Product Manager (on field) - Canterbury

We’re Pentland Brands: a global family business behind some of the world’s most iconic active and lifestyle brands. We bring integrity, energy and ambition to our work, setting high standards and striving to deliver great outcomes without ego.

Design rugby apparel built for strength, movement and team identity.

At Canterbury, product has to do more than look good. It has to stand up to the intensity of the game, move with the player and carry the pride of the team, from training ground to match day and beyond.

The Product Manager for Pod 1 owns the on-field rugby performance and licensed product area within the global Canterbury product model.

What you’ll be doing:

• Own the seasonal product plan for rugby performance, on-field and licensed product areas.

• Build product briefs informed by athlete needs, club requirements, consumer insight and commercial opportunity.

• Manage the product critical path in partnership with Design, Development, Sourcing, Brand and Commercial teams.

• Evaluate product gaps, range overlaps, licensed requirements and growth opportunities.

• Lead prototype and sample reviews, capturing feedback and agreeing actions with cross-functional teams.

• Support cost, margin and range decisions to ensure product choices are commercially viable.

• Prepare product stories, range rationale and sell-in information for GTM and commercial teams.

• Use post-season performance and market feedback to improve future product planning.

• Maintain a clear view of range architecture, lifecycle choices and product priorities so teams understand what is new, repeated, updated or retired each season.

• Bring together consumer insight, commercial feedback and development feasibility so product decisions are both ambitious and deliverable.

• Own category range plans, seasonal briefs, pricing inputs and lifecycle decisions for the pod.

• Use consumer, athlete, customer and competitor insight to identify range opportunities and risks.

• Partner with Design and Development to ensure products are desirable, feasible, costed and launch-ready.

• Prepare clear product narratives and handover information for GTM, marketing and regional teams.

What you’ll bring:

• Product management or product creation experience in sport, apparel, teamwear or licensed product.

• Strong understanding of performance apparel, consumer needs and seasonal range planning.

• Ability to manage product timelines, cross-functional stakeholders and critical path decisions.

• Commercial awareness with confidence reviewing costs, margin, range size and product performance.

• Clear communication skills and the ability to turn insight into actionable product briefs.

• Strong organisation, attention to detail and ownership of delivery.

• Interest in rugby, team sport and performance product would be highly valuable.

• Confidence working through ambiguity, making trade-offs between consumer need, commercial opportunity, cost, timing and operational complexity.

• Product management or merchandising experience in performance sport, teamwear, apparel or related categories.

Why Canterbury?

Canterbury is the world’s original rugby brand, built on more than a century of sporting heritage, technical product knowledge and deep connection to the game.

Founded in New Zealand in 1904, Canterbury creates performance kit, training apparel, casualwear and fan product for players, teams and supporters who live and breathe rugby. It is a brand shaped by strength, durability and belonging, supporting people on and off the pitch, from grassroots clubs to the highest levels of the sport.

Joining Canterbury means becoming part of a team that cares deeply about rugby product and the people who wear it: how it fits, how it moves, how it performs under pressure, how it represents team identity, and how it brings players, coaches and fans together.

Perks & Benefits

We offer a competitive salary, discretionary bonus, hybrid working, flexible start and finish times, generous holiday allowance, product discounts, sample sales, enhanced family-friendly policies, healthcare support, gym and fitness discounts, cycle to work scheme and electric car scheme.

You can find full details of our benefits and perks on our UK Benefits page.

The Interview Process

We want our interview process to feel clear, straightforward, and supportive. If your experience and expectations look like a strong match for the role, here’s what you can expect next:

1. Talent Team Intro Call - A 30-minute video call with our Talent Team to get to know each other, talk through the role and your experience, and answer any questions you have.

2. Final Interview - A final in-person interview at our office, focused on deeper discussion and practical application, giving you the chance to meet more of the team and see Pentland Brands in action.

“This vacancy is a newly created role as part of organisational changes. Final appointment will depend upon the outcome of consultation processes and affected employees will have priority for consideration.”