Product Developer, Men's Apparel

Why J.McLaughlin?

Founded on the Upper East Side of New York City by brothers Jay and Kevin McLaughlin, J.McLaughlin was built on a simple idea: great style feels personal.

From a single neighborhood shop to nearly 200 stores nationwide, we have always believed in being local and loyal—to our customers, our communities, and one another. Today, nearly 1,000 employees bring the brand to life across the country, from Maine to Maui.

For over 20 years, our corporate home has been in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, where creativity, craftsmanship, and collaboration continue to shape our next chapter.

Giving back is part of who we are. We support the communities we serve through local partnerships, charitable initiatives, and a belief that businesses should leave places better than they found them.

Overview

We are seeking a Product Developer to join our Product Development team. This role supports the development and execution of seasonal collections for all Men’s Apparel categories from concept through production readiness while maintaining the brand’s standards for quality, fit, and consistency.

This position partners closely with Design, Merchandising, Technical Design, Raw Materials, and Production to help translate creative concepts into commercially viable products while supporting a collaborative, high-performing, and values-driven workplace.

This position is primarily based in our Greenpoint, Brooklyn office.

About the role

Essential Functions

• Drive the product development lifecycle from concept handoff through production approval.
• Manage seasonal development calendars and milestone tracking to ensure deadlines are met.
• Coordinate sample development across all stages (proto, fit, and pre-production) to ensure timely delivery and feedback.
• Identify potential development risks and escalate issues to support on-time delivery.
• Partner with Raw Materials and Sourcing teams to track cost targets and maintain visibility throughout development.
• Own the costing calculation and responsible for meeting margin goal.
• Serve as a key point of coordination between Design, Technical Design, Raw Materials, Sourcing, and Production.
• Translate design concepts into clear development requirements for vendors.
• Communicate with overseas vendors to track sample status, timelines, and development updates.
• Ensure vendors are meeting sampling timelines and development expectations.
• Collaborate with Technical Design to help maintain product intent through the development process.
• Evaluate construction feasibility and recommend improvements where appropriate.
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date product data in PLM systems.
• Participate in fittings, line reviews, and cross-functional meetings to support the seasonal development process.
• Support process improvements and organizational initiatives across the product development lifecycle.
• Occasional travel to vendors, factories, or other business locations may be required.
• Support vendor communication and performance tracking throughout the development process.
• Prepare for milestone meetings, fittings, and line reviews.
• Maintain organized development documentation and records.

Additional Responsibilities

• Perform other related duties as assigned.

Other duties

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

What we are looking for

Skills & Requirements:

• 5-7 years of product development experience
• Strong knowledge of garment construction, fit, grading, and fabrication
• Experience working across multiple apparel categories required.
• Experience with raw material development preferred
• Overseas vendor communication and development experience
• Ability to manage multiple seasonal deadlines simultaneously
• Strong cross-functional communication, partnership and problem-solving skills
• Detail-oriented with strong commercial awareness
• Proficiency in PLM systems and Microsoft Office

Physical Requirements:

• Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk, working on a computer, standing and bending.

• Must be able to lift 15 pounds occasionally.
• Must be able to access and navigate various departments at the organization’s facilities.

Benefits at a Glance

At J.McLaughlin, we design our benefits with the same c…