Director Product Development - India Franchise
Gap
About the Role
The Director of Product Development is a leadership role within our Product team, focused on driving local sourcing initiatives for the India market. Created during a period of significant growth, this newly established position plays a pivotal role in shaping the future of our localized product development and sourcing strategy in the region.You will have deep expertise in sourcing and developing a product aesthetic for global iconic brands, with a strong track record of building and executing robust sourcing strategies, coupled with a strong passion for fabric and product creation within global quality standards and the ability to influence strategic direction with external partners.
You must be a leader who thrives in a matrix organization and can successfully collaborate and influence cross-functional teams across Gap Inc. and manage external partners, vendors and agencies.
What You'll Do
Develop exclusive products for the local franchise market, and work in partnership with the Franchise Product teams in creating assortments that meet market-specific customer needs, grow market share, and are aligned to the overall brand strategy
Build and strengthen strategic relationships with franchise partner and successfully collaborate across varied functions and levels with stakeholders to drive results and influence strategic sourcing direction
Own end-to-end product development process for locally sourced products, from fabric development through to order placement, ensuring alignment with brand aesthetic, quality standards, and service level agreements.
Develop and implement scalable processes that support product excellence, technical design, product integrity, and safety compliance.
Influence vendor strategy and sourcing initiatives to drive responsive capabilities to support partner’s business needs for closer in-market decisions and replenishment
Develop fabric strategy initiatives with partner to support responsive supply chain, differentiated market needs while aligning with global aesthetic and standards
Partner closely with franchise business partner to monitor and influence local sourcing initiatives, ensuring timely product approvals and vendor onboarding.
Serve as the primary liaison between partner, Gap Inc.’s strategic vendors and GIS leadership, facilitating domestic production to support key product initiatives tailored for the local market
Support the design team in aligning locally sourced products with brand vision and quality expectations.
Work with Sourcing central teams to ensure quality assurance, technical design, and compliance standards are met across all locally sourced products.
Serve as a key member of the cross-functional leadership team, contributing to strategic planning and execution of growth initiatives.
Who You Are
Previous experience in retail/apparel license and wholesale businesses
12+ years of experience, including significant apparel sourcing, fabric development, product development, and/or production experience
Thrives in a highly collaborative environment, working with diverse cultures, and influencing people
Exceptional analytical and problem-solving skills
Strong project management and communication skills as well as ability to work successfully with peers, teams, and executives in a matrixed organization
Strong change management, strategy, and operational experience
Strong influencing skills to both internal and external stakeholders
Strong oral, written and formal presentation skills including the ability to communicate complex ideas in a simple way
Strong interpersonal skills, works well as a part of a cross-functional team and can influence and interact at all levels of the organization
Ability to work in and bring structure to ambiguous environments