Senior Product Development Manager

At Kotn, we're reimagining the way our everyday items are made and purchased, beginning with your wardrobe, setting a new standard for social impact and traceability. Founded in February 2015, Kotn has been featured in over 80 publications such as New York Times, GQ, Vogue, Elle, and The Wall St. Journal. Kotn was founded in Toronto by three best friends, who were fed up with compromising on quality, design, sustainability, brand experience, and price.

As a Senior Product Development Manager at Kotn, you will lead our product development function end-to-end, from initial concept through to commercialization. This role sits at the intersection of design, sourcing, and production and is central to how we bring high-quality, ethically made essentials to life. You'll own the full PD lifecycle, work cross-functionally with our design, merchandising, and supply chain teams, and help shape the systems and processes that support Kotn's continued growth.

This is a full-time, in-office position based in Toronto, ON.

What you'll be working on:

Product Development Leadership (40%)

• Own Kotn's product development roadmap across categories, ensuring alignment with brand strategy and seasonal timelines.
• Lead development from concept handoff through sampling, approval, and handover to production.
• Partner closely with Design, Merchandising, Technical Design, QC, and Production to ensure seamless execution at every stage.
• Drive costing and margin conversations, implementing strategies that maintain quality and brand integrity.

Material & Supplier Management (30%)

• Oversee fabric and material development, prioritizing sustainable and innovative solutions in line with Kotn's brand guidelines and certifications (OEKO-TEX, GOTS, GRS, RWS etc).
• Build and maintain strong relationships with manufacturing and mill partners across global supply chains.
• Lead vendor negotiations with a focus on quality, lead times, and ethical production standards.
• Ensure all products meet Kotn's sustainability commitments and compliance requirements.

Process & Team Development (20%)

• Identify and implement improvements to PD workflows, tools, and tracking systems.
• Manage and mentor junior members of the PD team, fostering a culture of accountability and continuous improvement.
• Troubleshoot development and production challenges, keeping timelines and quality standards on track.

Cross-functional Collaboration (10%)

• Serve as the primary PD point of contact for internal teams and external partners.
• Communicate clearly across time zones and functions, raising risks early and driving alignment on solutions.
• Support business systems and process rollouts as the team scales.

What you'll bring:

Ownership You hold yourself accountable for outcomes, not just outputs. You track the details, flag issues early, and follow through.

Deep Product Knowledge Strong expertise in textiles, garment construction, and materials sourcing. You can speak confidently with mills and factories and evaluate quality hands-on.

Sustainability Conviction You understand ethical and sustainable production practices and treat them as baseline expectations, not add-ons.

Collaborative Leadership You work well across functions and manage people thoughtfully. You know how to get alignment without friction and how to lead through ambiguity.

Business Acumen You think about costing, margins, and timelines together. You can make the right call when priorities conflict.

Additional Requirements:

• 8+ years of experience in product development within the apparel industry, preferably at a sustainability-focused brand
• Experience managing direct reports
• Proven track record working with global supply chains
• Strong negotiation and vendor management skills
• Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously across categories and seasons
• PLM proficiency is an asset