Product Development Manager in New York, New York at Richline Group

Location: New York City, NY (onsite

Specialization: Wedding Bands / Bridal

POSITION SUMMARY

The Product Development Manager / Merchant is responsible for the strategic growth and execution of our Wedding Band category. This role focuses heavily on New Product Development (NPD), bridging the gap between creative design and commercial viability. You will manage the lifecycle of wedding jewelry from initial concept and CAD development through to market launch, ensuring all products meet our standards for design excellence and profitability.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

1. New Product Development (NPD) & Design Liaison

· Lead the end-to-end development of new wedding band collections, including classic, contemporary, and alternative metal styles as well as any finished jewelry products with diamonds or other stones using the extruded tubing material.

· Partner with customers, designers, and CAD artists to translate seasonal trends and market gaps into technical specifications.

· Review and approve prototypes/samples, ensuring aesthetic intent and "comfort-fit" standards are achieved.

· Manage the development calendar to ensure all new launches meet critical market deadlines.

2. Strategic Merchandising

· Curate a competitive and balanced product assortment across various price points and metal types (Gold, Platinum, etc.).

· Conduct regular competitive landscape analysis to identify white-space opportunities in the bridal market.

· Collaborate with the Director of Merchandising to establish pricing strategies that achieve target margins.

3. Operational Execution

· Create and maintain accurate Bills of Materials (BOM) and product specification sheets.

· Work closely with production and sourcing teams to troubleshoot manufacturing hurdles and maintain quality control.

· Prepare product knowledge materials for the sales team to ensure successful storytelling at launch.

QUALIFICATIONS & SKILLS

Experience: 5+ years in Jewelry Product Development or Merchandising (Bridal/Wedding Band experience strongly preferred).

· Technical Knowledge: Strong understanding of jewelry manufacturing, precious metals, diamond/stone setting, CAD, and CAM processes (especially CNC lathes and mills). Knowledge of finishing techniques such as diamond-cutting, texturing, etc. Familiarity with SolidWorks and Rhinoceros are a plus.

· Analytical Ability: Proficient in Excel (Pivot Tables, VLOOKUPs) for analyzing SKU performance and inventory health.

· Communication: Ability to present new concepts effectively to senior leadership and cross-functional partners

KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS (KPIs)

· Productivity: Successful sell-through of new designs within the first 6 months of launch.

· Timeliness: Adherence to the development calendar for seasonal releases.

· Margin Growth: Ability to design-to-cost and maintain healthy gross margins across