Head of Product Development in Sachseln, Obwalden at Jobgether

This position is listed on behalf of a partner company, who manages all applications and next steps. Our partner is looking for a Head of Product Development based in Switzerland.

This newly created leadership role owns the full journey from customer insight to a successful physical consumer product.
You will determine what to build, why it matters, how it should be designed, and how it should perform in the market.
The role combines customer research, product development, manufacturing, pricing and commercial decision-making.
You will work closely with overseas factories and guide products through specifications, quality standards, launch and continuous improvement.
Using customer evidence and performance data, you will decide which opportunities to pursue, improve, redesign or stop.
You will also lead a product team, establish priorities and improve the quality of research and decision-making.
This is a fully remote position with required working-hour overlap from 9 AM to 1 PM Eastern Time.

• Own the end-to-end product development process, from customer research and opportunity identification through product design, manufacturing, launch and post-launch performance.
• Build a detailed understanding of customers, including segments, purchase occasions, price and quality perceptions, trust signals, complaints and return drivers.
• Use reviews, search behavior, social content, surveys, interviews and testing to identify customer needs and validate product opportunities.
• Decide which new product opportunities should move forward, remain on hold or be discontinued, using clear evidence to support decisions.
• Define product and offer specifications, including materials, construction, packaging, sizing, color assortment and price positioning.
• Manage product lifecycles by identifying root causes behind negative feedback, improving quality standards, introducing product variations and making relaunch or discontinuation decisions.
• Establish a results loop that compares launch expectations and forecasts with actual product performance.
• Lead and prioritize the work of product analysts and sourcing/production coordination resources.
• Review team output and guide the development and use of research, analysis and product-scoring tools.
• Collaborate with overseas manufacturing partners to manage specifications, samples, quality standards and production requirements.

Requirements:

• Proven experience developing and launching at least three physical consumer products for U.S. consumers, with ownership of customer insight, product and offer decisions, and results.
• At least one successfully developed product should have been sold primarily through an online channel such as DTC, Amazon or another marketplace.
• 5+ years of experience within a consumer products company, brand or retailer serving U.S. consumers.
• Demonstrated willingness to stop, redesign or challenge a product based on customer research and market evidence.
• Strong understanding of customer research methods, including interviews, surveys, concept testing, price testing, reviews and social listening, with a clear understanding of the strengths and limitations of each.
• Strong knowledge of how U.S. consumers evaluate products online, including imagery, reviews, ratings, pricing, comparison and social proof.
• Hands-on product development expertise covering specifications, materials, samples, quality standards and factory collaboration, including overseas manufacturing.
• Strong commercial judgment, with the ability to evaluate pricing, product costs and margins together.
• Experience managing at least three people and improving the quality and effectiveness of their work.
• Practical experience using AI in research or product development, with appropriate human review and validation.
• Excellent written English, with strong written communication skills required for the role.
• Experience should be focused on physical consumer products rather than software or digital product management, marketing or brand management for products developed by others, sourcing or merchandising alone, or products sold exclusively outside the United States.

Benefits:

• Fully remote position.
• Flexible working arrangements outside the required collaboration window.
• Required overlap with Eastern Time from 9 AM to 1 PM.
• Direct reporting to the CEO with ownership of a newly created product development function.
• End-to-end ownership of product strategy, development, manufacturing, pricing and performance.
• Opportunity to shape a multi-brand physical consumer product portfolio serving U.S. households.
• Leadership responsibility across product analysis and sourcing/production coordination.
• Opportunity to apply customer research, commercial judgment and AI-enabled workflows to product development.