Product Development Manager, Footwear & Lifestyle
About The Position
Aimé Leon Dore is looking for a Product Development Manager, Footwear & Lifestyle to join our team in New York, New York, reporting directly to Senior Product Development & Production Manager. This position will be responsible for managing the end-to-end product development process across ALD’s fastest-growing categories, including footwear, bags, leather goods, and lifestyle/hard goods. This role partners closely with Design, Footwear Partners, and Production to bring products from concept through production hand-off while protecting ALD’s standards of quality, execution, and brand integrity. This is a highly cross-functional role requiring strong vendor management, material knowledge, and an ability to balance creative intent with cost, timing, and technical feasibility.
Requirements
- 3–6+ years of Product Development experience, ideally in Footwear, Bags, Leather, or Lifestyle / Hard Goods
- Strong understanding of materials, construction, and manufacturing processes
- Experience working with overseas factories
- Proficiency in PLM (Backbone preferred), Adobe Illustrator, and Microsoft Office
- Highly organized, detail-driven, and comfortable managing multiple timelines
- Strong communication skills across creative and production teams
Responsibilities
- Manage the full product development lifecycle for Footwear & Lifestyle categories from concept through production hand-off
- Partner with Design to translate creative vision into technically executable products
- Own all communication with domestic and overseas vendors related to development, samples, timelines, and changes
- Drive sample execution (protos, PPS, TOP, SMS) and ensure adherence to quality, construction, and brand standards
- Maintain and update WIP, costing, and sample tracking across internal systems
- Partner with Design and Production to manage material selection, lead times, and MOQ constraints
- Identify construction or material risks early and propose solutions
- Support Footwear teams with development oversight and vendor coordination as needed
- Research new factories, materials, and techniques that support innovation and growth
- Ensure product data, costing, and delivery timelines are accurate and communicated cross-functionally
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Manager
Education Level
No Education Listed
