Director, Product Development

Glossier•New York, NY

4h•$148,000 - $192,000•Hybrid

About The Position

Glossier is seeking a Director, Product Development to lead the daily execution and technical oversight of product development programs, with a primary focus on Color and Skincare. The role translates established product priorities into clear plans, keeps ongoing programs moving, and creates structure and visibility across development operations. It directly manages Packaging Development and partners with Product leadership, Supply Chain, Operations, Quality, Regulatory, Creative, Finance, and external manufacturing partners. The reporting line is to be confirmed. The Director oversees active programs such as renovations, reformulations, packaging updates, shade extensions, and portfolio maintenance initiatives. The role provides technical oversight across formula and packaging development, supports feasibility and performance decisions, oversees testing and documentation readiness, and coordinates technical handoffs into ongoing operations. It also leads and develops the Packaging Development team, manages vendor relationships and assigned development budgets, and identifies practical improvements to processes, quality, cost, efficiency, and supply continuity.

Requirements

8 or more years of experience in beauty product development, technical development, commercialization, or development operations, including experience managing people.
Meaningful experience across Color Cosmetics and Skincare, with a strong understanding of how formulas, packaging, testing, and manufacturing come together.
Demonstrated experience running daily development operations and managing multiple programs with competing timelines and dependencies.
A track record of improving existing processes, introducing useful structure, and delivering measurable improvements in timing, quality, cost, or efficiency.
Strong technical knowledge of packaging development, including materials, components, tooling, testing, and formula-packaging compatibility; experience managing packaging professionals.
Experience supporting scale-up, production trials, technical troubleshooting, and the transition from development into commercial production.
Strong vendor management experience, including direct work with contract manufacturers, laboratories, and domestic and international packaging suppliers.
Sound judgment and a practical approach to problem-solving, including assessing tradeoffs, making recommendations, and recognizing when specialist input is needed.
Strong organizational and analytical skills, with close attention to documentation, timelines, costs, and follow-through.
Clear, thoughtful communication and the ability to build productive relationships across creative, technical, and operational teams.
A practical, involved leadership approach, including developing people, creating clarity, and helping the team succeed.
Genuine interest in beauty and commitment to protecting the quality, performance, and experience Glossier's community expects.
Ability to travel as needed to meet with vendors, support trials, or work with external partners.

Responsibilities

Lead the daily operation of active Color and Skincare development programs, translating approved briefs and product priorities into timelines, milestones, responsibilities, and deliverables.
Manage execution of renovations, reformulations, packaging updates, shade extensions, and other portfolio maintenance initiatives.
Maintain a master project list showing program status, dependencies, upcoming decisions, and risks.
Establish consistent ways of working, including project kickoffs, development reviews, approval checkpoints, and handoffs.
Identify bottlenecks, competing priorities, and resource constraints; recommend solutions and escalate decisions with clear options and implications.
Improve development processes, tools, and documentation to reduce rework, strengthen accountability, and make execution more predictable.
Track program timing, development costs, and performance against agreed targets, and use lessons learned to improve future execution.
Identify portfolio opportunities to improve product quality, simplify components and processes, reduce costs, and support supply continuity.
Provide technical oversight across formula and packaging development, helping teams evaluate feasibility, resolve issues, and meet product performance, quality, cost, and timing requirements.
Directly manage the Packaging Development team, setting priorities, reviewing technical work, and supporting execution across primary and secondary packaging programs.
Guide packaging decisions concerning materials, components, functionality, tooling, decoration, and manufacturability.
Partner with Quality, Regulatory, testing partners, and manufacturers to define testing requirements and track stability, compatibility, performance, and packaging validation.
Review technical findings with functional experts, ensuring risks are understood and required approvals are secured before programs advance.
Oversee the readiness and accuracy of development specifications, bills of materials, testing records, and change documentation in partnership with the responsible teams.
Partner with contract manufacturers and component suppliers on pilot runs, line trials, scale-up, and production readiness, ensuring clear handoffs into ongoing operations.
Lead technical troubleshooting with internal and external partners, identify root causes, and coordinate corrective actions.
Manage technical execution of approved formula, packaging, material, and supplier changes, including updates needed to support market requirements.
Lead and develop the Packaging Development team through clear expectations, regular feedback, technical coaching, and thoughtful workload planning.
Build a team culture grounded in curiosity, collaboration, accountability, and attention to detail.
Serve as the operational point of connection across Product Development, Packaging, Supply Chain, Operations, Quality, Regulatory, Creative, and Finance.
Run focused program reviews that surface relevant information, clarify decisions, and keep work moving.
Manage daily development relationships with contract manufacturers, laboratories, packaging suppliers, and other technical partners, holding them accountable to agreed deliverables.
Partner with Supply Chain and Operations on supplier changes, recurring product issues, and opportunities to improve manufacturing efficiency and continuity.
Manage assigned development budgets and work with Finance and Supply Chain to assess cost implications and improvement opportunities.
Keep Product leadership informed through concise updates on progress, risks, resource needs, and recommendations.
Travel as needed to meet vendors, support trials, or work with external partners.