Michael Kors Director, Costing - Footwear
- Employment
- Full-Time
- Seniority
- Director
- Compensation
- $150,000–170,000/year
- Industry
- Fashion, Apparel & Leather Goods
- Posted
- Aug 25, 2026
About Michael Kors
Michael Kors is an internationally recognized luxury fashion brand and lifestyle label, marketed globally across apparel, accessories and fragrances. As part of Capri Holdings, Michael Kors operates within a portfolio of premium fashion houses and emphasizes design-led product, elevated retail experiences and a fast-paced, customer-centric retail network.
Michael Kors Director, Costing - Footwear role in NY Metro Area. Lead footwear costing strategy, margin optimization, and factory negotiations. $150K–$170K USD.
Role & Responsibilities
- Lead the end-to-end footwear costing process from concept through final cost approval
- Drive cross-functional alignment with Product Development, Design, Merchandising, and Materials teams to achieve seasonal margin targets
- Identify cost drivers and implement cost-saving opportunities to optimize margin performance
- Lead factory cost negotiations and maintain accurate costing documentation and governance
- Manage costing calendars, systems, and processes to ensure timely decision-making and business visibility
- Educate and influence cross-functional teams on cost drivers, margin impact, and financial trade-offs
- Monitor factors affecting product costs including commodities, labor, duties, tariffs, freight, transportation, and foreign exchange
- Partner with Planning, Finance, and Supply Chain to assess landed costs, tariff exposure, and margin implications
- Develop executive-level reporting and presentations for leadership highlighting margin performance, risks, and opportunities
- Establish KPI reporting for factories and cross-functional partners, including performance against cost targets and variance analysis
- Oversee costing systems, tools, and reporting to ensure accuracy, milestone readiness, and clear business visibility
- Lead continuous improvement of costing processes, analytics, and reporting capabilities
- Lead strategic costing and analytics projects that support business objectives
- Manage and develop two direct reports: Associate Manager and Manager of Footwear Costing
Qualifications
- 10+ years of footwear costing, sourcing, manufacturing, gross margin management, or related experience with people leadership
- Deep knowledge of footwear construction, materials, labor, overhead, manufacturing processes, and key cost drivers
- Proven ability to identify cost-saving opportunities and successfully negotiate costs with factories and suppliers
- Strong understanding of footwear duty classifications, tariffs, landed cost impacts, and global sourcing dynamics
- Advanced Excel and analytics skills including complex formulas, macros, scalable tools, and executive-level reporting
- Ability to estimate footwear costs from sketches, CADs, specifications, materials, and construction details
- Demonstrated success reducing margin risk and driving profitability through strategic costing decisions
- Strong leadership and communication skills
Skills
Experience
10+ years in footwear costing, sourcing, manufacturing, gross margin management, or related experience with demonstrated people leadership and success in margin optimization.
Education
Not specified
Workplace
This position is based in New York, New York, USA.
Compensation
The base compensation for this position ranges from USD 150,000 to USD 170,000 per annum.
Culture
Michael Kors fosters a design-driven, service-oriented retail culture that blends creative energy with commercial discipline. Teams work in a fast-paced, international environment where collaboration, attention to detail and polished client service are highly valued.
About Cerulean
Cerulean is the definitive career portal for the global luxury industry. We match exceptional professionals with exclusive opportunities at the world's most prestigious brands. From haute couture and fine watchmaking to prestige beauty, hospitality, and boutique retail, Cerulean centralises luxury employment to help you find the career for which you were destined.
Frequently Asked Questions
The luxury industry is characterised by a diverse and nuanced nomenclature. Esteemed houses frequently employ proprietary terminology, and even within a single organisation like Michael Kors, titles may vary across global markets to reflect local conventions. To ensure absolute clarity, Cerulean assigns a standardised, industry-coherent canonical title to every listing. However, it is worth noting that this role is functionally synonymous with «Senior Footwear Costing Director», «Head of Footwear Cost Management», «Footwear Costing & Margin Strategy Director», «VP Footwear Costing Operations», and other variations. Our sophisticated search architecture anticipates these variations, ensuring that inquiries using related terms will seamlessly yield the exact roles you desire.