Director of Pre-Production

Company OverviewLaunched in 2016 and founded by Santa Barbara-born sisters, Margaret and Katherine Kleveland, and a Collective of partners, DÔEN is a digitally-led, multi-channel fashion and lifestyle brand. Our mission is to create lasting, beautiful collections while supporting individuals in all aspects of their organization, supply chain, and community. We work with domestic and international partners who share our values and commitment to gender and social equality as well as giving back by partnering with foundations that directly benefit our employees and surrounding communities.We are an Equal Opportunity EmployerDescription Of DutiesTitle: Director of Pre-ProductionClassification: ExemptSalary Range*: $130,000-$160,000Reports to: EVP of Development and ProductionLocation: HQ (Van Nuys, CA) 4 days a week, 1 day remoteSchedule*: FULL TIME - Hybrid, Monday through Friday 9:00AM-6:00PM (minimum in office 4 days/week)Position OverviewThe Director of Pre-Production manages the full lifecycle of product readiness—from first prototype through production handover—coordinating cost engineering, material bookings, and bulk handoffs with precision and consistency to ensure each style meets design intent, cost goals, and delivery timelines. This role drives cross-functional alignment, builds operational consistency and ensures accountability across Design, Product Development, Fabric R&D, Merchandising, and Production.A skilled communicator and problem-solver, the Director acts as a key operational link between creative and production teams. A decisive and detail-oriented leader, the Director orchestrates all pre-production milestones to deliver collections that meet the brand’s standards of quality, craftsmanship, and timeliness. They ensure clarity, accuracy, and alignment across functions, supporting the smooth execution of seasonal collections and upholding the brand’s commitment to quality, craftsmanship, and timeliness.Key ResponsibilitiesPre-Costing and Early Cost EngineeringDrive the pre-costing process from the first prototype through sales samples, ensuring cost visibility and calendar adherence at every stage.Collaborate with global vendor partners to obtain accurate and timely initial and revised costings, maintaining clear documentation of assumptions related to make methods, consumption, and labor intensity.Identify and flag cost challenges early, leading cross-functional discussions to propose viable cost-engineering solutions that protect both design intent and margin objectives.Maintain cost transparency and timeliness, tracking updates from proto through SRS and ensuring all information is communicated to Product Development and Merchandising before key milestone reviews.Drive discussion between Design, Technical Design and Product Development to adopt efficient construction methods that reduce lead time and production cost without compromising quality.Lead seasonal cost review meetings, summarizing vendor feedback, variances, and delivery implications to support design, product development and merchandising decisions.Ensure all pre-costing data and revisions are captured and version-controlled in a shared document, supporting clear visibility across all teams.Maintain a library of historical cost and lead-time data to inform future planning, sourcing, and pricing strategies.Early Bookings and Pre-Production Calendar PlanningBuild and manage the early booking schedule by consolidating vendor Time & Action (T&A) inputs into a clear, actionable plan that reflects each factory’s lead times and capacity.Coordinate with vendors to collect and validate critical dates for greige, fabric, trim, and production bookings, ensuring alignment with internal seasonal milestones and capacity plans.Collaborate closely with Merchandising to align early booking priorities with product delivery cadence and commercial objectives across categories.Distribute the consolidated early booking schedule cross-functionally with Product Development, Merchandising, and Production, ensuring visibility and alignment prior to handoff.Ensure timely confirmation of material and capacity bookings, proactively identifying any conflicts or dependencies that could impact production readiness.Track vendor confirmations and update the schedule weekly through the pre-production stage, flagging risks or slippage to cross-functional partners when delivery shifts could affect market timelines.Transfer ownership of the pre-production calendar to Production at SRS approval, ensuring all relevant data, vendor commitments, and booking details are accurately documented.Maintain historical records of seasonal booking timelines and vendor performance to inform future planning, efficiency, and capacity forecasting.Reinforce a culture of clarity, timeliness, and accountability, ensuring all pre-production milestones are clearly defined, communicated, and aligned with the brand’s go-to-market strategy.Production Handover and BOM OversightOversee the transition from pre-production to bulk, ensuring all style information from design and product development is complete, accurate, and released on schedule to meet delivery deadlines.Validate Bills of Materials (BOMs) for precision in fabrics, trims, findings, and finishing details, upholding the brand’s luxury quality standards.Lead seasonal Production Handover reviews with Product Development, Fabric R&D and Production to verify material readiness, final approvals and accurate execution of design details-keeping each step aligned with the production calendarFollow up with Design and Product Development on all open raw material and trim sourcing post-Production Handover, working closely with Production to ensure timely delivery and escalate any unresolved materials or trims that risk impacting delivery milestones.Ensure all color and trim approvals are finalized and documented in the BOMs before bulk start, minimizing production delays and rework.Engage and participate in pre-production meetings (ie Design Scrub) to confirm readiness and ensure every stakeholder, internal and external, is aligned on deliverables and timing.Maintain meticulous version control within the company’s working tools, confirming that the most current BOMs, comments, and approvals are accessible to all cross functional partners and global partners.Uphold brand standards of craftsmanship, quality, and timeliness, ensuring every production handover supports both the creative vision and business delivery goals.QualificationsBachelor’s degree in Fashion Production, Product Development, or related field.8–10 years of experience in pre-production, product development, or production within high-end or contemporary fashion.Strong technical knowledge of garment construction, costing, and production processes.Proven ability to manage multiple categories and vendors simultaneously.Proficiency with Google Suite, Excel, and calendar management tools.Excellent communication, organizational, and problem-solving skills.Personal AttributesHighly detail-oriented with strong follow-through and a sense of ownership.Collaborative and adaptable, with the ability to partner effectively across departments and global vendor networks.Thrives in dynamic environments, is solutions-driven and calm under pressure; able to anticipate issues and act quickly to maintain timeline integrity.Deep appreciation for quality, craftsmanship, and brand integrity.Committed to maintaining consistency, precision, and timeliness in execution. Physical RequirementsMust be able to perform essential duties satisfactorily with reasonable accommodation.Periods sitting at a desk, typing, sketching and working on a computer.Able to life/move/push/pull objects up to 25 lbs.Able to walk, sit and stand for periods of time.Able to operate equipment such as computers, copy machines, phones.Must be able to access various areas of a given location.Total Rewards Package Paid vacation, sick time, and holidaysA fun-filled, creative work environmentHealthcare, Vision, Dental401k with company matchCompetitive salaryGenerous discount Compensation will be determined based on experience and other factors permitted by law. The hybrid model may be rescinded at any time due to business needs or the company’s discretion.Please email your resume to careers@shopdoen.com for consideration.Indicate title of position/role on the subject lineCA Salary Range: $130,000 USD - $160,000 USD