Wild Rye:
Product Development and Production Associate Job in Ketchum, ID

Wild Rye is a small, growing brand based in Sun Valley, ID that’s dedicated to crafting beautiful and technical mountain apparel for all who identify as women that fits, inspires confidence and welcomes more women into the outdoors. We’re a small but mighty team looking for some added (wo)man power. Wild Rye is seeking an individual with an entrepreneurial spirit who’s a passionate user of technical products to join our four-person, rapidly growing team at our HQ in Idaho!

You:

The ideal candidate is an ambitious, flexible and hardworking person with a passion for product, from sourcing recycled materials, geeking out on key features and perfecting women’s fit. As a part of the Wild Rye team, you will be expected to wear many hats within the product world, so small business experience is a plus. That said, we’re specifically seeking a unicorn that has technical product skills and organization that spans product ideation to delivery. This person should be a technical apparel user (cyclist and snowsports enthusiast in particular) that keeps an eye on the fashion industry. The right candidate should be someone who is detail-oriented, self-motivated and willing and excited to learn all aspects of a growing outdoor brand during a high-growth period. Please be aware that job function will grow and evolve with our brand growth, so flexibility is a must!

Passion for the Wild Rye lifestyle is, in this case, not just a plus but a must. Passion for elevating women in the outdoors & in business is also a must (like it is for everyone on our team). Wild Rye deeply values diversity and inclusivity, we strongly encourage traditionally under-represented folx to apply.

The Job:

This person will be the liaison and point person for all things product between our out-of-house design lead, our factories and internal stakeholders. This person will lead information and data management, product creation and development, production, go-to-market processes and some evaluation of growth opportunities as it pertains to Wild Rye’s product lines.

Specific Job Duties

• Coordinate/manage the entire product lifecycle from idea to delivery
• Have a background in technical product development
• Support the creative delivery of product pngs (from CAD illustrations created by designer), line drawings and product imagery
• Lead, with the support of CEO and designer, product growth and SKU management
• Research future product trajectory and trends
• Have a pulse on competitors products and pricing and the fashion industry
• Request & manage timeline for strike offs, lab dips and trim approvals
• Manage BOM and tech pack edits
• Assist with fittings & fit comments
• Maintain & oversee all fabric inquiries (pricing, availability, sourcing, etc) with guidance from team.
• Request specs & input into tech packs before fitting.
• Track status/timeline of all samples and production
• Create & resize PNGs for catalogs
• Create/manage trim requests & sourcing
• Factory communication in relation to development in conjunction with out-of-house (remote) designer.
• Create & maintain organization system for all fabric headers in office

Qualifications & Skills:

• Must be detail oriented but able to present the big picture.
• Works effectively within a team. #teamworkmakesthedreamwork
• Garment construction knowledge
• Knowledge of lifestyle and technical knit & woven fabrications
• Must be a technical products user, specifically within bike, snow and general outdoor
• Experience with sourcing & managing supplier relationships
• Factory communication & development experience required
• Skilled in creation of tech packs and BOMs
• Garment fitting experience
• Proficiency in Excel and Adobe Illustrator, light graphic design work required.
• 3+ years of product development and/or production experience.
• Degree in apparel, operations, business, or related field, preferred.
• Demonstrable successes in managing apparel or equipment lines. Particularly interested in smaller brand experience.
• Super bonus: you have experience merchandising / buying too!