Product Design Development Manager

Future Tense - Human Resource Solutions; Abu Dhabi; On-site; AED 180,000 - 300,000; Full time

Job summary

Future Tense - Human Resource Solutions is seeking a Product Design & Development Manager who can turn ideas into products customers genuinely want to buy. This role goes beyond graphic design, requiring a strong design eye plus materials, packaging, sampling, costing and production know-how from concept through market-ready product.

You will own products across categories, lead end-to-end development with suppliers, manage timelines and packaging, and travel to manufacturing hubs as needed.

Qualifications

• 4–6 years of product design/development experience.
• Strong portfolio of physical products.
• Excellent understanding of product design, materials, manufacturing and packaging.
• Experience dealing directly with factories and suppliers.
• Strong project-management and high attention to detail.

Responsibilities

• Own product concept and design from idea to market-ready product.
• Lead product development including supplier briefs, sampling, costing and production.
• Develop premium packaging concepts with cost and retail fit in mind.
• Manage supplier relationships and travel to hubs as needed.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to tell the product story and launch on time.
• Monitor trends and translate them into viable product opportunities.

Skills

Product design

Materials & packaging

Supplier management

Project management

Trend research

Job description

PRODUCT DESIGN & DEVELOPMENT MANAGER

About the Role

Client is looking for a Product Design & Development Manager who can turn ideas into products that customers genuinely want to buy.

This is not purely a graphic design role. We are looking for someone with a strong design eye who also understands product development, materials, packaging, suppliers, sampling, costing and production.

You will own products from the initial idea through design, sampling and development to the final product being ready for market. Categories can include beauty, jewellery, accessories, gifting, tween/teen lifestyle products and other consumer products.

What You Will Own

1. Product Concept & Design

• Translate product ideas and brand direction into commercially viable products.
• Develop concepts, mood boards, colour palettes, materials, finishes and product details.
• Research global product, design, beauty, jewellery, fashion and youth trends.
• Identify new product opportunities rather than simply executing briefs.
• Ensure every product feels relevant to the target consumer and consistent with the brand.

2. Product Development

Own the complete process: Idea → Concept → Design → Supplier Brief → Sample → Revision → Costing → Approval → Production.

• Create detailed product specifications and supplier briefs.
• Develop products with manufacturers and suppliers.
• Review samples critically and manage revisions.
• Check dimensions, materials, colours, finishes and construction.
• Ensure the final manufactured product accurately reflects the approved design.
• Maintain clear product development timelines.

3. Packaging Development

• Develop packaging concepts alongside the product.
• Ensure packaging looks premium while remaining commercially sensible.
• Consider materials, dimensions, cost, shipping efficiency and retail display.
• Work with graphic designers on artwork, typography and brand elements.
• Review packaging samples and approve final production specifications.

4. Supplier & Manufacturing Management

• Work directly with suppliers and factories in China, India and other manufacturing hubs. Must be willing to travel to the manufacturing hubs to meet these suppliers and factories.
• Source new suppliers and manufacturing capabilities when required.
• Communicate product specifications clearly and negotiate sampling, MOQs, materials and production options.
• Challenge suppliers when quality, design or execution is not good enough.
• Solve development problems quickly rather than accepting supplier limitations as the final answer.

5. Costing & Commercial Product Decisions

• Understand target retail prices and required margins before development begins.
• Work backwards from the target selling price to an achievable cost.
• Compare materials and manufacturing alternatives.
• Identify unnecessary costs without compromising the product.
• Recognise when a design idea is attractive but commercially unviable.

6. Trend & Competitor Research

Continuously monitor global beauty, jewellery, accessories, tween/teen culture, gifting, packaging, social-media-driven trends, retail innovation and emerging brands. The expectation is to translate trends into product opportunities for Client.

7. Cross-Functional Working

Work closely with the Founder / Managing Director, brand, buying, marketing, e-commerce, sales, operations, graphic designers and external suppliers. Ensure teams understand the product story, key selling points and design details before launch.

Who We Are Looking For

Candidates may come from beauty/cosmetics, jewellery, fashion accessories, gifting, stationery, kids/tween products, lifestyle products or consumer product development. We care more about what you have actually created and launched than the industry title on your CV.

• 4–6 years of relevant product design/development experience.
• A strong portfolio of physical products personally developed or launched.
• Excellent understanding of product design, materials, manufacturing and packaging.
• Strong aesthetic judgement and commercial instinct.
• Experience dealing directly with factories and suppliers.
• Experience managing sampling and product revisions.
• Understanding of costing, margins and target retail prices.
• Strong project-management skills and high attention to detail.
• Ability to manage several products simultaneously and push projects to completion.
• Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop or similar skills are valuable, but this is not a graphic designer position.

The Kind of Person Who Will Succeed

We want someone who walks into a store and automatically notices: What's new Why is it selling How was it made How could we do it differently

You should be curious, commercially aware and hands-on equally comfortable discussing a colour palette, changing packaging dimensions, reviewing a jewellery sample, questioning a supplier's cost or deciding that a product simply is not good enough to launch.

Most importantly, you need to be someone who gets things finished.

KPIs

• Number of commercially viable new products developed and launched.
• Product development timelines achieved.
• Sample-to-approval turnaround time.
• Percentage of products launched on schedule.
• Target cost and margin achievement.
• Reduction in unnecessary sampling rounds.
• Product quality and consistency.
• Supplier performance and new supplier/material opportunities identified.
• Commercial performance of newly developed products.