Director, Product Development
Ring Concierge, New York, NY, United States
We are seeking an experienced, design-driven Director of Product Development to lead the end-to-end creation of our jewelry collections—from concept through commercialization. This role is both creative and operational, requiring a sharp eye for design, deep technical expertise in jewelry development, and strong cross-functional leadership. You will be instrumental in shaping our product roadmap, ensuring quality and margin targets, and bringing compelling products to market that resonate with our DTC customer.
Responsibilities
- Own the full product development lifecycle from concept and design through sampling, production, and launch
- In partnership with the Merchandising team, translate brand vision, customer insights, and market trends into commercially successful collections
- Build and manage seasonal product calendars, milestones, and launch timelines
- Partner closely with vendors to evolve silhouettes, materials, and construction techniques while maintaining brand DNA
- Stay ahead of jewelry trends, materials, and innovations, identifying opportunities to differentiate the assortment
- Lead relationships with domestic and international vendors, manufacturers, and suppliers; identify new partners and build out vendor matrix in accordance with the needs of the business
- Oversee sampling, prototyping, cost negotiations, and production readiness
- Ensure ethical sourcing, quality standards, and compliance across all partners
Costing, Margin & Quality
- Identify opportunities to optimize cost without compromising quality
- Partner with Merchandising and Planning to align product costs with pricing and profitability goals
- Implement and maintain rigorous QA standards across all SKUs
Cross-Functional Leadership
- Support launch readiness by providing product education, storytelling inputs, and technical details
- Manage and mentor a high-performing product development team
Customer-First Mindset
- Use customer feedback, returns data, and performance insights to inform product improvements and future development
- Champion fit, comfort, durability, and real-world wearability
Requirements
- 8-12+ years of product development experience, with the majority of experience within jewelry; DTC experience strongly preferred
- Experience scaling a fast-growing DTC or omnichannel brand preferred
- Deep knowledge of jewelry materials, construction, manufacturing processes, and stone setting
- Proven experience managing vendors and overseas production
- Strong commercial acumen with experience optimizing bottom line
- Exceptional organizational and project management skills
- Confident leader with the ability to influence across creative and operational teams
Details - NYC
- Full-time role located in Midtown NYC
- This role requires 5 days per week in office
- Office Hours: 9:00 am to 6:00 pm, with the knowledge that we have a startup culture and your day may extend past listed office hours (with the possibility of weekends during busy season or sales)
- Health, Vision & Dental Insurance for full-time employees
- 401k with employer match program
- We offer generous employee discounts on our fine jewelry
- Paid time off, including an extra allowance of 3 days annually for religious observances
- The compensation range for this role is $160,000-180,000, commensurate with experience