Rhone · 1 month ago
VP, Product Development
Stamford, CT
Full-time
Onsite
Director/Executive
15+ years expRhone is a performance-driven apparel company that inspires individuals in their pursuit of progress. The Vice President, Product Development will lead the end-to-end development of Men’s and Women’s performance apparel, ensuring product quality, fit, and performance while guiding the team through development milestones and vendor management.
ApparelE-CommerceRetail
Responsibilities
Lead the product development and materials organization across categories, ensuring alignment with brand vision, performance standards, and global growth plans
Develop the long-range product development and materials strategy informed by innovation, marketplace analytics, consumer insights, and sustainability initiatives
Define development frameworks that balance creativity, technical performance, cost, quality, and speed-to-market
Oversee end-to-end development from proto through adoption, costing, fit, approvals, commercialization, and production handoff
Partner with Merchandising and Design to ensure clear product value propositions, SKU optimization, margin integrity, and successful category adoption
Lead technical milestone meetings—including proto reviews, fit sessions, approval checkpoints, and cross-functional readiness reviews
Uphold design integrity, fit consistency, performance attributes, and brand standards across all product lines
Own fabric and material strategy to development, including research, innovation, sourcing, testing, performance validation, and compliance
Develop breakthrough materials and performance technologies that differentiate the brand and elevate product quality
Lead mill and supplier partnerships to drive innovation, exclusives, cost efficiencies, and sustainability to build future franchises
Advance sustainability goals through preferred fibers, responsible materials, reduced-impact finishes, circularity initiatives, and supply chain traceability
Own the development costing process, ensuring IMU, AUC, and profitability targets are achieved across categories
Drive calendar discipline and optimize workflows, adoption rates, proto efficiency, and speed-to-market
Partner with Technology to modernize systems including PLM, 3D prototyping, AI sampling, digital material libraries, and development automation
Build scalable processes that support brand growth across DTC, wholesale, and retail channels
Work closely with Supply Chain, Technical Design, Production, Planning, Merchandising, Quality, and Marketing to ensure successful development and commercialization
Communicate development milestones, material needs, and sample expectations clearly and consistently to internal teams and suppliers
Strengthen operational alignment across the go-to-market calendar
Build, mentor, and inspire a high-performing team across materials, development, and technical functions
Foster a culture of collaboration, innovation, accountability, and continuous improvement
Qualification
Required
15+ years of product development, materials, or technical leadership experience—ideally in performance apparel, athleisure, or activewear
Bachelor's degree required; advanced coursework or continuing education preferred
Deep expertise in fabrics, fibers, trims, materials testing, sourcing, development, and commercialization
Strong understanding of performance materials, functional construction, costing, and supply chain dependencies
Proven experience leading global, cross-functional teams and managing varied vendor networks
Extensive experience with overseas suppliers, including strong negotiation skills and deep manufacturing knowledge
Demonstrated success improving speed-to-market, calendar management, and product lifecycle efficiency
Experience modernizing development capabilities (PLM, 3D tools, digital sampling, AI-driven technologies)
Proven ability to partner cross-functionally and influence at the executive level
Strong interpersonal, communication, and people-leadership skills
Highly organized with excellent attention to detail, time management, and decision-making skills
Domestic and international travel required
Full Time - 5 days a week in office
Preferred
advanced coursework or continuing education preferred
Benefits
Access to healthcare including medical, dental, vision, and other ancillary benefits.
10 Company Holidays Annually.
Discretionary Time Off Policy.
Advancement Opportunities.
Discount on clothing plus semi-annual gift card allotment.
Company
Rhone
Rhone is performance driven apparel made by and for those in the pursuit of progress.
51-200 employees
Funding
Current Stage
Growth StageTotal Funding
$37.04MKey Investors
L Catterton
2022-07-01Series Unknown
2019-03-08Series Unknown· $9.9M
2019-03-07Series C· $1.43M
Leadership Team
Nate Checketts
CEO | Co-Founder
Matthew Wallace
Chief Operating Officer
Recent News
2026-01-22
PR Newswire
2025-11-19
PR Newswire
2024-06-04
Company data provided by crunchbase