Leather Goods Product Development Lead

Veronica Beard; New York (NY); On-site; USD 90,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Clothing allowance

Merchandise discounts

Job summary

Veronica Beard is seeking a Product Development Manager to lead leather goods accessory development, translating Design vision into production-ready products that meet aesthetic, quality, cost and delivery targets.

You will partner with Design, Materials, Technical Design, Merchandising and Production to manage development from concept through pre-production, ensuring calendar milestones and cost targets are met.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in product development within contemporary accessories.
• Strong working knowledge of product construction, materials, manufacturing processes, and quality standards within the relevant categories.
• Experience managing global factory relationships and developing products from concept through production readiness.

Responsibilities

• Manage seasonal product development in alignment with Design direction, category needs, and development calendars.
• Coordinate complete development packages, ensuring specifications, materials, construction details, and sample requirements are clearly communicated to factories.
• Manage prototype and sales sample development, consolidating feedback and tracking revisions through approval.
• Work with Design and factories to resolve construction and material challenges while preserving design intent.
• Track sample accuracy, development progress, costing submissions, and delivery commitments.
• Work with factories to resolve development issues and escalate risks with clear recommendations.
• Maintain seasonal development calendars and track milestones from initial concept through handoff to Production.
• Coordinate sample requests, reviews, approvals, and sales sample deliveries against key calendar dates.
• Ensure design revisions and assortment decisions are accurately reflected in development records and vendor instructions.
• Flag potential delays early and coordinate next steps with internal teams and factories.
• Manage finished goods costing and negotiate pricing within established category targets.
• Review cost breakdowns, material consumption, labor, tooling, and minimum order quantities to validate pricing.
• Partner with Design, Materials, and factories to identify cost engineering opportunities that maintain the intended aesthetic and customer value.
• Track the cost impact of revisions and ensure final pricing reflects approved product specifications.
• Partner with Technical Design, Materials, and Production to confirm construction, fit, functionality, and performance requirements.
• Coordinate required testing and follow up on corrective actions before production handoff.
• Maintain accurate specifications, bills of materials, approved samples, and development comments in PLM.
• Complete a clear, timely handoff to Production and support the resolution of development-related issues during pre-production.

Skills

Product development

Vendor management

Costing & negotiation

PLM systems

Excel

ERP systems

Project management

Communication

Tools

PLM systems

Microsoft Excel

ERP systems

Job description

Veronica Beard is seeking a Product Development Manager to lead leather goods accessory development, translating Design vision into production-ready products that meet aesthetic, quality, cost and delivery targets.

You will partner with Design, Materials, Technical Design, Merchandising and Production to manage development from concept through pre-production, ensuring calendar milestones and cost targets are met.