Director of Product

• Lead milestone readiness: concept reviews, line reviews, fit/PP timelines etc.

The Director of Product leads how Left On Friday brings product to life, owning the strategy, structure and day-to-day execution, turning the creative vision into consistent, scalable results and high-quality product. This role will report into and will work alongside the Creative Director / Chief Innovation Officer and be accountable for building, managing and delivering against the end-to-end product calendar, ensuring the right people are doing the right work at the right time to meet seasonal product milestones and business goals.

Sitting at the center of the product ecosystem, the Director of Product ensures cross-functional collaboration creating clarity and momentum from concept through commercialization. This role champions operational excellence, evolving tools, processes, and workflows that enable teams to work efficiently while maintaining exceptional quality, fit, and craftsmanship.

As a senior leader, the Director of Product provides strong direction and mentorship to the Design, Development, and Fit teams, fostering a high-performing, collaborative team rooted in accountability and continuous improvement. Working closely with leadership, this role plays a critical part in shaping how Left On Friday designs, develops, and scales product, building the foundation that supports growth, innovation, and long-term brand success.

• Build and evolve the long-term operating model for Design, Development & Fit incl. team structure, workflows, systems and tools.
• Translate brand, product, and business strategies into an operational plan with clear seasonal calendars, milestones, and expectations.
• Drive continuous improvement across the Product org by identifying bottlenecks and implementing sustainable, repeatable solutions, guided by clearly defined KPIs.

• Own the end-to-end seasonal product calendar ensuring clarity, accountability, and on-time delivery at every stage.
• Ensure cross-functional alignment with Production, Merchandising, Sourcing, Creative, and brand teams.
• Lead milestone readiness: concept reviews, line reviews, fit/PP timelines etc.

• Implement and optimize PLM workflows and design tools and ensure integration with all other departments' tech stack.
• Standardize best‑practice processes across concepting, design, fit & development, and through to commercialization.
• Drive adoption and training to ensure teams work efficiently and consistently.
• Stay at the forefront of design operations innovation by remaining deeply connected to emerging systems, tools, and best practices, while actively building and maintaining strong industry relationships.

• Lead and grow the Design, Development & Fit teams
• Build strong partnerships with Design, Fit/Development, Production, and cross-functional leaders.
• Create an environment and culture where the team is supported, resourced, and able to do their best work.

• Oversee budget for design operations, samples, tools, contractors, and external partners.
• Create long-term resourcing plans based on business growth and product roadmap.

• Facilitate communication across teams, ensuring the right information flows at the right time.
• Partner with Brand and Merch to ensure product storytelling aligns with product milestones, production deliveries, and brand calendar.

• Work closely with the Fit & Development team to ensure timelines, handoffs, and documentation (tech packs, specs, patterns, sampling) are efficient, accurate and aligned.
• Lead operational excellence across fittings, PP processes, testing, and commercialization.

• Build the operational foundation to support new categories, new channels, and long-term expansion.
• Anticipate future needs and design systems that scale with team size, SKU count, and complexity.

• A strategic & organized product leader with 12+ years of experience in retail brands, ideally in high-growth or founder-led…