JOB DESCRIPTION

Role: Product Assistant (Supported by Head of Apparel)
Pay: Starting salary: £25,500, with the potential to earn more based on experience.
Hours: Full-time, 40 hours per week (8:30 am–5:00 pm or 9:00 am–5:30 pm)

SKILLS & EXPERIENCE

• Relevant Fashion, Product or Industrial Design qualification to degree level or similar.
• First experience in a similar product design, and/or development role within an outdoor, sports, or performance apparel/footwear brand.
• Previous retail experience is a plus.
• Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, Photoshop); initial experience with product lifecycle management (PLM) tools is beneficial.
• Strong passion and interest for outdoor activities and sports.
• Self-motivated personality with a collaborative mindset, excellent attention to details, strong time-management skills, and the ability to work within strict deadlines and able to be adaptive to changes.
• Able to work both independently and as part of a creative team.

ABOUT THE ROLE

As a Product Assistant at INOV8, you’ll play a vital role in supporting the design, development, and production of our innovative apparel and equipment ranges. Reporting directly to the Head of Apparel, you’ll contribute to delivering seasonally relevant in-line apparel and equipment collections that meet high-performance standards while aligning with strategic and sustainability goals. This is an exciting opportunity for someone with a keen eye for detail, a passion for product innovation, and a desire to build expertise in technical apparel.

Accuracy and precision are crucial in this role to ensure successful product creation:

• Design Creation: Work closely with the Design & Innovation Lead to create product collections from research and concept generation to final product. Collaborating on seasonal direction and colours, apparel and equipment designs, trim packages, tech packs, prototyping and testing - ensuring alignment with brand vision and market demands.
• Product Development: Main tasks and key role are to support product development from the initial tech pack through to final bulk production, ensuring quality, fit, performance testing, and pricing goals are achieved, and the product is fit for purpose. Take the lead for the development of smaller projects, SMUs and accessories.
• Tech Pack Creation: Assist in preparing, updating, and maintaining highly accurate tech packs, CADs, Bills of Materials (BOM), sizing specifications, and sizing and care labels, ensuring all documentation is up to date for a smooth handover of each product to vendors with minimal quick and on-time clarification needed.
• Sample Tracking: Be responsible to track the on-time delivery of prototypes, wear-test samples, and pre-production samples.
• Sample Review: Support fitting sessions and product testing for performance, comfort, and durability; check and approve sample garments; document changes and communicate them clearly; and ensure all required adjustments are implemented.
• Sample Maintenance: Take the lead in sample management, ensuring the latest prototypes are always available for sales and marketing requests, and maintain a library of archive and sealed samples.
• Lab Dip Tracking & Review: Requesting and completing the approval of seasonal lab dips, trims, materials, prints for finalised products.
• Reference Library: Maintain and update a comprehensive library of materials and trims, capturing technical and commercial details with 100% accuracy.
• Critical Path: Collaborate with the Head of Apparel and Design & Innovation Lead to meet design briefs and timelines.
• Risk Assessment: Proactively troubleshoot potential issues from development to production, ensuring smooth product delivery. Assist in resolving technical issues during development to meet quality, cost, and delivery targets.
• Testing & Quality Assurance: Initiate and evaluate product testing to meet performance, design, and athlete requirements

You’ll play a key role in managing supplier relationships and staying on top of industry innovations:

• Supplier Communication: Regularly liaise with international factories and suppliers to coordinate sampling requests, revisions, and approvals, and quality standards ensuring timely and effective, fast and on-time communication.
• Material Exploration: Partner with garment, fabric, and trim suppliers, as well as fibre and chemical companies, to stay informed about the latest outdoor performance trends, innovations, technologies, and sustainability advancements in the industry