Katie Stanford: Director of Product (Development, Sourcing, & Procurement) in Denver, CO

Manage development process of all product lines for all subscription boxes & ecommerce storefronts for company • Maintain strong working relationships with licensing partners • Responsible for all international and domestic product and vendor sourcing, including research and selection of vendors/factories, direct interaction with agents, and production management • Negotiate pricing, timing, and terms for all items; creation of a costing database for the company to track costing and margin history • Coordinate various production schedules/timelines to ensure company meets monthly box shipment deadlines • Create and manage product lifecycle timelines, including box item development planning, product development, sampling, production, testing, and shipment to warehouse • Responsible for all communication with overseas partners (agents, factories) & domestic vendors • Responsible for all product testing and factory audits as required through a variety of licensing agreements

• Managed all product development for Target and Kohl's accounts (combined for nearly 40% of company's total business) • Presented trend overviews, product lines, and POG recommendations to buyers • Managed product Where In Production (WIP) product development schedules & production calendars • Developed & launched new brands within company portfolio, including developing brand guidelines, supporting marketing stories, brand logo/labeling, and product structure • Oversaw development of each product line from initial item concept to final production in all aspects including component approvals, materials, construction techniques, packaging, and testing • Partnered with sourcing dept & overseas teams on factory item sourcing to procure greatest profitability while maintaining/elevating product quality & integrity • Responsible for meeting company/account gross margin targets through product cost negotiations • Developed, maintained, and communicated product technical design specs directly to agents/factories, and reviewed patterns for accuracy • Oversaw daily communication with factories to maintain timely delivery of product • Directly managed a seven-person design team and a five-person product development team

Worked within cross-functional teams (product & marketing) to conceptualize and communicate a focused merchandise message to customers • Regular travel to buying markets, retail trade shows, and major cities for trend research in US and Europe • partnered with senior buyer to track and meet or exceed department and company goals • Presented seasonal trend previews for company-wide annual meetings; styled seasonal photo shoots • Managed all buying aspects of merchandise, including monitoring inventory levels, monthly open to buy (OTB) allotments, weekly markdowns, & weekly sell-thru rates within dept • Responsible for dept P&L by negotiating pricing, vendor terms, and markdown allowances with vendors • Oversaw product development of category, including design, technical design & fit sessions, component & top of production approvals