Category Head - Apparel Retail Firm

We have an opportunity of Category Head-Men's inner wear category with a leading apparel retail organization based at Bangalore.

Looking candidates with 10-15 years of experience dealing with Men's inner wear category and have gained expertise in product development, costing and category management.

Qualification : PGD/B.Tech-GMT/Design/Textile Technology from NIFT or institute of similar repute.

Job Description :

Purpose of the job :

- To create an effective product-MRP grid and drive implementation of design in line with the cost and pricing guidelines to achieve the desired multiples.

Role & Responsibilities :

Market / Trend Analysis :

- Understands the customer / channel requirements from the buyers and sales teams

- Does past performance analysis as well as market / competition analysis for trends and price changes

Option Planning :

- Prepares the product-pricing mix for the season including new product innovations, if any

- Provides the design brief to the design team, comprising the option plan (fit and number of options per MRP) and the range assortment plan (styles and fashion elements) required to meet the needs of various channels

Design Review & Initial costing :

- Actively participates in critical design aspects as relevant to the brand(s) (for e.g. color decisions or choice of fabric based on cost - fabric grid);

- Once the design team is ready with the collection for a season, does the initial review and docket costing factoring in the quality requirements and the brand DNA;

Sampling Coordination & Cost / MRP finalization :

- Hands over to sourcing for sampling with the details of fabrics & trims as well as cost guidelines; coordinates for yardage and trim development; updates sample development details in SAP;

- Once sample is approved by design, reviews sampling cost given by sourcing / vendors and finalizes MRP to achieve required multiple; ensures that the fabric & trim inventory levels are managed optimally.

Roadshow :

- Presents the range along with Design team to the Business Head and finalizes the collection for road-show

- Facilitates the creation of roadshow to influence buyers from various channels on the season's collection and ensure minimum buy.

Production Handover :

- Studies the orders from road-show against the buying grid and finalizes the production plan to be handed over to Sourcing and SCM.

- Handles all sample reviews prior to bulk production (Gold Seal, Wash and Shipment samples) and does cost closure with Sourcing; monitors weekly production status along with SCM to ensure on-time delivery.

Sell-through analysis :

- Follows sales performance across channels, analyzes (along with design team) the market response to the season's designs and incorporates the feedback into next season's planning phase.