Product Development Manager

Funboy Llc; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

FUNBOY is seeking a Product Development Manager to lead the lifecycle from concept through manufacturing handoff, ensuring designs meet brand standards and performance for DTC, marketplaces, and retail.

In this hands-on, cross-functional role you will partner with design, production, and marketing, drive schedules, manage samples and compliance, and maintain scalable processes across channels.

Qualifications

• 5-10+ years of product development experience.
• Proven ability to guide concepts through manufacturing handoff.
• Experience across DTC, marketplaces, and big-box retail.
• Knowledge of overseas manufacturing and production processes.
• Familiarity with retail packaging, compliance, and testing.
• Strong project management, communication, and decision-making.

Responsibilities

• Guide product development lifecycle from concept to manufacturing handoff.
• Collaborate with design, production, sourcing, and marketing.
• Manage timelines aligned with retail line reviews and launches.
• Balance innovation with cost, margin, and scalability.
• Oversee samples, testing, and factory collaboration.
• Own the final handoff to Production with complete documentation.
• Ensure compliance with safety standards and channel-specific requirements.
• Serve as hub between Design, Production, and channel stakeholders.

Skills

Product development

Project management

Cross-functional leadership

Channel strategy

Overseas manufacturing

Retail compliance

Communication skills

Decision making

Job description

Location:Los Angeles, CA or Seattle, WA (In-office, not remote)

Reports To: CEO / Executive Team

Overview:

The Product Development Manager is responsible for managing the product development lifecycle from initial concept through manufacturing handoff. This role ensures products are designed, engineered, tested, and documented to meet the requirements of each sales channel and/or partner while remaining operationally efficient and aligned with brand standards.

The role partners closely with the Production team, who manage mass manufacturing and are actively involved throughout sampling, validation, and factory ramp-up.

This is a hands-on, cross-functional role suited for someone who enjoys working at the intersection of design, engineering, manufacturing, compliance, and omni-channel commerce.

Key Responsibilities:

Product Lifecycle

Guide product development with an omni-channel mindset, accounting for the differing needs of DTC, marketplace, and big-box retail

Work closely with the production team to manage development timelines aligned with retail line reviews, marketplace launch windows, and DTC drops

Balance innovation, speed-to-market, cost, margin, and scalability

Concept & Design Development

Partner with founders, design, production and marketing to develop new product concepts, categories, and line extensions

Evaluate product ideas for brand alignment, channel fit, manufacturability, and commercial viability

Work closely with the production team to guide materials, construction methods, and features that perform well across online merchandising, retail shelves, and high-volume fulfillment

Engineering & Technical Execution

Oversee technical specifications, CADs, tech packs, BOMs, packaging structures, and master cartons

Ensure products meet performance, durability, and safety standards appropriate for both DTC and mass retail environments

Drive resolution of technical challenges uncovered during development and sampling

Sampling & Factory Collaboration

Oversee the sampling process in close collaboration with the Production team and overseas factories

Review and approve samples across function, materials, color, print, construction, and packaging

Ensure samples reflect final retail-ready and DTC-ready specifications, minimizing late-stage changes

Manufacturing Handoff

Own the final handoff to Production once a product is development-complete

Ensure all documentation is finalized, including specs, testing protocol, packaging requirements, and channel-specific variations

Support Production during early manufacturing runs to ensure design intent, quality, and channel requirements are maintained

Compliance, Testing & Retail Readiness

Ensure products comply with all relevant U.S. and international safety standards (e.g., ASTM, CPSIA, Prop 65)

Work with production team to account for retailer-specific compliance, packaging, labeling, and testing requirements

Partner with testing labs and internal teams to manage certifications, warnings, and documentation for all sales channels

Cross-Functional & Omni-Channel Management

Serve as the central hub between Design, Production, Sourcing, Marketing, E-commerce, and Retail partners

Communicate channel-specific tradeoffs, timelines, and risks clearly to leadership

Help build scalable product development systems that support rapid DTC launches and large retail programs simultaneously

Must-Have Qualifications :

5-10+ years of experience in product development, ideally within consumer products, outdoor goods, inflatables, or adjacent categories

Proven experience guiding products from concept through manufacturing handoff

Experience developing products for multiple sales channels, including DTC, Amazon, and/or big-box retail

Strong understanding of overseas manufacturing, materials, tooling, and production processes

Familiarity with retail compliance, packaging standards, and testing requirements

Exceptional project management, communication, and decision-making skills

Ability to balance creative vision with operational and commercial constraints

What Success Looks Like

FUNBOY consistently launches high-quality products on time across all channels

Products are engineered to scale smoothly from DTC drops to major retail programs

Sampling cycles are efficient with fewer late-stage surprises

Clear, repeatable product development processes are in place

Strong collaboration between Product Development, Production, and channel stakeholders

Products hit target margins while maintaining FUNBOY’s premium look and feel

Why FUNBOY

High-impact leadership role at a growing, design-obsessed omni-channel brand

Opportunity to shape product strategy across DTC, Amazon, and national retail

Creative freedom paired with real ownership and accountability

Fast-moving, collaborative environment where great ideas ship