Vice President of Product & Innovation - Waterbury, VT

The Company :

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.

Job Summary :

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 :

Education / Experience :

Working Conditions :

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.

Equal Opportunity Employer

This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws.

For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.