Faber-Castell USA · 2 days ago
Director of Product Development
Independence, OH
Full-time
Onsite
Director/ExecutiveFaber-Castell USA is a leading creative company dedicated to inspiring creativity and quality craftsmanship in arts, crafts, and kids’ activities. The Director of Product Development will lead the innovation, design, and execution of new products across the kids’ space, ensuring product creation excellence and collaborating closely with Marketing and Sales.
E-CommerceEducation
Responsibilities
Lead end-to-end product development from concept through commercialization, ensuring speed, quality, safety, cost discipline, and commercial success
Act as a hands-on designer: contribute to sketching, concept refinement, CAD development (or guidance), and creative problem-solving
Own design-to-cost and value engineering to meet defined cost and margin targets throughout the development cycle
Translate Marketing-led strategies into clear product briefs, development roadmaps, and executable innovation plans; assess feasibility early
Partner with Sales to ensure strong retail selling stories, clear differentiation, and aligned price architecture
Collaborate on sell-sheets, line presentations, and sales tools that clearly communicate product benefits and value
Build and manage a disciplined innovation pipeline that balances breakthrough innovation, line extensions, and margin-driven initiatives
Oversee design, prototyping, and validation testing; partner with Quality and Compliance to meet safety, regulatory, and performance standards across markets
Define testing protocols with Quality, manage third-party lab testing, and ensure timely certifications and approvals
Own product costing, margin modeling, and value engineering in partnership with Finance, Sourcing, and Operations
Partner with Supply Chain and Sourcing to leverage multi-national manufacturing capabilities and optimize cost, quality, and lead times
Travel regularly to China and other manufacturing regions to support design execution, tooling, sampling, cost optimization, and production readiness
Maintain strong working relationships with factories and suppliers to ensure design intent, quality execution, and on-time commercialization
Drive speed-to-market improvements through disciplined stage-gate processes and continuous process optimization
Analyze trends, consumer insights, and competitive products to continuously fuel innovation and portfolio improvement
Ensure product documentation, specifications, compliance records, and approvals are complete, accurate, and audit-ready
Review product performance post-launch and apply learnings to future development cycles
Lead, coach, and develop a high-performing Product Development team, fostering creativity, accountability, and execution excellence
Qualification
Required
Extensive product development experience in the kids' space (toys, arts and crafts, or related consumer products)
Demonstrated ability to operate as both a strategic leader and a hands-on designer
Proven track record launching successful retail products that meet defined cost and margin targets
Strong leadership experience managing and developing creative product teams
Deep understanding of the full product development lifecycle from concept through commercialization
Strong experience partnering with Quality and Compliance on testing, certification, and regulatory approvals
Strong background in multi-national sourcing and direct factory engagement, including frequent travel to China
Strong cross-functional collaboration with Marketing and Sales; strong commercial acumen balancing creativity, cost, margin, speed-to-market, and scalability
Highly organized and results-oriented; comfortable in a fast-paced, execution-driven environment
Must be based in Cleveland, Ohio, or willing to relocate
Preferred
Strong hand-sketching and visual concepting skills; proven ability to take ideas from early concept through final execution
Experience with CAD tools such as SolidWorks, Rhino, Fusion 360, or equivalent in a product development environment
Experience with Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign) for visualization, concept communication, presentations, and packaging mockups
Ability to create and interpret technical drawings, specifications, and production-ready documentation
Experience with rapid prototyping methods (e.g., 3D printing, foam modeling, sample fabrication)
Strong understanding of materials, manufacturing processes, and tooling related to toys, plastics, paper goods, and craft products
Strong design sensibility for form, color, structure, and consumer appeal, balanced with manufacturability and cost discipline
Clear communication of design intent to factories, engineers, and external partners, including in overseas manufacturing environments
Company
Faber-Castell USA
Celebrating over 250 years, Faber-Castell takes pride in our longevity and what it represents – consistent delivery of a quality experience in all areas of business.
Founded in 1761
51-200 employees
Funding
Current Stage
Growth StageLeadership Team
Scott Flynn
President/CEO
Recent News
Gifts & Decorative Accessories
2025-09-12
Company data provided by crunchbase