Denim Development Manager – Lahore, Pakistan

Ariat International · Lahore, Pakistan

This role is the engine room of Ariat's denim business. Based in Lahore, Pakistan, you will be Ariat's primary presence at our manufacturing partners — driving development execution, production quality, fabric and finish management, and calendar discipline from proto to pre-production. You will act as the expert on factory capabilities, processes, and standards, ensuring Ariat's product vision is translated faithfully into the finished product. This is a factory-first, hands‑on role suited to someone who thrives in a manufacturing environment and can bridge the factory floor with Ariat's brand and commercial teams.

Responsibility:

Vendor & Calendar Management

• Serve as Ariat's primary development manager on-the-ground presence at manufacturing partners, developing deep relationships and trust with factory leadership and technical teams.
• Review and confirm seasonal development calendars, capacities, and expectations with factories; track execution against commitments weekly.
• Own milestone tracking and lift when timelines are at risk.
• Drive weekly conference calls with factory partners; maintain meeting agendas and decision logs.
• Partner with Denim Development Team in being informed with costing requests and work through construction/execution issues with the team.
• Monitor development fabric orders placed with mills — confirm timely submission, production pull, and delivery to factory.
• Partner with the Production Manager in shade band and TOP approval process in partnership with the Factory to protect on-time delivery.
• Act as the factory processes expert; lead and support product development process improvement projects
• Develop and document factory SOPs in collaboration with the Development team to ensure repeatable, reliable product quality across season and Ariat partners in other countries.

Development Execution

• Review development submissions with factory teams to confirm that sampling, protos, and SMS meet Ariat design aesthetics and construction standards; advise HQ teams when submissions fall short.
• Confirm best product–factory allocation each season based on capabilities, capacity, and track record.
• Ensure BOMs, tech packs, and measurements are accurate and up to date after development is finalized.
• Manage the development process from kick-off through pre-production, tracking changes at each stage (mock‑up through SMS) and maintaining development grids.
• Partner with Bulk Production and QA teams to resolve post-development issues arising in production.

Fabric & Finish Development

• Manage all fabric developments — counter-sourcing and new fabrics — including ordering and coordinating sample/proto yardage with mills to reach factories on time.
• Maintain deep, current knowledge of denim and non-denim mills, their capabilities, and regional supply networks.
• Manage all new and counter-sourced finish developments from design-driven targets through bulk production; track finish comments in PLM from sampling through bulk packages.
• Partner with factories to develop new washing techniques, finishes, and sustainable chemistry alternatives (e.g. PP spray alternatives).
• Lead Ariat's fabric and finish sustainability metrics: identify greener fabric options, drive more sustainable wash programs, and set factory‑level plans and targets for progress.
• Maintain the wash and fabric library, fabric grid, and continuous rationalization of fabric and finish bases.

Qualification

• 7–10 years of hands‑on experience in denim product development and/or production, ideally within a manufacturing facility.
• Deep expertise in denim fabric technologies, washing and finishing processes, and garment construction.
• Demonstrated experience working directly in or with denim/apparel factories — you are comfortable on the factory floor and fluent in manufacturing language and processes.
• Strong knowledge of global sourcing networks, mill capabilities, and cross‑border production logistics.
• Experience developing and enforcing factory SOPs and quality standards.
• Familiarity with PLM systems and disciplined data management practices.
• Strong calendar and project management skills; able to handle multiple concurrent development and production streams.
• Excellent communication skills in English (verbal and written); able to work effectively across factory, regional, and HQ teams.
• Bachelor's degree in Textile Engineering, Apparel Manufacturing, Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, or a related field — or equivalent practical experience.
• Optimistic, energetic, resilient, and thrives in a fast‑paced, results‑oriented environment.