This role is for one of the Weekday's clients

Salary range: Rs 2000000 - Rs 4000000 (ie INR 20 - 40 LPA)

Min Experience: 5+ years

Location: Bengaluru
JobType: full-time

We are seeking an experienced Director – Product Lifecycle & Category Management (PLC) to lead the end-to-end product strategy and commercial success of the Women's Apparel category. This is a leadership role responsible for owning the complete product lifecycle—from assortment planning and product development to go-to-market execution, pricing strategy, and commercial performance.

The ideal candidate will combine strong product management expertise with commercial acumen, consumer insights, and cross-functional leadership to build compelling product ranges that drive revenue, profitability, and brand growth across multiple sales channels.

Requirements

Key Responsibilities

• Own the complete product lifecycle for the Women's Apparel category, from concept and assortment planning through product development, launch, and post-season analysis.
• Develop seasonal product strategies and range plans across performance, training, lifestyle, and athleisure categories.
• Plan and manage multiple seasonal product launches while maintaining inventory targets, pricing objectives, and margin goals.
• Partner with Design teams to translate consumer trends and brand direction into commercially successful collections.
• Define product briefs covering fit, fabric, construction, styling, and functional requirements.
• Collaborate with Sourcing, Product Development, and Supply Chain teams to ensure timely delivery, quality standards, and cost targets.
• Lead go-to-market planning, including pricing strategy, channel assortment, inventory allocation, promotional planning, and sell-through optimization.
• Partner with Brand, Marketing, Retail, E-commerce, and D2C teams to ensure successful product launches and consistent customer experiences.
• Analyze sales performance, consumer insights, inventory movement, and market trends to optimize future assortments and product strategies.
• Monitor global and regional trends in women's sportswear, activewear, athleisure, and fashion to identify emerging opportunities.
• Drive continuous improvements in product planning, merchandising, and lifecycle management processes.
• Lead, mentor, and develop cross-functional product teams while fostering collaboration and innovation.

Requirements

Must-Have Skills

• Strong experience in Product Development and Product Lifecycle Management (PLC).
• 7–12 years of experience in apparel buying, merchandising, category management, or product management.
• Proven experience managing the Women's Apparel category.
• Expertise in range planning, assortment strategy, and seasonal product development.
• Strong commercial understanding of pricing, inventory planning, Open-to-Buy (OTB), margin management, and sell-through optimization.
• Experience managing end-to-end product lifecycles across multiple seasonal collections.
• Strong understanding of consumer trends, product positioning, and category performance.
• Experience working across retail, e-commerce, D2C, and omnichannel environments.
• Excellent cross-functional stakeholder management and leadership skills.

Good-to-Have Skills

• Experience in sportswear, athleisure, performance apparel, premium fashion, or lifestyle brands.
• Experience managing large product portfolios with multiple seasonal drops.
• Knowledge of merchandising analytics, forecasting, and assortment optimization.
• Familiarity with PLM, ERP, merchandising, or retail planning systems.
• Experience working with international sourcing and manufacturing partners.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Fashion Management, Apparel Merchandising, Business Administration, Retail Management, or a related field.
• MBA or postgraduate qualification is preferred.
• 7–12 years of experience in Product Management, Merchandising, Buying, or Category Management within the apparel or retail industry.
• Demonstrated success leading product strategy and commercial performance for Women's Apparel.

Soft Skills

• Strong commercial and strategic thinking.
• Excellent leadership and team management capabilities.
• Outstanding communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Data-driven decision-making and analytical problem-solving abilities.
• Strong negotiation and cross-functional collaboration skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced, consumer-focused environment.
• Passion for consumer trends, product innovation, and market insights.

Success Metrics

Success in this role will be measured by the commercial performance of the Women's Apparel category, including revenue growth, gross margins, inventory health, and sell-through rates. Performance will also be evaluated based on successful execution of seasonal product launches, adherence to product development timelines, pricing effectiveness, and the ability to deliver commercially successful assortments aligned with consumer demand.

Additionally, success will be reflected in improvements to product lifecycle efficiency, category profitability, cross-functional collaboration, inventory optimization, and the ability to identify and capitalize on emerging market opportunities while consistently delivering high-quality product collections.