Senior Category Technical Manager, Product Commercialization – Sweater

Job description

POSITION OVERVIEW

The Category Technical Manager serves as the category commercialization and technical expert, partnering with Design, Product Development, Merchandising, Raw Materials, and Sourcing teams to translate product concepts into scalable commercial solutions. Leveraging deep expertise in product construction, manufacturing processes, material applications, and supplier capabilities, this role drives product industrialization and commercialization by ensuring products can be efficiently sourced, manufactured, scaled, and executed across Ralph Lauren's global supplier network.

The role acts as the critical bridge between Product Creation and Global Sourcing, enabling product innovation while balancing manufacturability, commercial viability, supply chain scalability, and consumer expectations.

Qualifications

EXPERIENCE, SKILLS & KNOWLEDGE Years of Experience: 8–12+ years of experience in Product Commercialization, Product Engineering, Manufacturing, Technical Product Management, Product Development, or Global Sourcing. Deep expertise in Sweater, or other technically complex product categories.

Education

Graduate in Textile Engineering, Apparel Manufacturing, Materials Science, Industrial Engineering, Product Engineering, or related discipline.

Language

English: Professional / fluent written and verbal communication.

Communication Skills

Strong cross-functional collaboration and stakeholder management skills; excellent presentation, facilitation, and influencing capabilities; ability to communicate technical concepts to both technical and business audiences; effective negotiation and problem-solving skills. Professional Knowledge & Skills

Product Commercialization Expertise

• Translates product concepts into scalable commercial solutions.

Product Industrialization & Engineering

• Drives manufacturability, scalability, and production readiness.

Deep Category Expertise

• Recognized subject matter expert in Sweater construction, materials, and manufacturing.

Business & Commercial Acumen

• Balances design intent, consumer needs, cost, speed, and sourcing realities.

Influence & Cross-Functional Leadership

• Builds alignment across Product Creation and Global Sourcing without direct authority.

Product Commercialization

• Ability to bridge product creation and sourcing execution, translating concepts into scalable commercial products.

Product Industrialization

• Expertise in manufacturing methods, production readiness, product engineering, and execution scalability.

Category Technical Expertise

• Deep knowledge of category-specific materials, construction methods, manufacturing processes, and market trends.

Manufacturing & Supplier Knowledge

• Strong understanding of supplier ecosystems, operational capabilities, production processes, and sourcing dynamics.

Cross-Functional Influence

• Ability to align Product Development, Design, Merchandising, Raw Materials, and Sourcing teams around practical commercialization solutions.

Strategic Problem Solving

• Balances innovation, manufacturability, speed, cost, capacity, and product performance to enable successful execution. < Back to search results APPLY Share this job Email Facebook X Job Notifications Sign up to receive job notifications Notify Me