Sr. Manager, Product Development - Personalized Products

Reposted One Month Ago
Be an Early Applicant
Burr Ridge, IL, USA
In-Office
Senior level
Retail
The Role
Lead vendor-led product development for personalized products, ensuring manufacturability, quality, cost-efficiency, and production readiness. Translate designs into tech packs and specs, validate prototypes, manage vendor capabilities, and drive quality and continuous improvement across launch and post-launch phases.
Summary Generated by Built In
Job Summary & Responsibilities

About the Role


We are seeking a highly strategic and technically skilled Sr. Manager, Product Development to lead the transformation of product concepts into scalable, production-ready solutions within our personalization ecosystem. This role serves as the critical link between Merchandising, Design, Sourcing, and Operations, ensuring products are developed with manufacturability, quality, efficiency, and profitability in mind.


As a key leader in a vendor-led development environment, you will oversee product feasibility, technical validation, specification development, vendor collaboration, and production readiness. The ideal candidate combines strong product development expertise with a deep understanding of materials, manufacturing processes, and personalization techniques to bring innovative products to market successfully.  NOTE: This is a “physical” product development role (i.e., mugs, keepsakes, accessories), NOT digital/software.

What You'll DoProduct Feasibility & Technical Validation
  • Evaluate product concepts for manufacturability, scalability, and margin potential.
  • Identify and mitigate risks related to materials, construction methods, and personalization techniques.
  • Serve as the technical gatekeeper, ensuring products meet business and operational requirements before production.
  • Partner with cross-functional teams to balance customer experience, design intent, and production realities.
Product Specifications & Technical Documentation
  • Translate design concepts into comprehensive production-ready specifications.
  • Develop and maintain:
    • Technical packs (Tech Packs)
    • Material and component specifications
    • Personalization standards and rules
    • Artwork and file setup guidelines
  • Ensure all product documentation is accurate, organized, and consistently maintained.
Vendor Development & Collaboration
  • Partner closely with Sourcing to assess and select vendor capabilities.
  • Review prototypes, samples, and product development milestones.
  • Provide technical feedback and lead product iteration cycles.
  • Validate vendor readiness to consistently execute personalization requirements and quality standards.
Sample & Prototype Management
  • Oversee the sample development, review, and approval process.
  • Drive timely issue resolution throughout product development.
  • Evaluate prototypes for quality, functionality, and production readiness.
  • Ensure products meet brand standards before commercialization.
Production Readiness & Quality Assurance
  • Ensure all products are fully production-ready prior to launch.
  • Establish and maintain quality assurance standards across product categories.
  • Monitor post-launch product performance and identify improvement opportunities.
  • Lead continuous improvement initiatives focused on quality, cost efficiency, and operational excellence.


 

Preferred Qualifications
  • 7–10+ years of experience in Product Development, Technical Design or a related field.
  • Proven experience managing product development processes and external vendor relationships.
  • Strong understanding of materials, construction methods, manufacturing processes, and production workflows.
  • Demonstrated ability to assess product feasibility, identify risks, and develop scalable solutions.
  • Exceptional problem-solving, project management, and cross-functional collaboration skills.
  • Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to influence stakeholders across multiple functions.

Skills Required

  • 7-10+ years of experience in Product Development, Technical Design, Product Engineering, or a related field
  • Proven experience managing product development processes and external vendor relationships
  • Strong understanding of materials, construction methods, manufacturing processes, and production workflows
  • Demonstrated ability to assess product feasibility, identify risks, and develop scalable solutions
  • Exceptional problem-solving, project management, and cross-functional collaboration skills
  • Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to influence stakeholders
Am I A Good Fit?
beta
Get Personalized Job Insights.
Our AI-powered fit analysis compares your resume with a job listing so you know if your skills & experience align.

The Company
HQ: Jericho, NY
3,104 Employees
Year Founded: 1976

What We Do

1-800-FLOWERS.COM. Inc. is a leading provider of gifts for all celebratory occasions and our mission is to deliver smiles. The 1-800-FLOWERS.COM, Inc. family of brands includes everyday gifting and sharing products from 1-800-Flowers.com®, PersonalizationMall.com®, 1-800-Baskets.com®, Cheryl's Cookies®, Shari's Berries®, FruitBouquets.com®, Harry & David®, Moose Munch®, The Popcorn Factory®, Wolferman's Bakery℠, and Simply Chocolate®. We believe that embracing diversity, and celebrating the uniqueness of every individual, makes us a better company.

Similar Jobs

Caterpillar Logo Caterpillar

Data Engineer

Artificial Intelligence • Cloud • Internet of Things • Software • Cybersecurity • Industrial
Hybrid
Peoria, IL, USA
100000 Employees
89K-145K Annually

ChowNow Logo ChowNow

Program Manager

Food • Software
Easy Apply
Remote or Hybrid
USA
208 Employees
130K-172K Annually

Morningstar Logo Morningstar

Director of Index Research & Thought Leadership, Morningstar Indexes

Artificial Intelligence • Big Data • Enterprise Web • Fintech • Software • Financial Services
Hybrid
Chicago, IL, USA
11500 Employees
185K-283K Annually

Hometap Logo Hometap

Account Executive

Fintech • Real Estate • Software • Financial Services • PropTech
Easy Apply
Remote or Hybrid
USA
314 Employees
100K-100K Annually

Similar Companies Hiring

Tastewise Thumbnail
Artificial Intelligence • Big Data • Food • Retail • Software • Generative AI • Big Data Analytics
NYC, NYC
120 Employees
Scotch Thumbnail
Artificial Intelligence • eCommerce • Fintech • Payments • Retail • Software • Analytics
US
35 Employees
Golden Pet Brands Thumbnail
Digital Media • eCommerce • Information Technology • Marketing Tech • Pet • Retail • Social Media
El Segundo, California
178 Employees

Sign up now Access later

Create Free Account

Please log in or sign up to report this job.

Create Free Account