Director of Product Development in Pawtucket, Rhode Island at Schylling Inc.

About Us:

At Schylling, we create timeless moments of joy, laughter, and imagination for kids of all ages. Since 1975, we’ve been designing toys that spark creativity, inspire play, and bring smiles, whether through cherished classics or fresh innovations with a nostalgic twist. The Schylling portfolio includes iconic brands like NeeDoh®, LAVA® Lamp, Big Wheel®, Sea-Monkeys®, and many beloved classic toys, each crafted to encourage curiosity, discovery, and a sense of wonder. Join us in bringing play to the world!

Job Overview:

The Director of Product Development provides strategic and day-to-day leadership for Schylling’s Product Development team, translating the company’s product vision and business priorities into a focused, executable development pipeline. Working closely with management, this role helps shape product strategy, evaluate and prioritize opportunities, and ensure resources are aligned against the highest-potential initiatives. The Director leads Designers through the full product development lifecycle, from concept ideation, and refinement, through engineering and into production. This role serves as a key cross-functional leader, partnering with Marketing and Operations to ensure products deliver against Schylling’s standards for innovation, quality, commercial potential, and execution.

Key Responsibilities:

Product Development Leadership

• Develop product concept briefs and establish clear development direction for Design Leads.
• Guide product development from initial concept through production approval.
• Ensure product designs align with business objectives, consumer expectations, safety requirements, cost targets, and manufacturing capabilities.
• Drive consistency in product development processes across all categories.

Team Leadership

• Lead and mentor Design team by providing regular direction, coaching, and project support.
• Conduct routine project reviews to evaluate progress, identify challenges, and establish next steps.
• Balance project assignments and workload across the Product Development team to maximize efficiency and meet business priorities.
• Support professional development and continuous improvement within the department.

Product Development Process

• Review and provide direction on:
• • RFQs (Requests for Quotation)
  • Product specification documents
  • Engineering documentation
  • Prototype evaluations
  • Product sample reviews
  • Design revisions
• Ensure development documentation is complete, accurate, and production-ready.
• Oversee product revisions throughout sampling until approval for production.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner closely with:
• • Marketing on product launches and line planning
  • Purchasing on sourcing and cost targets
  • Operations on production timelines and manufacturing challenges
  • Quality Assurance on testing and compliance
  • Sales on assortment planning and customer needs
• Participate in line planning, roadmap development, and product review meetings.
• Coordinate timelines across departments to ensure successful product launches.

Individual Product Development

• Maintain responsibility for a portfolio of individual product development projects.
• Personally lead high-priority or strategically significant products through development.
• Support Design Leads by stepping into projects as needed to resolve technical or scheduling challenges.

Process Improvement

• Improve product development workflows, communication, and documentation standards.
• Identify opportunities to streamline development while maintaining creativity and product quality.
• Monitor project schedules and proactively address risks affecting deadlines or deliverables.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Industrial Design, Product Design, Engineering, or related field.
• 8+ years of consumer product development experience, including leadership responsibilities.
• Experience leading multidisciplinary product development teams.
• Strong understanding of manufacturing processes, materials, costing, and sourcing.
• Experience managing complex product development timelines from concept through production.
• Excellent organizational, leadership, and communication skills.
• Strong project management and prioritization abilities.
• Experience in toys, gifts, or consumer products preferred.

Success Measures

• On-time execution of product development milestones.
• Balanced team workload and efficient resource allocation.
• High-quality product specifications and production documentation.
• Leading successful collaboration across Product Development, Marketing, Purchasing, and Operations.
• Consistent delivery of innovative, manufacturable products that meet quality, cost, and schedule objectives.

Schylling offers a competitive benefits package that includes medical and dental with an 80% company contribution, vision insurance, company-paid life and disability insurance, PTO and 10 paid holidays, product discount, and a 401(k) with company match.

The base salary range for this position is $150,000 to $165,000. Offered base compensation within this range will be determined based on a candidate’s qualifications, experience, geographic location and other factors relevant to the scope and responsibilities of this role.