Associate Product Development Associate

About Us:

Rent the Runway (RTR)  is transforming the way we get dressed by pioneering the world’s first Closet in the Cloud. Founded in 2009, RTR has disrupted the $2.4 trillion fashion industry by inspiring women with a more joyful, sustainable and financially-savvy way to feel their best every day. As the ultimate destination for circular fashion, the brand now offers infinite points of access to its shared closet via a fully customizable subscription to fashion, one-time rental or ownership. RTR offers designer apparel, accessories and home decor from 700 brand partners and has built in-house proprietary technology and a one-of-a-kind reverse logistics operation. Under CEO and Co-Founder Jennifer Hyman’s leadership, RTR has been named to CNBC’s “Disruptor 50” five times in ten years, and has been placed on Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies list multiple times, while Hyman herself has been named to the “TIME 100” most influential people in the world and as one of People magazine’s “Women Changing the World.”

About the Job:

Rent the Runway is looking for an Associate Product Development Manager for Exclusive Designs who can independently manage the design process from concept to warehouse for a tranche of brands while also assisting in other areas of the product development office.  As the Associate, you will leverage our data to partner with designers to create assortments that satisfy customer demand and manage the production process  with our manufacturers.  This is a developmental position that prepares you for a Product Development Manager role.

What You’ll Do:

• Partner with planning, data analytics and designers to own the development lifecycle from end to end for area of responsibility to build successful designer/tastemaker collaborations
• Collaborate with vendors to ensure all styles are sourced in core fabrications and negotiate garment costs with suppliers to hit our internal targets
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• Update and own cost style-level analysis and any iterations based on proto iterations until final style is approved
• Review execution of all development samples and monitor line development activities throughout the season
• Attend all fittings and partner with technical design team & suppliers to ensure we are developing best in class product that leverages our data in decision making
• Support Manager with materials for style out & designer product reviews.
• Manage any product related issues (e.g., sample delivery timing, style execution, costing)
• Communicate all PA / PO information to Product Assistant and manage accuracy and completeness of PO entry and tracking
• Ensure PLM is updated throughout the season by Product Assistant
• Maintains a keen awareness of the changing internal/external business environment (emerging fashion trends,  customer trends, supply chain challenges, sustainability initiatives) and anticipate how these changes impact the business; pro-actively develops course of action to address
• Demonstrates mastery of systems to efficiently find and interpret data essential to making sound business decisions and uses strategic thinking and analysis to drive new ideas and results
• Independently takes the initiative to explore, implement new opportunities and processes
• Acts as a go-to person on the team and is a resource for Product Development Assistant
• Work closely with cross-functional partners in Planning, Creative, Marketing, Operations and Site Merchandising to drive business decisions and successful brand launches.

About You:

• Bachelor’s degree

• Minimum 3-4 years product development skills experience
• Very strong retail math skills and strong understanding of financials (OTB)
• Practice open and continuous communication, values keeping others informed, effective at presenting information in a clear and concise manner
• Excellent leadership, facilitation and interpersonal skills, with the ability to work cross functionally and externally at many levels
• Analytical skills.  Ability to think creatively, strategically and technically

• Self-starter with team-player attitude who takes ownership and initiative and can excel in a fast-paced, high growth environment
• Ability to lead by example with a high standard of professionalism and positive attitude
• Collaborative, enthusiastic and research minded; ability to use feedback from others in a constructive way
• Results and deadline-oriented with a strong sense of follow through 
• Must have strong organizational skills and attention to detail
• Proficient in Microsoft Office (Excel/Word/PowerPoint) and Google Suite.  PLM experience is a plus.  Open to learning new systems.

Benefits:

At Rent the Runway, we’re committed to the wellbeing of our employees, and aim to create a workplace that fosters both personal and professional growth. Our inclusive benefits include, but are not limited to:

• Paid Time Off including vacation, paid bereavement, and family sick leave - every employee needs time to take care of themselves and their family.
• Universal Paid Parental Leave for both parents flexible return to work program  - because we know your newest family member(s) deserve your undivided attention.
• Paid Sabbatical after 5 years of continuous service - Unplug, recharge, and have some fun!
• Exclusive employee subscription and rental discounts -  to ensure you experience the magic of renting the runway (and give us valued feedback!).
• Comprehensive health, vision, dental, FSA and dependent care from day 1 of employment - Your health comes first and we’ve got you covered.
• 401k match - an investment in your future.
• Company wide events and outings - our team spirit is no joke - we know how to have fun!
• Hybrid Work - when our corporate employees return to the office post COVID they will have the option to work remotely 2-3 days a week, in accordance with Company policies. 

COVID-19 VACCINE REQUIREMENT:

RTR is requiring all US corporate employees to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 in order to work in person, unless an employee requires a reasonable accommodation for medical or religious reasons.  If you believe that you may require an accommodation, please apply for any roles that interest you and if hired, you will receive information on how to request a reasonable accommodation after your start date. RTR will evaluate all such requests in accordance with Company policy and applicable law.   

Rent the Runway is an equal opportunity employer. In accordance with applicable law, we prohibit discrimination against any applicant or employee based on any legally-recognized basis, including, but not limited to: race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, lactation, childbirth or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, age (40 and over), national origin or ancestry, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, genetic information (including testing and characteristics), veteran status, uniformed service member status or any other status protected by federal, state or local law.