Product Development Director

Polynae; New York, Northern (NY, KY); Hybrid; USD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonus

Equity

Benefits

Job summary

Polynae is seeking a senior product leader to own the end-to-end roadmap from concept through launch. You will collaborate with R&D partners, manufacturing networks, and brand teams to develop new SKUs, improve existing ones, and ensure quality across all shipments.

As a small team, you’ll do the work initially before building support as the company grows. The role emphasizes ownership of product development from ideation to market, with a focus on strong supplier relationships, regulatory

Qualifications

• 7+ years in product development at a consumer brand, with experience leading the function or a major category.
• Track record of launching products that performed in market.
• Strong relationships with manufacturers and suppliers.

Responsibilities

• Lead the product roadmap and prioritize the pipeline with founders and brand leadership.
• Manage product development with internal and external R&D partners.
• Oversee packaging design, sourcing, and unit-economics review.
• Partner with regulatory and QA on compliance, claims substantiation, and stability testing.
• Build and manage relationships with contract manufacturers and ingredient/material suppliers.
• Lead the cross-functional launch process from concept brief through retail-ready.
• Grow the product development team as the company scales.

Skills

Product development leadership

Roadmapping

Supplier relationships

Regulatory knowledge

Job description

Summary

Lead our product roadmap from concept through launch (formulations, packaging, testing, and supplier partnerships) and build the function as the company grows.

$110,000–$150,000/year, plus bonus, equity, and benefits.

About the Role

Our products are the heart of the company, and we're looking for someone to own the function end-to-end. You'll work with our R&D partners, manufacturing network, and brand team to develop new SKUs, improve existing ones, and make sure everything that ships meets the bar we set for ourselves and our customers. As a small team, you'll do the work yourself before you grow a team to support it.

What You'll Do

• Lead the product roadmap and prioritize the pipeline with founders and brand leadership
• Manage product development with internal and external R&D partners
• Oversee packaging design, sourcing, and unit-economics review
• Partner with regulatory and QA on compliance, claims substantiation, and stability testing
• Build and manage relationships with contract manufacturers and ingredient/material suppliers
• Lead the cross-functional launch process from concept brief through retail-ready
• Grow the product development team as the company scales

What We're Looking For

• 7+ years in product development at a consumer brand, with experience leading the function or a major category
• A track record of launching products that performed in market, not just shipped on time
• Deep familiarity with the category we operate in
• Strong relationships with manufacturers and suppliers
• Working knowledge of the regulations that apply to our category
• The judgment to balance science, brand, and commercial pressure