Senior Homeware Product Design & Development Lead

OKA; Milton; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

33 days holiday (incl. bank holidays)

Birthday day off

Health Plan

Enhanced Maternity Pay

Employee Assistance Programme

Discretionary Bonus Scheme

My OKA discounts

Company pension scheme

Life assurance

Job summary

OKA is seeking an experienced Homewares Product Design & Development Manager to lead the end-to-end product lifecycle from concept through launch. You will oversee design teams, coordinate with Merchandising and Marketing, and ensure products meet OKA’s brand and customer expectations.

You’ll drive market insight, manage timelines, and mentor junior staff while maintaining high-quality standards for domestic and seasonal lines. This senior role is based in the UK with comprehensive benefits.

Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years proven experience in product design and development within a retail or homeware environment.
• Strong leadership skills with the ability to manage a team and collaborate cross-functionally to achieve objectives.
• Excellent creative and product development skillset, turning concepts into commercially viable products.

Responsibilities

• Lead the product design and development process from concept to launch, ensuring market alignment and quality.
• Collaborate with Merchandising, Retail, Ecom & Marketing to align development with brand and customer experience.
• Develop product briefs, manage timelines, and coordinate with design teams to ensure timely delivery of high-quality products.
• Conduct market research to identify trends, customer preferences, and opportunities for new products.
• Work with suppliers and manufacturers to source materials, negotiate costs, and ensure product quality.
• Manage testing and quality control to meet safety, durability and design standards.
• Oversee prototypes and samples, ensuring specs are met for mass production.
• Provide mentorship to junior members of the product design and development team.
• Ensure new products are integrated into sales, marketing and inventory systems.

Skills

Leadership

Product design

Cross-functional collaboration

Project management

Market research

Quality standards

Design software

Tools

Adobe Creative Suite

CAD

Job description

OKA is seeking an experienced Homewares Product Design & Development Manager to lead the end-to-end product lifecycle from concept through launch. You will oversee design teams, coordinate with Merchandising and Marketing, and ensure products meet OKA’s brand and customer expectations.

You’ll drive market insight, manage timelines, and mentor junior staff while maintaining high-quality standards for domestic and seasonal lines. This senior role is based in the UK with comprehensive benefits.