Samantha Sousa

Product Developer @ Castore

About

Senior Product Developer and Commercial Account Manager with over 10 years’ experience across global fashion, sportswear and licensed football apparel. I specialise in owning end-to-end product lifecycles and strategic partner accounts, taking complex ranges from concept through to buy-ready while balancing performance, speed to market, cost and brand integrity. My background spans elite football partners, licensors and global brands, where I’ve: Led high-volume performance and licensed apparel categories Owned key accounts and run QBRs with major partners including New Era and Mitchell & Ness Delivered £10m+ revenue ranges and driven year-on-year category growth Managed budgets, margins and commercial strategy Built long-term supplier and stakeholder relationships across global markets I’m known for being commercially minded, detail-driven and calm under pressure — someone who can bridge product, technical and commercial teams to deliver results at scale. I also place strong focus on developing teams, improving ways of working and creating clarity across complex businesses. Currently focused on senior product-led or account-driven roles within performance, sportswear or licensed apparel businesses.

Country

United Kingdom

City

Manchester

Industry

Apparel & Fashion

Skill

Team Development, Stakeholder Management, Global Supplier Management, QBRs, budget & margin ownership, PLM Tools, CRITICAL PATH MANAGEMENT, BUY-READY PRODUCT, PERFORMANCE SPORTSWEAR, LICENSED APPAREL, ACCOUNT MANAGEMENT , Account Management, Data Analysis, Analytical Skills, Category Management, Solution-oriented, Product Costing, Problem Solving, English, Supplier Relationship Management

Experience

Product Developer

Castore

2025-1 - Present · 1 yr 9 mos

Manchester, England, United Kingdom

Lead development of Football Training & Travel ranges across domestic and international teams Own full lifecycle from initial tech packs to bulk buy-ready sign-off Ensure all products meet performance, fit, testing, quality and cost targets Manage global critical path, proactively flagging risk to Directors and senior stakeholders Partner closely with Design, Category and Materials on fabric, trim and construction decisions Maintain exceptional accuracy across BOMs, POMs, size specs and PLM documentation Manage team workload to improve efficiency and delivery timelines Mentor and develop Assistant and Junior Developers, supporting career progression Implemented a Buy-Ready Tracker now used for Director-level reporting Working with BI teams to unlock PLM-led reporting and operational efficiencies

Buyer

Fanatics

2017-9 - 2024-11 · 7 yrs 3 mos

Manchester, United Kingdom

Managed key global football partners including Manchester City, England FA, Chelsea, PSG, Atlético Madrid and Valencia Developed all unbranded apparel ranges across licensed and non-licensed product Supported Nike branded buying, ensuring partner expectations and critical path adherence Delivered Hot Market ranges generating £10m+ in revenue Owned full Retail EX VAT budget for unbranded football apparel Built long-term supplier strategies to improve speed, margin and scalability Negotiated cost structures to consistently hit margin targets Helped introduce and scale MTO strategy, reducing risk and managing demand Implemented product, launch and sign-off trackers across the department Led and developed a growing team, driving performance and engagement Owned and managed all licensed partner accounts including New Era and Mitchell & Ness, leading QBRs and delivering year-on-year category growth