Development Lead - Travel

Mous; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work

Friends & Family discount

25 days holiday

8 bank holidays

Cycle to Work

Electric Car Scheme

EAP

On-site gym

Job summary

Mous is seeking an Development Lead - Travel to own end-to-end NPD initiatives for travel and soft goods. You will lead a development team, set direction, and collaborate with Asia-based teams and partners to align with the brand and commercial goals.

You will shape multi-year plans, own P&L impact decisions, and drive sourcing strategy and category investment across global supply bases. Significant international travel is involved.

Qualifications

• 10+ years in product development with depth in soft goods and assembly.
• Proven track record leading teams and managing complex projects.
• Ownership of outcomes including P&L impact and strategic direction.

Responsibilities

• Own a section of the NPD pipeline end-to-end from concept to mass production.
• Manage a development team, setting direction and accountability.
• Shape multi-year strategy for the category: pipeline, process, supply base.
• Make decisions with direct P&L impact including COGS targets.
• Coordinate with Design, Engineering, Production, and Commercial teams.
• Represent development projects with senior leadership and partners.

Skills

Leadership

NPD ownership

P&L management

Soft goods expertise

International collaboration

Job description

About Mous

We are Mous. (Pronounced mouse, not moose.) People deserve tech and lifestyle products that are fit for purpose, perform as promised, and empower them to be their best. That’s why we’re building the go-to brand for products that genuinely deliver.

About the Role

As Development Lead - Travel at Mous, you own the execution key projects end-to-end; from concept through to mass production. You're the final internal word when a development judgement call needs making within the category and you're accountable for the product's performance, not just its delivery.

In this role, you’ll work with key commercial partners to produce products that fit their needs and their brand as well as those of a MOUS customer. You will own a section of the product roadmap which you will help to shape with the NPD Strategy team. You’ll work with key commercial partners to produce products that fit their needs and their brands as well as that of a Mous customer. You'll help to set multi-year plans for how we develop travel and soft goods products, own decisions with direct P&L impact — COGS targets, sourcing strategy, category investment.

You will work closely with our Development teams based in Asia and our Travel and Soft Goods supply base primarily in Indonesia and Vietnam and hence this role will require significant international travel too.

About You

You've spent a career building toward exactly this kind of ownership such as leading teams and being the person an organisation turns to when a project is too big, too ambiguous or too commercially sensitive for anyone else to do comfortably. You think in years, not just projects, and you're as comfortable in a commercial conversation with senior leadership as you are unpicking a construction problem with a factory.

With 10+ years in product development (including real depth in soft goods and assembly) and a strong track record of leading others, you bring judgement that's been tested at scale. You take genuine ownership of outcomes that show up on the P&L and you build a category that keeps delivering after you've moved on to the next problem.

Key Responsibilities

• Own a section of our NPD pipeline end-to-end, from concept through to mass production and beyond
• Manage a development team, setting direction and holding them accountable for outcomes
• Shape multi-year strategy for the category — pipeline, process, supply base and team capability
• Own decisions with direct P&L impact, including COGS targets and development strategy
• Partner with Design, Engineering, Packaging, Project Management, Production, Quality, Commercial, NPD Strategy, GTM and Supply Chain to align long-term plans
• Represent development projects at a senior level, including with wider MOUS leadership team and with international development and commercial partners

How will success be measured?

• Delivery of a section of our NPD pipeline – on time, on budget and to the MOUS standard of product quality and customer experience
• Development team performs well and grows under your leadership
• P&L-relevant decisions you own — COGS, budget, investment — deliver the intended commercial outcome

Hard skills

• Extensive experience in new product development, including significant experience leading other leaders or managers
• Proven track record owning a section of a pipeline or multiple projects at any one time
• Technical soft goods and hard goods development background — sewn product, luggage, bags or comparable assembled categories alongside mechanical, hard-goods products

Soft skills

• Strong supplier relationship management with overseas manufacturing partners
• Comfortable owning decisions with direct P&L impact
• Strong strategic thinking, with experience shaping multi-year plans
• Excellent judgement under ambiguity and high stakes
• Strong executive-level stakeholder and communication skills
• Experience building and scaling teams and processes

Nice to have

• Experience with supply bases in Indonesia, Vietnam or the wider South and South-East Asia region
• Experience building a development function from an earlier stage of maturity
• Track record of partnering directly with C-suite or Director-level leadership
• Experience in developing products for B2B or with commercial partners in a customer-facing role

Our Offer

We operate a hybrid working model, typically spending at least three days a week in our Hoxton office to maintain our collaborative and high-energy culture.

Benefits include

• Significant opportunity for growth, ownership, and career progression
• Competitive salary reflective of experience and impact
• 30% Friends & Family discount on all Mous products
• 25 days' holiday + 8 bank holidays
• 1 month paid leave after 5 years' service
• Cycle to Work Scheme
• Electric Car Scheme
• Employee Assistance Programme (EAP): access to confidential wellbeing support, advice, and resources whenever you need it
• Charlie HR perks and discounts
• Regular socials, events, and on-site activities (including an on-site gym)

Our Values

Get Results – We take accountability, prioritise impact, and push standards higher.

Work Together – We collaborate openly, challenge constructively, and learn from each other.

Enjoy the Ride – We stay agile, embrace change, and enjoy building something special together.

About Our Commitment

Mous is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate individuality and are committed to building a diverse team with a wide range of experiences, perspectives, and backgrounds.