Product Development & Merchandising Manager

Summary

Join VRAI, a rapidly growing direct-to-consumer brand, as their Product Development and Merchandising Manager. You will oversee the entire lifecycle of fine jewelry products, from initial concept to production, ensuring high quality and timely completion. This role demands expertise in fine jewelry product development, engineering, manufacturing, data analysis, and costing. You will collaborate cross-functionally, maintain high quality standards, and drive innovation. The ideal candidate has a proven track record in fine jewelry product development and the ability to bring new products to market efficiently. VRAI offers a competitive salary and benefits package.

Requirements

• Minimum of 5 years of hands-on experience in product development within the fine jewelry industry with a portfolio showcasing successful fine jewelry launches
• Proven ability to manage projects from concept to production successfully, demonstrating exceptional communication skills, impeccable attention to detail, excellent organizational and time-management abilities, with the capacity to prioritize tasks and meet deadlines
• Extensive knowledge of jewelry design, gemology, materials, and manufacturing processes - including CAD design software, PLM, Excel and other relevant tools used in product development
• Strong understanding of cost analysis, pricing strategies, and market trends in fine jewelry
• Systems and operations focused to create or streamline processes and communication with manufacturers and internal partners

Responsibilities

• Stay current with market research and customer/retail feedback to support new fine jewelry product concepts
• Manage the entire product development process from concept to final sample approval, maintaining craftsmanship standards and timely completion; partner with production and quality teams to develop a deep understanding of vendor capabilities and make product allocation selections considering cost, capacity, lead times, manufacturing feasibility, quality standards, and brand aesthetics
• Set up sample SKUs and issue purchase orders keeping a pulse on diamond inventory levels, own project communication and followup with manufacturers for CADs, renderings, pricing, etc
• Create and maintain product development project trackers, product pricing documents, work in progress reports, product launch decks, and lead weekly product development meetings, preparing status updates on designs, CADs, costing, samples, etc
• Initiate the product launch process through product information handoffs to production and marketing including approval of product renderings

Benefits

• Health insurance
• Flexible spending accounts
• Retirement savings plans
• Life and disability insurance programs
• Paid and unpaid time away from work
• Employee discounts