendors, and internal (wash/wear tests) as appropriate for each style.
- Lead and execute fit intent (silhouette) considerate of brand fit classification, consistency, design, end use, and intent of the product through clear analysis, documentation, communication and adherence to fit and brand identity standards
- Create, implement, and maintain resources (blocks, base specs, patterns, POMS, grade rules) to deliver consistent fit across categories and end uses
- Participate in the creation and implementation of construction standards to deliver consistent efficient quality constructions across categories and end uses
- Create, maintain and publish all digital and physical records associated with styles including but not limited to measurements, Bill of Materials, technical sketches, proto comments and revisions, competitor references and associated samples
- Partner with PDD and factories to develop new construction techniques, processes and samples needed to create innovative and technically sound products
- Troubleshoot construction challenges guiding design and production teams, creating detail sketches or mockups, and presenting solutions for adoption
- Own hand off of production ready product to production team by delivering completed specification for each product and all product records with complete and accurate Tech Pack sketch, Color BOM, Measurement details, internal and external development testing data with consideration to special attention for quality
- Support product marketing through education of fit and feature benefits of the seasonal product range during key milestone meetings throughout the development process
- Support Sales and Marketing teams by providing quality protos to be used as sales assets for sell-in, and lifestyle imagery for Marketing.
- Maintain Centric PLM system as the primary platform for all product creation data, PIMberly for Feature Benefits, Fit descriptions, and Garment Dimensions
- Scrutinize tools and processes and provide solutions for improvement
YOUR SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE
- Bachelor’s degree required, additional education preferred
- 7+ years product development, technical development or technical design with a successful record of bringing performance product to market required
- Expert skills in in fit, pattern evaluation, and product construction
- Professional application of Adobe Creative Suite, Microsoft Office and PLM required
- 3D design/Tech Dev experience preferred but not required.
- Strong attention to detail, especially as it relates to sewing techniques, fit evaluation with body in motion, material drape and application
- Experience in technical outerwear, including GoreTex and Down is preferred, experience in sportswear, logowear (graphics) and / or baselayers is required
- Exceptional interpersonal skills with the ability to communicate with teams at every level of seniority
- Project management skills managing each product from concept to production
- Excellent verbal communication skills required
- Proactive, team player with excellent time management skills
- International and Domestic travel as needed up to 30% of the year
- Commitment to our company mission, vision and values
THE FINE PRINT
- Must be able to remain in a stationary position and move around the office space
- Must have suitable office space with good lighting, measuring area and tools, and space for several protos.
- Must be able to obtain suitable fit models in your location
- International travel requirements approximately 2 weeks per year
- Role is remote with approximately 6, week long trips to Stio Headquarters
- Medical, Dental Vision plans
- Company Paid Long Term Disability
- Employee Assistance Program
- 401k with Match
- Generous paid time off policies
- Gear test, perks, and more
We provide competitive compensation packages, inclusive of base pay, incentives and benefits. The base salary range for this role is $80,000-$115,000. It would not be typical for someone to be hired at the top end of the range for the role, as actual pay will be determined based on several factors including experience, skills, and qualifications.
This job description is not necessarily an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, skills, duties, requirements, efforts, or working conditions associated with the job. While this is intended to be an accurate reflection of the current job, we reserve the right to revise the job or to require that other or different tasks be performed. Stio is an equal opportunity employer of all qualified individuals, including minorities, BIPOC, LGBTQ+, veterans & individuals with disabilities.