Overview
Product Development, Design Associate Jobs in New York City Metropolitan Area at Nili Lotan New York
Title: Product Development, Design Associate
Company: Nili Lotan New York
Location: New York City Metropolitan Area
ABOUT THE ROLE
Luxury Brand Nili Lotan is seeking a Product Development Design Associate to serve as a trusted creative and operational partner to the founder and design leadership. This role thrives on both sides of the development process, bringing a refined aesthetic eye to creative execution while taking ownership of select decisions that drive a season forward.
This person will work closely with the founder and report into the VP of Product Development. They must be comfortable making consequential decisions on thread, trims, ribs, zippers, linings, and related materials independently and with confidence, understanding the direct downstream effect those choices have on SMS and production. The candidate should be able to produce woven RTW and accessories sketches. Strong cross-functional partnership skills are essential: this role sits at the intersection of design, raw materials, and production, and requires someone who communicates clearly, follows through, and earns trust across teams.
RESPONSIBILITIES
Design & Development
- Partner closely with the founder and PD to execute seasonal creative direction across woven RTW category.
- Own seasonal line sheet updates in RLM/PLM, ensuring accuracy across style, fabrication, and color information.
- Prepare seasonal design boards and digital presentations as needed
- Attend fittings and update technical sketches post-fitting to reflect design and construction changes.
- Support PD Associate with sample launch preparation, coordinating fabrics, trims, and materials for Midtown and overseas factories as well as the in-house atelier as needed.
- Partner with the PD Associate to review and validate all BOMs in RLM, ensuring accuracy and consistency; attends cross-functional, style-by-style reviews with relevant teams.
Materials & Trim Ownership
- Own seasonal selection of thread colors, trims, ribs, zippers, and linings across all woven styles, taking full accountability for the accuracy and quality of these decisions and their impact on SMS and production outcomes.
- Collaborate with the Raw Materials team to source and develop new seasonal novelty trims in alignment with Nili Lotan’s creative direction.
- Partner with Raw Materials to track incoming seasonal fabrics; maintain updated fabric boards and ensure cross-functional visibility into arrivals to enable timely allocation to styles.
CAD & Sketching
- Produce woven RTW and accessories sketches on an as-needed basis (ProCreate)
- Create CAD artwork and print layouts as needed
QUALIFICATIONS
- 5+ years of experience in fashion design or product development at a contemporary or luxury womenswear brand.
- Proficiency in RLM; hands-on experience supporting BOM maintenance and line sheet updates directly in the system.
- A strong, refined aesthetic eye and the confidence to make independent materials and color decisions with downstream production implications.
- Demonstrated ability to take ownership and accountability for decisions that affect cross-functional teams and production timelines.
- Knowledge of woven fabrics, garment construction, trim sourcing, and materials development.
- Highly organized, detail-oriented, and able to manage multiple competing priorities across a seasonal calendar.
- Ability to work independently and serve as a reliable partner to cross functional teams
- Experience in Adobe Suite for CADS and Procreate for technical sketching, not required but highly preferred
What we offer:
Salary: While the published salary range is a good faith reflection of the targeted salary level for the position, Nili Lotan reserves the right to pay outside of the published range. In addition, there is a comprehensive benefits package including: Medical, Dental, Vision, Paid time off program, Summer Fridays, Disability, Retirement Plan and a generous Employee Discount program.
Nili Lotan is committed to building a diverse workforce. We believe diversity in all its forms – gender, age, nationality, culture, religious beliefs and sexual orientation – enriches the workplace. It opens up opportunities for people to express their talent, both individually and collectively and it helps foster our ability to adapt to a changing world.
As an Equal Opportunity Employer, we welcome and consider applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of their background.
About Nili Lotan:
Nili Lotan, after a very successful career leading design teams at top American fashion houses including Ralph Lauren, Liz Claiborne, and Nautica, launches her own namesake label in 2003, designing a wardrobe of luxurious, chic, and timeless pieces for today's woman, grounded in the belief that a wardrobe should function as an extension of oneself. Her philosophy is that clothes should be clean, sophisticated and functional, offering elements for self-expression. Lotan’s design process is highly intuitive. She is inspired by women with a strong sense of personal style, and draws from art, music and rock n’ roll to design her collection. By designing pieces she herself wants to wear, Lotan’s collection instinctively resonate with a woman’s lifestyle. Since its debut, the brand has expanded beyond womenswear to include a men’s collection. Nili Lotan has several retail stores in the United States and the collection can be found at upscale retailers throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, Asia and Australia.
