Product & Technical Design Manager

Stop designing for brands that don't get it. Start building the future of fashion.

Stacked Studio is Melbourne's go-to design and development agency for the brands everyone's watching-from Australia's most exciting emerging labels to established international names. We're hiring a Product & Technical Design Manager who lives and breathes garment construction.

You'll own the entire product journey: translating concepts into technical reality, engineering samples, managing factory partners, and ensuring flawless execution. You'll work directly with founders and CEOs who value your expertise as much as your execution.

If you're technically brilliant, detail-obsessed, and thrive in fast-moving creative environments—let's talk.

About Us

Stacked Studio is a full-service fashion design and development agency working with emerging brands and established names to bring elevated, market-ready collections to life. We're a small, ambitious team based in Melbourne that works across every part of the fashion lifecycle - from design and sourcing to production and brand storytelling. Our clients range from performance activewear start-ups to premium streetwear labels, and we pride ourselves on making things happen with both strategy and style.

About the Role

As Product & Technical Design Manager at Stacked Studio, you'll be the engine behind the successful execution of our clients' collections - from initial concept through to final production. You'll manage the full product development and production process for each brand, ensuring critical path deadlines align with each client's specific needs. As a technically versed product developer, your expertise will be crucial in driving our product offerings and maintaining Stacked's high standards of quality. You'll collaborate closely with senior leadership, factory partners, and our extended team to bring thoughtful, high-quality garments to life. This role is a unique opportunity to translate each client's creative vision through a technical lens.

Key Responsibilities:

Design

• Coordinate and brief freelance sketchers on design concepts.
• Occasionally support sketch creation and revisions in-house.
• Conduct trend and design research; create mood boards, colour palettes, and assist with ideation decks for assigned brands.
• Manage design execution for key brands within the Stacked Portfolio
• Present collections to clients, contributing to design workshop meetings and developing confidence in technical, client-facing discussions.

Product Development & Garment Techn

• Create, edit, and manage tech packs using Stacked templates.
• Engage with clients to understand their creative vision and translate it into actionable tech packs and product development plans.
• Ensure all required technical sketches and annotations are clear and comprehensive for factory execution, showing detailed diagrams for complex styles.
• Oversee the entire product lifecycle, from material sourcing to sampling, ensuring efficiency and smooth operation.
• Manage approval timelines for lab dips, strike-offs, trims, and bulk fabric confirmations.
• Direct the technical development process, ensuring alignment across fit, construction, fabrication, stitch details, and trims.
• Measure garments with precision, flag fit issues early, and troubleshoot construction challenges as they arise.
• Maintain technical documentation for all products, including spec sheets, grading specs, and quality control records.
• Draft and approve grading specs to ensure consistency across sizes and clear communication with vendors.
• Review samples and lead fit sessions; provide recommendations, record and communicate fit comments, and manage technical follow-ups with offshore factories.
• Provide clients with clear sample outcome summaries, noting any inconsistencies or deviations, to help manage expectations.
• Align internal fit feedback with client feedback to ensure final samples meet each brand's product vision.
• Conduct and document quality control checks at all stages: initial sample, second round, pre-production, and top-of-bulk (TOB).
• Manage and maintain client style number documentation and sample libraries.
• Maintain regular communication with suppliers to ensure smooth operations.

Production Management

• Run weekly production meetings with key factories to discuss client projects and sample updates.
• Request bulk production unit costs from factories and negotiate with them to reach required client target prices.
• Calculate product margins and communicate with clients in advance of placing bulk Purchase Orders (PO's).
• Create PO's for client approval and get products into bulk production with factories.
• Manage and maintain accurate client production trackers weekly, ensuring visibility on: Fabric and trim sourcing, Sample rounds and approvals, Ex-factory timelines, Bulk and sample shipment logistics.
• Share production updates during internal team meetings.
• Act as the key liaison between Stacked and factory teams, ensuring critical path milestones are met and production remains on track.
• Oversee the master critical path spreadsheet to ensure key project milestone dates are adhered to.

Communication & Coordination

• Proactively manage client communication threads via email and WhatsApp, staying ahead of issues.
• Acknowledge receipt of messages promptly to maintain team clarity and responsiveness.
• Escalate important client messages internally and ensure next steps are clear.
• Keep the internal team updated with regular client summaries to ensure alignment across all work-streams.
• Provide timely follow-ups post-meetings to ensure all action items are completed.
• Manage and maintain team tasks on the Notion Stacked Task Board.
• Liaise with suppliers and internal teams for accurate forecasting and production capacity planning.

Operations & Internal Projects

• Create and maintain internal resources.
• Support with ad hoc additional studio operational tasks as needed

What Makes You a Great Fit for This Role

• Thrives in a fast-paced, creative environment bringing the energy and adaptability this role requires.
• Confident juggling multiple client projects at once and wearing different hats, which suits the variety and pace of day-to-day work at Stacked.
• Works independently with initiative, while contributing seamlessly to a collaborative, close-knit team culture.
• Brings fresh ideas, an entrepreneurial mindset, and has a sharp eye for detail which is essential in helping shape how we grow.
• Communicates clearly and understands the importance of systems, which is key to keeping both internal and client-facing projects running smoothly.
• Comfortable stepping into evolving tasks and responsibilities that are not mentioned in the above responsibilities.
• Familiar with key business tools tools like Notion and Google Drive.

Why You'll Love Working at Stacked:

Cool Culture

• Beautiful office in the heart of Richmond.
• Flexible working hours.
• Hybrid working option.
• Young, energetic team with a shared mission to disrupt the fashion industry.
• Diverse client base and opportunity to work across multiple product categories and brands—things don't get stale

Wide Exposure

• Flat hierarchy where you'll gain hands-on experience across all areas of the business.
• Experience the full end-to-end fashion cycle from idea to product to market.
• You won't be siloed and you'll have room to explore, grow, and specialise in what you love.

Decision-Making Power

• You will work directly with the decision-makers: our founders and our clients' CEOs.
• Be part of the strategic conversations that shape both our agency and our clients' brands.

Growth & Ownership

• Come-in at the ground floor of a fast-growing studio with real opportunity to make your mark.
• Own your zone, pitch new ideas, and eventually lead your own area and/or team.

Progression & Mentorship

• Work closely with founders who bring 15+ years of industry experience.
• Receive tailored mentorship and a personal progression plan aligned with your career goals.
• We'll help develop your unique strengths and turn you into a creative industry powerhouse.

How to apply:

• Submit your resume reflecting your experience that relates to this role.
• Submit an a portfolio of your work.
• Submit an example tech pack.
• Submit an example spec that relates to the tech pack.

*Only applicants located in Melbourne will be considered for this position.

*Only applicants with relevant experience and ability to work full time will be considered for this position.