Director of Product Development, Decor

MACKENZIE-CHILDS LLC•Town of Ledyard, NY

3d•Onsite

About The Position

The Director of Product Development, Decor is responsible for driving sales growth and profitability through the leadership of new product development across the Core and Seasonal Décor categories. This role partners closely with Design to create compelling, commercially viable assortments that uphold the brand’s standards while advancing the business through innovation, relevance, and scale. This is a high-impact leadership role with end-to-end ownership of the product lifecycle, balancing strategic vision with hands-on execution to ensure product strategies translate into strong commercial outcomes. The role requires strong cross-functional leadership, working effectively across Design, Planning, Marketing, Sales, and Operations to execute against strategic goals delivering them on time and within budget. This leader will also focus on developing the team, strengthening capabilities, and driving greater accountability and speed across the product development process.

Requirements

10+ years of experience in Product Development and Merchandising
Bachelor’s degree in a related field
Ability to travel domestically and internationally (approximately 20–30%)
Experience within multi-category and/or multi-channel home businesses; DTC or omnichannel brand experience preferred
Proven track record of leading end-to-end product development from concept through launch
Strong vendor management experience across domestic and international partners
Strategic and analytical mindset with the ability to balance long-term vision and detailed execution
Excellent communication and presentation skills; comfortable engaging with senior leadership and large cross-functional teams
Experience collaborating across functions including Design, Marketing, Operations, Supply Chain, and Planning
Deep passion for Home Décor with strong creative instincts and a willingness to take thoughtful, customer-driven risks
Demonstrated ability to lead and develop high-performing teams in a fast-paced, evolving environment
Strong project management and organizational skills with attention to detail

Responsibilities

Define and execute the long-term product strategy for the Core and Seasonal Décor categories, aligned with design direction, business objectives and brand ethos.
Own category performance across sales, margin, and inventory productivity, including KPIs such as gross margin, sell-through, turn, and markdown optimization.
Lead category planning, including assortment architecture and 3-year growth strategy.
Identify whitespace opportunities and drive innovation across categories, materials, and product concepts.
Establish product narratives and seasonal storytelling that support brand and customer engagement.
Define pricing strategy to balance customer value perception, competitiveness, and margin.
Anticipate market trends and shifts, customer behavior, and competitive dynamics, adjusting product direction proactively.
Lead the end-to-end product lifecycle from concept through commercialization and launch.
Own and execute the product roadmap, ensuring on-time, on-budget delivery to quality standards.
Partner closely with Design to translate creative vision into commercially viable product assortments.
Drive SKU productivity and assortment optimization within the defined category strategy.
Improve speed-to-market and implement scalable development processes and tools.
Work with vendors to ensure product execution meets quality, cost, and timeline expectations while maintaining design integrity.
Define and maintain a consistent cadence of product newness to support ongoing growth objectives.
Build and manage a strong global vendor network to support quality, production capacity, and innovation needs.
Lead vendor negotiations, cost management, and margin optimization efforts.
Identify and onboard new manufacturing partners to expand capabilities and reduce risk.
Ensure adherence to compliance, quality, and production standards.
Partner with Design, Creative, Marketing and Sales to bring product stories to life across campaigns and key product moments.
Collaborate with Supply Chain and Operations to ensure seamless execution from development through delivery.
Serve as a key contributor in strategic planning, including long-range planning and major product initiatives and brand collaborations.
Lead, mentor, and develop a Product Development team, strengthening capabilities and performance.
Foster a culture of accountability, ownership, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
Establish clear goals, processes, and performance expectations across the team.