VP of Product & Merchandising

Overview

ICO Uniforms is a fast-growing, design-driven uniform company serving the hospitality industry. We create and manage large, complex stock product lines that must balance
style, function, durability, and cost
, while meeting the brand standards of image-conscious clients. Our product line is a core competitive advantage, and we are investing in senior product leadership to take it to the next level.

The Role

We are seeking a senior product leader to
own our entire stock product lifecycle
— from line planning and assortment strategy through performance management, evolution, and end-of-life decisions.

This role blends
strategic thinking, aesthetic judgment, and operational rigor
. The ideal candidate has excellent taste, understands style-driven brands, and can also manage deep product complexity across categories, fabrics, fits, trims, and SKUs.

This is not a design-only role and not a sourcing-only role. It is a
true product ownership role
.

Core Responsibilities

• Own long-term and seasonal line planning for ICO’s stock product line
• Define assortment architecture by category, customer type, and usage
• Identify whitespace, redundancies, and opportunities for simplification or expansion
• Balance innovation with continuity for core, high-volume styles
• Curate cohesive assortments that make sense visually, functionally, and commercially
• Ensure consistency in style language, fit philosophy, and brand expression across categories
• Manage complexity across sizes, colors, fabrics, and details without bloating the line

Product Lifecycle Ownership

• Own products from concept to launch to performance optimization to retirement
• Analyze product performance by category, style, and attribute
• Make data-informed decisions on what to scale, refine, rework, or discontinue
• Partner with sourcing, production, and sales to ensure products meet margin, quality, and delivery targets

Aesthetic & Brand Stewardship

• Bring strong aesthetic judgment to all product decisions
• Ensure products align with ICO’s brand positioning and our clients’ image standards
• Understand how hospitality clients think about appearance, durability, and cost tradeoffs
• Translate abstract brand or client needs into concrete product decisions

Cross-Functional Leadership

• Work closely with Sales, Operations, Sourcing, Marketing, and Leadership
• Help Sales understand the “why” behind the product line and how to position it
• Serve as the internal authority on the product line — structure, intent, and evolution

Qualifications & Background

Required

• Senior experience in
  product management, merchandising, or product strategy
• Background with
  style-driven or image-conscious brands
  (e.g., apparel, fashion, uniforms, lifestyle, footwear)
• Demonstrated ownership of
  large, complex product assortments
• Strong aesthetic sensibility combined with commercial discipline
• Highly organized; comfortable managing extensive product details and SKUs
• Experience using product performance data to inform decisions

Strongly Preferred

• Experience in B2B apparel, uniforms, or functional clothing
• Exposure to hospitality, service, or image-sensitive environments
• Experience working with overseas manufacturing or complex supply chains
• Prior leadership experience (formal or informal)

What Success Looks Like

• A clearer, more intentional product line architecture
• Stronger performance visibility by category and style
• Fewer redundant or underperforming SKUs
• Products that feel more cohesive, modern, and purposeful
• Sales teams that understand and trust the product strategy