Product Development Manager: End-to-End Launches

The Guitar Center Company; Westlake Village (CA); On-site; USD 80,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental, Vision

401K with company match

Tuition reimbursement

Employee discount

Job summary

Guitar Center seeks a Manager, Product Development to drive end-to-end product initiatives from concept to production. You will partner with design/engineering and commercial teams to deliver consumer-ready products on time and within cost targets.

Responsibilities include managing development activities, aligning with merchandising and planning, validating design intent, and optimizing cost. Strong PM skills and market insight are essential.

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 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 development from concept through mass production.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Align on specifications, sourcing, cost, and delivery goals.
• Product Concept Development: Ideate and develop new product opportunities from insights.
• Consumer Insights: Incorporate user testing feedback into design improvements.
• Project Management: Maintain timelines, budgets, and coordinate deliverables.
• Product Standards: Validate durability, reliability, and experience benchmarks.
• Cost Management: Track costs and partner on value engineering.
• Category Knowledge: Stay updated on trends, materials, and tech details.
• Post-Purchase Support: Create product docs and FAQs.

Skills

Product development experience

Project management

Cross-functional collaboration

Communication skills

Business acumen

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Industrial Design, or related field

Job description

Guitar Center seeks a Manager, Product Development to drive end-to-end product initiatives from concept to production. You will partner with design/engineering and commercial teams to deliver consumer-ready products on time and within cost targets.

Responsibilities include managing development activities, aligning with merchandising and planning, validating design intent, and optimizing cost. Strong PM skills and market insight are essential.