Product Development Manager - End-to-End Launch

Guitar Center Stores, Inc.; Westlake Village (CA); On-site; USD 110,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Guitar Center Stores, Inc. in Westlake Village, CA, seeks a Manager, Product Development to drive product initiatives from concept through production, ensuring alignment with timelines and cost targets.

You will collaborate with design/engineering, manage lifecycles, and bring consumer-relevant products to market. The role requires a Bachelor's in Engineering/Industrial Design, 5–7 years of progressive product development experience, and strong project-management skills to coordinate

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Industrial Design, Product Development, or related field.
• 5-7 years of progressive product development experience, ideally within consumer hard goods.
• Proven track record managing product lifecycles and contributing to profitable launches.
• Strong project management skills with cross-functional coordination.
• Familiarity with design thinking, user testing, and technical product development processes.
• Experience working with sourcing and supply chain partners to align on cost, quality, and manufacturability.
• Excellent communication, collaboration, and problem-solving abilities.
• Business acumen with ability to interpret product performance data and support decision-making.

Responsibilities

• Product Development Execution: Manage day-to-day product development activities from concept through mass production, ensuring products meet design intent, quality standards, and business requirements.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with Merchandising and Planning teams to align on specifications, sourcing, cost, and delivery goals.
• Product Concept Development: Ideate and develop new product opportunities based on consumer and market insights.
• Consumer Insights: Support validation by incorporating user testing feedback into design improvements and final product specifications.
• Project Management: Develop and maintain project timelines, track budgets, and coordinate deliverables for on-time launches.
• Product Standards: Monitor performance targets and validate durability, reliability, and experience benchmarks with testing/quality teams.
• Cost Management: Track product costs and support cost optimization with sourcing.
• Category Knowledge: Maintain up-to-date knowledge of product category trends and technical details.
• Post-Purchase Support: Create product documentation, troubleshooting guides, and FAQs to enhance customer experience.
• Culture & Collaboration: Model teamwork, problem-solving, and respectful communication.

Skills

Product lifecycle management

Cross-functional collaboration

Project management

Design thinking

User testing

Sourcing & supply chain

Communication

Consumer insights

Cost awareness

Product development

Education

Engineering/Industrial Design

Job description

Guitar Center Stores, Inc. in Westlake Village, CA, seeks a Manager, Product Development to drive product initiatives from concept through production, ensuring alignment with timelines and cost targets.

You will collaborate with design/engineering, manage lifecycles, and bring consumer-relevant products to market. The role requires a Bachelor's in Engineering/Industrial Design, 5–7 years of progressive product development experience, and strong project-management skills to coordinate