Product Manager - Apparel & Sourcing - Retrokid Inc.

Full-time, in-office/remote hybrid

$95,000 annually

Company Description:

Founded in 2019, Retrokid has quickly become one of North America's fastest growing pop culture brands celebrating childhood memories, forgotten favourites, authentic collaborations, timeless designs, original products, and quality apparel.

Partnering with some of the industry's biggest studios, Retrokid has seen incredible success merchandising classic brands including Sesame Street, Fraggle Rock, and The Flintstones, and has become the leading partner to re-establish forgotten brands like The Big Comfy Couch, Nanalan, and Arthur.

With a focus on elevating streetwear through premium apparel and accessories, Retrokid is poised to change the landscape with expansion into larger studio collaborations, live events, extended product lines, and one of a kind pop-up experiences.

Job Description:

Reporting directly to the CEO, the Product Manager will take full ownership of our product lifecycle - from sourcing and development to vendor management, designing, sourcing, production, and final delivery at our fulfillment centre. You will be a key player in shaping our product roadmap and ensuring operational excellence across every phase of our product, from cradle to grave.

Success in this role will include sourcing and vetting new suppliers with a heavy focus on overseas production ie. China and/or India, negotiating pricing and economies of scale, sourcing new types of apparel, pop-culture products and accessories, and taking complete ownership of vendor/supplier management across multiple time zones, day or night.

The right candidate will come fully equipped with qualified connections to overseas factories and vendors and will leverage their existing relationships to help bring Retrokid into a new era of production and manufacturing with a focus on profitability and expanded SKU assortment.

At Retrokid, we bring passion and beloved memories to every brand we work with. It's equally important that our staff live and breathe our industry, meaning a deep understanding of North American pop culture and nostalgia, is of vital importance to this role.

Responsibilities:

Sourcing & Development

• Identify and evaluate overseas factories and suppliers aligned with our brand standards, licensor guidelines and product needs.
• Source materials and develop product lines in collaboration with the design and marketing teams.
• Lead product sampling, approvals, and iteration cycles.
• Create product lookbooks and style guides for all collections.
• Champion the entire product lifecycle from cradle to grave.

Vendor & Factory Management

• Leverage existing relationships with overseas manufacturers and suppliers to establish efficient, reliable supply chains.
• Maintain and grow vendor relationships to ensure consistent quality, cost efficiency, and product breadth.
• Conduct regular vendor reviews to ensure compliance with timelines, specifications, quality and licensor requirements.

Production & Pricing

• Oversee end-to-end production planning and execution, including timelines, demand planning, and quality assurance.
• Negotiate unit pricing and terms with suppliers to optimize margins while maintaining quality standards.
• Track and manage product costs to ensure alignment with financial targets.

Logistics & End-of-life

• Coordinate shipments and manage all logistics from overseas factories to our fulfillment center from A to B.
• Ensure all deliverables meet internal specs and are delivered on time, on-budget and in full (OTIF).
• Partner with fulfillment and operations teams for smooth handoff of inventory and product readiness.
• Manage inventory counts and overall end-of-life strategy for all SKUs.

Additional

• Produce sample products to deliver to studios and licensors as per contract requirements.
• Collaborate with other internal teams (Product, Design, Marketing, Finance).
• Assist at all external events (Comic Con, pop-up events, etc.), including set up and teardown.
• Additional tasks as necessary.

Requirements:

• 4-6 years' experience in Overseas Sourcing in fashion and apparel/soft goods.
• 4-6 years' experience in a Product Management role in consumer retail goods.
• 4-6 years' experience in a Product Development role in consumer retail goods.
• First-hand experience developing a consumer retail product from start to finish.
• Established vendor relationships, especially in key production hubs such as China, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Mexico or India.
• Strong understanding of apparel construction and embellishments, materials, technical packs, quality standards, and fashion.
• Proven ability to negotiate pricing, manage end-to-end supply chain, and production processes.
• Experience managing offshore production and international shipping logistics.
• Experience in sourcing of toys, collectibles, pins, and other conversion items is not required, but considered an asset.
• Prior experience in eCommerce, retail or office environment is a big plus.
• Valid passport with the ability to travel throughout North America.
• Solutions-based thinker who thrives in a fast-paced work environment.
• Advanced familiarity of current and nostalgic pop culture from the '80s, '90s, '00s.
• Familiar with MS Office: Excel, Outlook, Powerpoint, Slack, Canva, Adobe Suite
• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills.
• Comfortable with managing suppliers in foreign time zones, day or night, after-hours.
• Ability to manage multiple projects concurrently while maintaining attention to detail.
• Availability to respond to issues and crises outside typical business hours.
• Must be able to travel to Ajax, Ontario at least 3 days per week.

Perks:

• Employee discounts on all products and collections.
• Monthly cell phone compensation.
• Mental health day allowances.
• Paid vacation and sick days.
• Flexible hours to accommodate your life outside of work.
• Opportunities for personal growth and professional development.