Job Overview:The Director of Product Development provides strategic and day-to-day leadership for Schylling's Product Development team, translating the company's product vision and business priorities into a focused, executable development pipeline. Working closely with management, this role helps shape product strategy, evaluate and prioritize opportunities, and ensure resources are aligned against the highest-potential initiatives. The Director leads Designers through the full product development lifecycle, from concept ideation, and refinement, through engineering and into production. This role serves as a key cross-functional leader, partnering with Marketing and Operations to ensure products deliver against Schylling's standards for innovation, quality, commercial potential, and execution.
Key Responsibilities:Product Development Leadership- Develop product concept briefs and establish clear development direction for Design Leads.
- Guide product development from initial concept through production approval.
- Ensure product designs align with business objectives, consumer expectations, safety requirements, cost targets, and manufacturing capabilities.
- Drive consistency in product development processes across all categories.
Team Leadership- Lead and mentor Design team by providing regular direction, coaching, and project support.
- Conduct routine project reviews to evaluate progress, identify challenges, and establish next steps.
- Balance project assignments and workload across the Product Development team to maximize efficiency and meet business priorities.
- Support professional development and continuous improvement within the department.
Product Development Process- Review and provide direction on:
- RFQs (Requests for Quotation)
- Product specification documents
- Engineering documentation
- Prototype evaluations
- Product sample reviews
- Design revisions
- Ensure development documentation is complete, accurate, and production-ready.
- Oversee product revisions throughout sampling until approval for production.
Cross-Functional Collaboration- Partner closely with:
- Marketing on product launches and line planning
- Purchasing on sourcing and cost targets
- Operations on production timelines and manufacturing challenges
- Quality Assurance on testing and compliance
- Sales on assortment planning and customer needs
- Participate in line planning, roadmap development, and product review meetings.
- Coordinate timelines across departments to ensure successful product launches.
Individual Product Development- Maintain responsibility for a portfolio of individual product development projects.
- Personally lead high-priority or strategically significant products through development.
- Support Design Leads by stepping into projects as needed to resolve technical or scheduling challenges.
Process Improvement- Improve product development workflows, communication, and documentation standards.
- Identify opportunities to streamline development while maintaining creativity and product quality.
- Monitor project schedules and proactively address risks affecting deadlines or deliverables.
Qualifications- Bachelor's degree in Industrial Design, Product Design, Engineering, or related field.
- 8+ years of consumer product development experience, including leadership responsibilities.
- Experience leading multidisciplinary product development teams.
- Strong understanding of manufacturing processes, materials, costing, and sourcing.
- Experience managing complex product development timelines from concept through production.
- Excellent organizational, leadership, and communication skills.
- Strong project management and prioritization abilities.
- Experience in toys, gifts, or consumer products preferred.
Success Measures- On-time execution of product development milestones.
- Balanced team workload and efficient resource allocation.
- High-quality product specifications and production documentation.
- Leading successful collaboration across Product Development, Marketing, Purchasing, and Operations.
- Consistent delivery of innovative, manufacturable products that meet quality, cost, and schedule objectives.
Schylling offers a competitive benefits package that includes medical and dental with an 80% company contribution, vision insurance, company-paid life and disability insurance, PTO and 10 paid holidays, product discount, and a 401(k) with company match.
The base salary range for this position is $150,000 to $165,000. Offered base compensation within this range will be determined based on a candidate's qualifications, experience, geographic location and other factors relevant to the scope and responsibilities of this role.
