Director of Product Development

About the position

The Director, Product Development will play a pivotal role in driving innovation and ensuring the successful development of high-quality, sustainable, and ethically sourced products aligned with our brand and founder ethos. Reporting to the VP, Product Development & R&D, you will lead a team of talented professionals and collaborate closely with immediate and cross-functional teams to bring new products to market, consistently upholding our brand's commitment to clean beauty standards.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute a strategic product development roadmap that aligns with the brand's clean beauty ethos, market trends, and identifies opportunities for innovation and expansion within the clean beauty space.
• Manage the entire product development lifecycle from concept through launch, including defining timelines, setting milestones, and allocating budget to ensure on-time delivery of new product launches.
• Bring deep expertise in building and expanding shade ranges across all product categories, ensuring they are diverse, relevant, market-competitive, and aligned with Gucci’s creative vision and brand values.
• Collaborate closely with the VP of PD + R&D and Regulatory Affairs Manager to oversee the formulation process from initial concept briefing to final launch, ensuring all products meet stringent clean beauty standards, regulatory requirements, and performance expectations.
• Brief labs on new projects across all makeup and skincare categories, lead weekly lab calls, and ensure continuous follow-through on product lifecycle with external partners and internal teams.
• Oversee and support the approval and meticulous tracking of pre-production samples for all open product orders, ensuring consistency and quality.
• Rigorously manage timelines for formula development, shade matching, and all required testing phases in collaboration with the team.
• Collaborate with the team to proactively identify, troubleshoot, and resolve any challenges that arise throughout the product development cycle.
• Assist directly in all innovation initiatives alongside the founder.
• Provide guidance, mentorship, and support to team members, fostering a culture of creativity, collaboration, and continuous improvement within the product development team.

Requirements

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Product Development, Cosmetics Science, or a related field.
• Proven experience (8-10 years) in product development within the beauty or cosmetics industry, with a strong, demonstrated focus on clean beauty products.
• Deep understanding of clean beauty principles, ingredient sourcing, formulation techniques, and global regulatory requirements.
• Impeccable attention to detail and a commitment to product excellence.
• Strong leadership and team management skills, with a track record of building, mentoring, and developing high-performing teams.
• Excellent project management abilities, including the capacity to prioritize tasks, meet aggressive deadlines, and manage multiple complex projects simultaneously.
• Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams, external partners, and senior leadership.
• A genuine passion for sustainability, ethical sourcing, and advancing the principles of clean beauty.

Benefits

• Robust suite of health benefits
• Wellness perks
• 401k
• Paid parental leave