The Role
The VP of Product Development leads product development from concept to launch, managing cross-functional teams, ensuring quality standards, and collaborating with overseas manufacturing partners to meet business objectives.
Summary Generated by Built In
Description
The VP of Product Development is responsible for leading the end-to-end development of innovative, high-quality consumer products for the outdoor industry. This role oversees Engineering and Project Management teams and works closely with overseas manufacturing partners to bring products from concept through commercialization—on time, on cost, and on brand.
- Own the full NPD development lifecycle from concept, design, prototyping, validation, and launch.
- Ensure products meet performance, quality, cost, sustainability, and compliance standards.
- Lead, mentor, and scale Engineering and Project Management teams.
- Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement
- Establish best practices for product development, documentation, testing, and change management
- Partner closely with overseas factories and suppliers to develop, engineer, and industrialize products
- Manage NPD timelines, tooling, sampling, and production readiness
- Identify and mitigate development, quality, and supply-chain risks
- Cross functional collaboration and work closely with Product Management, Sourcing, Quality, Operations, Sales, and Marketing
- Align development priorities with business objectives and seasonal calendars
- Improve development efficiency through standardized processes and tools
- Evaluate new materials, technologies, and manufacturing methods
- Support long-term product and platform strategy
Requirements
- Experience leading multiple development teams across various departments and being able to align their efforts for successful project delivery that align with the business goals.
- Proven experience with NPD life cycles, project planning, and launching products into market.
- Ability to manage complex development projects across multiple product categories and brands.
- Strong understanding of product design, engineering, materials, manufacturing processes, and quality systems.
- Innovative thinker who understands the practical application of technology and is able to plan for systems today that will carry the organization into the future.
- Extensive experience working with overseas factories (Asia preferred) and understanding foreign business practices and cultures.
- Excellent communication and leadership skills.
- Experience in the outdoor industry is ideal, with an understanding of the industry's drivers, direction and operations.
- 15+ years of product development experience in consumer products
- 5+ years of leadership experience at a VP or Director level managing engineering and project management teams
- 10+ years traveling to overseas factories
- Bachelor's degree in engineering, physics, mathematics, or equivalent
- MBA or equivalent
Skills Required
- 15+ years of product development experience in consumer products
- 5+ years of leadership experience at a VP or Director level managing engineering and project management teams
- Bachelor's degree in engineering, physics, mathematics, or equivalent
- MBA or equivalent
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The Company
What We Do
Good Sportsman Marketing LLC, operating as GSM Outdoors, is a manufacturer of consumer goods and sports accessories for the hunting, sport shooting, and outdoor enthusiast markets. They focus on designing and delivering innovative gear tailored to outdoor passions.
