Pre-Production Associate

About Us vineyard vines is a highly successful, privately held, American clothing and accessory retailer founded in 1998 on Martha’s Vineyard by brothers, Shep & Ian Murray. With Shep & Ian still at the helm today, vineyard vines has experienced exponential year over year growth and now operates over 120 retail locations including an outlet division, a successful e-commerce business, domestic distribution center, and expanding corporate headquarters. In addition, vineyard vines is carried in major department stores such as Nordstrom and Bloomingdales as well as numerous specialty boutiques across the US. vineyard vines was founded on a state of mind that Every day should feel this good. You don’t need to be on a beach, by the ocean or on vacation to have Every day should feel this good moments. It’s a state of mind that we all experience, and one where everyone is invited. At vineyard vines, we don’t just live an #EDSFTG life away from our desks—we bring it to work with us, too. In our stores, at our Harbor Drive headquarters or working remotely, our company culture is fun, encouraging and welcoming to all. We work hard and play harder, and we never take ourselves too seriously. And while we have many company goals, our number one priority is making vineyard vines a great place to work for all employees. Our team is our family, and we’d never have grown to where we are today without them. We’re committed to building an inclusive team across all channels, departments and stores within our community. We hope you’ll join us and see what the smiling pink whale is all about. Overview The Pre-Production Associate will be responsible for developing pre-adoption product for the division in partnership with Design, Tech Design, Merchandising & our global vendor team, that achieves aesthetic, quality and cost requirements against brand standards. A successful Pre-Production Associate will be highly inquisitive eager to learn, and capable of multi-tasking in a fast- paced environment. You Will • Assist in coordination of seasonal concept and innovation vendor presentations for the design organization • Coordinate with fabric research & design team on the fabrications in development and partner with them to coordinate any sample needs • Ensure seasonal departmental sample development meets the brands goals for quality and aesthetic, and aligns with Good/Better/Best strategy • Expedite and monitor sample development progress and alert appropriate partners if issues or delays arise, work to troubleshoot any issues to ensure samples arrive accurately and in a timely manner • Track development submits from vendors, coordinate reviews with design and communicate comments back to vendors • Utilize PLM system to issue material and sample requests to vendors and pull weekly status reports • Create seasonal cost targets, analyze and negotiate cost quotes in achieving seasonal IMU goals with guidance from team leadership • Understand vendor base and seasonal allocation strategy with support from pre-production manager What You Bring • Minimum 2+ years of related experience • Bachelor’s degree in related field preferred • Impeccable written and verbal communication skills • The ability to organize and prioritize multiple projects • Proficiency with Microsoft Excel, Word, and Outlook • Ability to balance multiple competing priorities and maintain composure under pressure while remaining flexible • Ability to respond to change positively • Capable of seeing the larger picture and understanding how your role impacts and influences the larger business • Strong time management skills Every Day Will Feel This Good Because • We have a fun-spirited entrepreneurial culture filled with truly “good” people • We offer a generous employee discount so you can rep our lifestyle on-and-off the boat • We offer a competitive salary package, 401-K, commuter benefits, and paid-family leave, health savings , flex spending accounts, life & disability insurance • We have an onsite gym as well as health & financial wellness programs to keep you active • We offer 2 summer Fridays to take off in addition to a competitive vacation policy & holiday calendar