SPACECRAFT PRODUCT LAB LLC Product Development & Merchandising Manager Vernon, CA · Full time Company website

Apply for Product Development & Merchandising Manager

Since 2002 Spacecraft has always represented exploration. Exploration of Earth, Art, and Culture. Located in the pacific northwest, Spacecraft has morphed to the mountains. As avid users of our environment, we feel a responsibility to maintain and protect the ecosystems around us. We offer a wide range of sustainable clothing materials that can be used for just about anything! We’ve been in the apparel game for Over 20 years and picked up a thing or two. Thanks to our Experience, we’re able to produce Retail ready products that are custom for you and your brand.

This position combines creative merchandising, technical product knowledge, sourcing expertise, vendor management, and project coordination to help clients build outstanding apparel and branded merchandise programs.

Key Responsibilities

Product Development

• Collaborate with customers and sales representatives to develop new apparel and merchandise concepts.
• Recommend garment styles, fabrics, trims, decoration techniques, and finishing options.
• Build complete product solutions that meet customer budgets and branding requirements.
• Create and maintain product specification sheets and development documentation.
• Coordinate sampling, prototypes, approvals, and revisions.

Material & Vendor Sourcing

• Source domestic and international fabrics, trims, labels, packaging, and accessories.
• Develop and maintain relationships with mills, suppliers, manufacturers, and distributors.
• Request and evaluate pricing, lead times, MOQs, and production capabilities.
• Negotiate pricing and identify cost-saving opportunities without sacrificing quality.
• Continuously research new products, materials, decoration techniques, and manufacturing innovations.

Merchandising

• Stay current on apparel trends, retail brands, colors, fabrics, fits, and emerging decoration methods.
• Build curated product presentations for customer pitches.
• Recommend seasonal collections and merchandise assortments.
• Assist in developing SPL’s preferred vendor and product library.

Project Coordination

• Work closely with Sales to ensure quotes accurately reflect sourced materials and production requirements.
• Coordinate with Production to confirm manufacturability before orders are approved.
• Monitor development timelines to ensure projects remain on schedule.
• Resolve sourcing or material issues before they impact production.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with Production, Embroidery, Screen Printing, Cut & Sew, Purchasing, and Operations.
• Participate in customer meetings when technical or sourcing expertise is required.
• Communicate material availability, delays, substitutions, and risks.

Vendor Management

• Evaluate supplier performance on quality, pricing, responsiveness, and delivery.
• Maintain preferred vendor relationships.
• Identify new suppliers that expand SPL’s manufacturing capabilities.

Qualifications

Required

• High school diploma or equivalent.
• 3–5+ years of experience in apparel sourcing, merchandising, product development, or custom manufacturing.
• Strong understanding of garment construction and apparel manufacturing.
• Experience sourcing fabrics, trims, blanks, and production materials.
• Knowledge of embroidery, screen printing, heat transfer, DTF, laser cutting, and sewn products.
• Excellent negotiation and vendor management skills.
• Strong organizational and project management abilities.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel and ERP/order management systems.
• Ability to manage multiple customer development projects simultaneously.

Preferred

• Experience in custom apparel or promotional product manufacturing.
• Existing relationships with apparel suppliers and textile vendors.
• Understanding of overseas manufacturing and importing.
• Experience with costing and margin analysis.
• Knowledge of fashion trends and retail merchandising.
• Familiarity with PLM, ERP, or apparel management software.

Key Performance Indicators

• Material cost savings achieved
• Gross margin improvement
• Sample approval turnaround time
• On-time sourcing for production schedules
• Vendor performance scores
• Customer satisfaction with product recommendations
• Number of new materials/vendors introduced
• Quote turnaround time
• Development projects completed on schedule