Darn Tough Vermont®
Vice President of Product & Innovation - Waterbury, VT
Darn Tough Vermont®, Waterbury, Vermont, us, 05676
Job Details
Founded in 1978, Cabot Hosiery Mills is an American manufacturer of premium socks with uncompromised comfort, durability, and fit. With a family of brands including Darn Tough Vermont, Wide Open, and Cabot & Sons, our mission is to make the world’s best socks, in Vermont, USA, and back them with our Unconditional Lifetime Guarantee. We are family owned, three generations strong, and have yet to produce our best sock.
Description We are seeking a visionary and analytical Vice President of Product and Innovation to lead our Line Planning, Design, Development, and Innovation teams. Reporting directly to the President, this role serves as the central hub connecting Marketing, Product, and Sales—ensuring our product engine runs cohesively and strategically.
As the key driver of our product strategy, this leader will partner closely with Brand, Marketing, Sales, Finance, and Manufacturing Operations to bring innovative, consumer-driven products to life each season. The ideal candidate has 15+ years of experience and a proven track record of building, inspiring, and scaling high-performing teams. They possess a sharp eye for product, a deep understanding of design and development processes, and a passion for solving consumer problems through purposeful innovation.
This role will oversee the strategic product vision, developing and executing a 3–5 year roadmap that fuels growth, strengthens brand positioning, and advances our innovation agenda. The successful candidate is a collaborative, self-driven leader who excels at communication, thrives in a dynamic environment, and can effectively partner across all levels of the organization.
Starting pay is $225,000 to $265,000 Annually, depending on experience.
Key Responsibilities
Partner with the President and CEO to develop long-term and seasonal priorities, business plans, and line architectures that drive strategic growth.
As part of the Senior Leadership Team, collaborate cross-functionally with Finance, Planning, Sales, Marketing, Quality, and Operations to align strategy, accelerate execution, and deliver exceptional results.
Develop standardized reporting and KPIs for product performance, enabling leadership to measure success, identify growth levers, and refine future strategies.
Lead the end-to-end product development process—from concept through commercialization—ensuring alignment with company goals, product roadmap, and financial targets.
Define and communicate the product vision and roadmap, identifying opportunities, optimizing the product pipeline, and driving innovation across all categories.
Oversee research and development of new products, materials, and technologies that enhance comfort, durability, and fit while driving performance, sustainability, and competitive advantage.
Own the product innovation and development calendar, ensuring efficient workflows, timely delivery, and clear accountability throughout the process.
Lead, inspire, and mentor a high-performing team of 15+, cultivating a culture of creativity, design excellence, innovation, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
Own departmental budgeting and resource planning, balancing creative ambition with financial performance to ensure investments support brand and business priorities.
Partner with Sourcing and R&D to drive the cross-functional product agenda, ensuring the right materials and innovations reach the right markets.
Work hand-in-hand with Line Planning to optimize SKU productivity and drive efficiency. Leverage analytics and business intelligence tools to track product performance, using data-driven insights to guide decision-making and portfolio optimization.
Oversee product lifecycle management from launch through retirement.
Lead competitive market analysis, delivering key insights to inform strategy and inspire new opportunities.
Guide concept creation and seasonal design direction, ensuring the design vision aligns with brand storytelling and commercial strategy.
Collaborate closely with the Creative team to ensure product storytelling and visual presentation are consistent, compelling, and performance driven.
Partner with Customer Insights and Brand to translate consumer and market insights into white space opportunities, shaping new product launches and driving Go-To-Market alignment across seasonal storytelling and priorities.
Align closely with Consumer Insights and Brand Strategy to ensure the product vision reflects consumer needs and future market direction.
Serve as the voice of Product across the organization, clearly communicating strategy, progress, and priorities to executive leadership and cross-functional partners.
Qualifications
A proven collaborative leader of product creation, with a track record of delivering innovation from first sketch to in-market success.
Strategic and results‑driven, with the ability to balance creative vision, technical understanding, and business acumen to achieve growth and profitability goals.
Skilled at developing multi‑year product roadmaps and guiding creative direction that elevates the brand and connects with the consumer.
Proven track record of translating market insights and performance data into actionable product and design strategies that drive results and optimize assortments.
A visionary thinker who thrives in both big‑picture strategy and hands‑on execution.
Deep appreciation for design process, color theory, and material innovation, with the ability to mentor creative talent and champion exceptional product aesthetics. Intuitive sense of style, trend, and color.
Expert knowledge of knit construction, materials, and soft goods manufacturing—experience in socks or hosiery is a strong plus.
Exceptional communicator and storyteller, able to inspire teams and influence cross‑functional partners with clarity and purpose.
Proven track record of managing product calendars in a fast‑paced multi‑seasonal environment.
A passionate outdoor enthusiast—whether hiking, running, skiing, or snowboarding—with an authentic understanding of product performance in real‑world environments.
Education/Experience
15+ years of progressive experience in product design and development, with a minimum of 8 years in senior leadership, guiding or overseeing Design and Development teams to bring innovative product visions to life.
Bachelor’s Degree in Apparel Design, Industrial Design, Merchandising, or Textile Sciences required; advanced degree is preferred.
Proven ability to lead cross‑functional teams and shape the full product creation journey—from consumer insight and concept to commercialization and launch.
Working Conditions
Manufacturing and office environment – occasional exposure to machinery, noise, and other conditions.
Travel locally to all the organization’s sites and locations.
Willngness to travel domestically and internationally to support key account meetings, attend trade shows, and research market and innovation opportunities.
