Lead Product Developer, Apparel Local Creation Korea APLA

WHO YOU’LL WORK WITH

This role is part of the APLA Local Creation team and reports to the Director, Apparel Product Management, Express Lane APLA based in Portland. The Lead Developer partners closely with Product Management, Design, Materials, Sourcing, Costing, Quality, and Manufacturing teams, as well as factory partners across China and Southeast Asia.

WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR

APLA Local Creation is looking for a collaborative, solutions-oriented apparel developer who can bring locally relevant product concepts to life with speed, quality, and strong execution. The ideal candidate brings deep apparel development and commercialization experience, strong technical knowledge of product expression, and an understanding of apparel quality and product standards across Asia Pacific, particularly Korea and Japan. This person is comfortable managing multiple projects, working across cultures and time zones, and partnering directly with factories to resolve development challenges. They balance creative intent with quality, cost, manufacturability, and delivery requirements. While the current scope is primarily focused on graphics, color, garment finishing, embellishments, and selective material updates, broader experience in cut-and-sew development, material development, or end-to-end new product creation is an advantage as Local Creation capabilities continue to evolve.

• 8+ years of apparel product development and commercialization experience, preferably in sportswear, lifestyle, streetwear, or fashion apparel.
• Bachelor’s degree in Apparel Design, Product Development, Textile Engineering, Textile Science, Industrial Design, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Strong knowledge of apparel expression techniques, including graphics, print applications, embellishments, garment finishing, wash techniques, and material enhancements.
• Experience working directly with apparel factories across Asia and strong understanding of apparel quality and product standards in Asia Pacific, particularly Korea and Japan.
• Professional fluency in English; experience in a global or multinational organization is preferred.
• Ability to travel up to 20% of the time as required.

WHAT YOU’LL WORK ON

You will lead the development and commercialization of APLA Local Creation apparel, translating marketplace-relevant concepts into high-quality, manufacturable products. You will drive execution across expression-led updates while partnering with cross-functional teams and factories to deliver product excellence, speed, and business results.

You will

• Lead product development and commercialization across multiple Local Creation initiatives, managing timelines, deliverables, and development risks.
• Translate creative concepts into executable product solutions across graphics, color, garment finishes, embellishments, and selective material updates.
• Partner with Product Management, Design, Materials, Sourcing, Costing, Quality, and Manufacturing teams to balance design intent, quality, cost, manufacturability, and speed.
• Manage sample development and reviews, provide clear technical feedback, and resolve product, quality, and production issues through commercialization.
• Collaborate with factory partners across China and Southeast Asia to identify scalable capabilities, improve execution, and explore new expression and manufacturing techniques.
• Provide technical leadership, share regional product and manufacturing insights, and support the development of Local Creation capabilities across APLA.
• Contribute broader product creation expertise, including cut-and-sew construction or material development, as the team’s scope evolves.