Vice President of Product: Development, Design, Sourcing and Quality

Hello, we are glad you're here!

We've got an inspiring story to tell and a growing brand focused on improving the lives of millions. You have the broad product experience we need to fuel the continued growth of our business, brand, and culture. The products you and your team create are blank canvases for our positive art and messages. When people wear our t-shirts or use our beach chairs, they are choosing optimism. You and your team will help our customers find new ways to wear and share their beliefs that Life is Good and that optimism is a choice.

Does this sound like you?

You have deep experience in the apparel industry. You have personally led a broad team that includes designers, tech designers, product managers, production art, sourcing, and quality. You do your best work with your sleeves rolled up, leading people and driving innovation while managing workload and process. Your experience includes hands-on leadership of a growing consumer-centric brand, all aspects of product creation, execution, and quality. You understand that this is not a fashion-oriented business. Our products, while improving in fit, quality, and durability each year, are classics.

Requirements

REQUIRED EXPERIENCE
You have 10 years of experience in building, leading, and retaining product team members

You are skilled at identifying the right talent for each role you lead: Design, Sourcing, Product Development, Production Art, and Quality

You have led business growth and profitability in eCommerce, wholesale and retail channels by creating great product

You have contributed to a positive environment that encourages creativity, championing new ideas, new methodologies, and resourcefulness

Your past work includes examples of skillful and successful negotiation and conflict resolution

You are known for your ability to speak, write, and present clearly, simply, and succinctly

IMPORTANT DETAILS

• This application requires a significant commitment to answering specific questions. You may want to compose your answers outside of this app and paste them once you're satisfied with your composition, spelling, grammar, and tone. We can't consider incomplete applications.
• Our market-based compensation strategy determines base pay for our jobs. You can use any of the publicly available tools to predict what you might earn here. All permanent roles are eligible for an annual bonus based on company performance, to which you will make a significant contribution.
• This role is based in Boston. You'll work on-site Wednesdays and Thursdays each week.
• Everyone who applies will get a response from a human. Although we love and use AI regularly, you're about to put a lot of heart and skill into this application and deserve a human response. You'll get one. If you don't answer the questions or meet the requirements below, you'll get a swift and kind rejection.

Pay Transparency:
We post our jobs on a collection of sites. Not all of them portray accurate information about our compensation ranges. For years, we've used a market-based approach to determine starting pay for all roles at Life is Good. We encourage you to explore reputable salary calculators like Salary.com or PayScale and, using accurate data for the apparel industry, this job (from the job description), our company size (under 300 people), location (Boston), and the required experience for this role (10 years or less), you will see the pay range for this role.

Ready to learn more about the job? Read on...:

YOUR OBJECTIVE: You will ensure that the Life is Good product line offers an assortment of appealing, high-quality canvasses for the original art and messages created by our product graphics team. Provide leadership, structure, planning, accountability, coordination, and execution of all aspects of product, design, development, sourcing, and premium quality at Life is Good.

YOUR JOB

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Leadership: Manage/lead a large team encompassing Global Sourcing, Quality, Product Management, Production Art, Product Design, and Technical Design.

Product Development/Sourcing: Oversee sourcing and development of apparel, accessories, and specialty products, including both foreign and domestic sources, and our in-house production. Execute to achieve targeted gross margin matrix based on the needs of the business units.

Quality: Responsible for the quality of all Life is Good products, human rights, and code of conduct.

Product Management: Oversee the company’s product development calendar, build assortments that support the revenue targets of the business units, and oversee the selection of materials, components, and construction options to meet quality and product cost targets. Oversee the briefing process for product graphics.

Production Art: Upon receipt of product graphics, oversee the process by which original artwork is transformed into production-ready mechanicals, inclusive of ink color, strike-offs, and file creation for both external and internal production teams.

Design: Oversee the creation of seasonal assortments for the business units and select retailers. Work closely with the Partnerships Team to ensure all licensed products reflect Life is Good’s design style, feature appropriate and precise execution of Life is Good Art and Message, and meet Life is Good’s quality and product safety standards.
Financial: Develop the annual department budget and manage to meet the approved level of spending

Collaboration: Collaborate with other company leaders (eCommerce, Wholesale, Partnerships, Brand Marketing, Finance, Operations, People, Legal, and Product Graphics) to meet company goals

Your Personal Attributes

• You are an enthusiastic brand ambassador and a cultural leader
• You embody the Life is Good mission and values at all times
• You exhibit a player-coach approach to your work
• You speak and write clearly, simply, and succinctly
• You present a consistently steady and optimistic demeanor
• You share our passion for social impact

How you’ll know you’re successful

• You and your team meet your annual goals
• You will have delivered and executed short- and long-term product strategies
• You will have developed strong internal and external relationships that fuel the brand
• Our President and Co-founders trust you to be the lead representative of the brand to product partners
• Others view you as a brand leader, a “company first” role model who seeks to enhance our brand, business, community, and culture

Benefits

We are located in the innovative and thriving Fort Point neighborhood. Our community is full of green space, outstanding food, and entertainment options. We offer top quality Medical, Dental, Vision, Flexible Spending Accounts, Transit or Parking Reimbursement Accounts, Life, AD&D, Short and Long-Term Disability, 401(k) with a match, Paid Time off, 10 paid holidays, Good Vibes Time (we pay you to volunteer for the non-profit cause of your choice) and Family Time. And we have dogs. You’ll be involved in growing our social mission through the Playmaker Project.

Life is Good is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate against otherwise qualified applicants on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, sex, age, mental or physical disability, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender orientation or expression, marital status or veteran status, or any other legally protected characteristic under applicable federal or state law.