At Cabot Hosiery Mills, we have a list of shared company values – one of them is We Value Differences. Where you come from, how you identify, your age, and other descriptions are something that makes you, you, and we respect that. We’re an honest group of people and work hard, if you like that, we encourage you to apply.
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Description We are seeking a visionary and analytical Vice President of Product and Innovation to lead our Line Planning, Design, Development, and Innovation teams. Reporting directly to the President, this role serves as the central hub connecting Marketing, Product, and Sales—ensuring our product engine runs cohesively and strategically.
As the key driver of our product strategy, this leader will partner closely with Brand, Marketing, Sales, Finance, and Manufacturing Operations to bring innovative, consumer-driven products to life each season. The ideal candidate has 15+ years of experience and a proven track record of building, inspiring, and scaling high-performing teams. They possess a sharp eye for product, a deep understanding of design and development processes, and a passion for solving consumer problems through purposeful innovation.
This role will oversee the strategic product vision, developing and executing a 3–5 year roadmap that fuels growth, strengthens brand positioning, and advances our innovation agenda. The successful candidate is a collaborative, self-driven leader who excels at communication, thrives in a dynamic environment, and can effectively partner across all levels of the organization.
Starting pay is $225,000 to $265,000 Annually, depending on experience.
Key Responsibilities
Partner with the President and CEO to develop long-term and seasonal priorities, business plans, and line architectures that drive strategic growth.
As part of the Senior Leadership Team, collaborate cross-functionally with Finance, Planning, Sales, Marketing, Quality, and Operations to align strategy, accelerate execution, and deliver exceptional results.
Develop standardized reporting and KPIs for product performance, enabling leadership to measure success, identify growth levers, and refine future strategies.
Lead the end-to-end product development process—from concept through commercialization—ensuring alignment with company goals, product roadmap, and financial targets.
Define and communicate the product vision and roadmap, identifying opportunities, optimizing the product pipeline, and driving innovation across all categories.
Oversee research and development of new products, materials, and technologies that enhance comfort, durability, and fit while driving performance, sustainability, and competitive advantage.
Own the product innovation and development calendar, ensuring efficient workflows, timely delivery, and clear accountability throughout the process.
Lead, inspire, and mentor a high-performing team of 15+, cultivating a culture of creativity, design excellence, innovation, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
Own departmental budgeting and resource planning, balancing creative ambition with financial performance to ensure investments support brand and business priorities.
Partner with Sourcing and R&D to drive the cross-functional product agenda, ensuring the right materials and innovations reach the right markets.
Work hand-in-hand with Line Planning to optimize SKU productivity and drive efficiency. Leverage analytics and business intelligence tools to track product performance, using data-driven insights to guide decision-making and portfolio optimization.
Oversee product lifecycle management from launch through retirement.
Lead competitive market analysis, delivering key insights to inform strategy and inspire new opportunities.
Guide concept creation and seasonal design direction, ensuring the design vision aligns with brand storytelling and commercial strategy.
Collaborate closely with the Creative team to ensure product storytelling and visual presentation are consistent, compelling, and performance driven.
Partner with Customer Insights and Brand to translate consumer and market insights into white space opportunities, shaping new product launches and driving Go-To-Market alignment across seasonal storytelling and priorities.
Align closely with Consumer Insights and Brand Strategy to ensure the product vision reflects consumer needs and future market direction.
Serve as the voice of Product across the organization, clearly communicating strategy, progress, and priorities to executive leadership and cross-functional partners.
Qualifications
A proven collaborative leader of product creation, with a track record of delivering innovation from first sketch to in-market success.
Strategic and results‑driven, with the ability to balance creative vision, technical understanding, and business acumen to achieve growth and profitability goals.
Skilled at developing multi‑year product roadmaps and guiding creative direction that elevates the brand and connects with the consumer.
Proven track record of translating market insights and performance data into actionable product and design strategies that drive results and optimize assortments.
A visionary thinker who thrives in both big‑picture strategy and hands‑on execution.
Deep appreciation for design process, color theory, and material innovation, with the ability to mentor creative talent and champion exceptional product aesthetics. Intuitive sense of style, trend, and color.
Expert knowledge of knit construction, materials, and soft goods manufacturing—experience in socks or hosiery is a strong plus.
Exceptional communicator and storyteller, able to inspire teams and influence cross‑functional partners with clarity and purpose.
Proven track record of managing product calendars in a fast‑paced multi‑seasonal environment.
A passionate outdoor enthusiast—whether hiking, running, skiing, or snowboarding—with an authentic understanding of product performance in real‑world environments.
Education/Experience
15+ years of progressive experience in product design and development, with a minimum of 8 years in senior leadership, guiding or overseeing Design and Development teams to bring innovative product visions to life.
Bachelor’s Degree in Apparel Design, Industrial Design, Merchandising, or Textile Sciences required; advanced degree is preferred.
Proven ability to lead cross‑functional teams and shape the full product creation journey—from consumer insight and concept to commercialization and launch.
Working Conditions
Manufacturing and office environment – occasional exposure to machinery, noise, and other conditions.
Travel locally to all the organization’s sites and locations.
Willngness to travel domestically and internationally to support key account meetings, attend trade shows, and research market and innovation opportunities.
At Cabot Hosiery Mills, we have a list of shared company values – one of them is We Value Differences. Where you come from, how you identify, your age, and other descriptions are something that makes you, you, and we respect that. We’re an honest group of people and work hard, if you like that, we encourage you to apply.
#J-18808-Ljbffr