Product Development Manager
Ring Concierge New York, New York, United States · $90K/yr
Retail Luxury Goods and Jewelry · 51-200 employees
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About the role
The Product Development Manager will oversee the entire development lifecycle from concept to production, ensuring designs meet quality and timeline standards. They will manage vendor relationships, handle costing and material sourcing, and collaborate with cross-functional teams to support product launches.
What they look for
Requirements
Candidates must have at least 5 years of experience in jewelry product development, production, or sourcing. Strong technical knowledge of jewelry craftsmanship, proficiency in Excel, and the ability to manage multiple projects in a fast-paced environment are required.
Benefits
Full description
Ring Concierge is a rapidly growing, female-founded fine jewelry company specializing in custom engagement rings and fine jewelry. We’re seeking an experienced, detail-oriented Product Development Manager to drive our development process from concept through launch. You’ll partner with domestic and international vendors, lead sampling and cross-sourcing, oversee quality and costing, and keep documentation accurate and timelines on track. The ideal candidate brings strong technical jewelry knowledge, exceptional organization, and a proactive, solutions-oriented approach.
Responsibilities
Development & Timeline Management
- Manage development projects from concept through production, keeping them aligned with approved designs, specs, and timelines.
- Maintain the PD calendar and track milestones and sample status, anticipating delays and recommending solutions.
- Own PD tools (PD Masterfile, Product Details Decks, product knowledge files) and keep accurate records of styles, revisions, materials, and approvals.
Sampling & Vendor Management
- Coordinate sample requests, revisions, and approvals with domestic and international vendors, following up on outstanding items.
- Own sample shipping, intake, and logs, and prepare samples for internal reviews.
- Review CADs and samples against specs and reference samples, and give vendors detailed feedback on dimensions, construction, materials, and finishes.
Quality Assurance & Launch Readiness
- Evaluate samples for workmanship, stone setting, finishing, plating, durability, and wearability, ensuring consistency across vendors.
- Track corrections through final approval, and confirm that specs and documentation are complete for pre-launch sign-off.
- Coordinate packaging requirements for new launches.
Costing & Data
- Support product costing, vendor quotes, and margin tracking. Verify costs against specs, including metal weights, stone counts, materials, and labor.
- Prepare comparative costing analyses for cross-sourced styles.
- Monitor gold and raw material markets and flag any impact on costs and margins.
- Track sample costs and invoices in partnership with AP.
Raw Materials & Sourcing
- Source gemstones, diamonds, findings, and chain, comparing options on price, availability, lead time, and vendor capability.
- Maintain a materials library and records of approved materials and specs.
Cross-Functional Partnership
- Partner with Merchandising, Marketing, Creative, and Operations on launches, providing specs and samples for photoshoots and e-commerce.
- Share regular status updates, and prepare accurate product education and launch materials.
- Use customer feedback, returns, and wear-test data to identify quality issues and implement improvements with vendors.
- Support competitive, trend, and materials research.
- Identify ways to improve PD processes, and assist with engravable orders and ad hoc initiatives.
Requirements
- 5+ years in jewelry product development, production, or sourcing
- DTC experience preferred
- Experience with overseas vendors preferred
- Strong interest in jewelry design, materials, and craftsmanship
- Highly organized with exceptional attention to detail
- Strong communication skills and comfort working with vendors
- Proficiency in Excel / Google Sheets
- Ability to manage multiple projects in a fast-paced environment
Details
- 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
- Compensation for the role will be determined based on the candidate's qualifications, skills, and experience. The estimated base compensation for this role is $90,000+
