DIME Beauty Co
Product Development Director
DIME Beauty Co, Manhattan Beach, California, United States, 90266
The Company
DIME Beauty's mission is to create luxurious skincare and beauty products that are clean, effective, and affordable. It is DIME's goal that customers will feel confident in who they are and embrace their skin in all its unique and beautiful stages.
Position Description The Product Development Director supports and operationalizes the product strategy and long-term innovation roadmap defined by the Chief Brand Officer. While the CBO owns the overall product vision, category direction, and multi-year roadmap, the PD Director translates this vision into an executable development strategy—leading formula direction, technical feasibility, supplier partnerships, claims strategy, and the cross‑functional execution required to deliver best‑in‑class products.
Duties/Responsibilities Innovation Strategy & Pipeline Ownership
Build and maintain a 24–36 month product pipeline aligned to brand strategy, financial targets, and whitespace opportunity
Translate brand DNA and audience insights into product concepts and innovation opportunities
Partner with CBO to define hero strategy, portfolio architecture, and category expansion
Conduct competitive deep dives, trend analysis, and ingredient innovation scouting
Formula, Claims & Sensory Leadership
Drive formula direction with contract manufacturers, ensuring alignment with brand standards, performance requirements, and the product vision set by executive leadership
Partner with Brand teams to shape claims strategy, testing roadmaps, and substantiation plans that support brand positioning and long‑term innovation goals
Evaluate and guide all sample rounds, including texture, finish, absorption, fragrance accords, aroma intensity, dry‑down, longevity, and overall sensorial profile. Provide technical and strategic recommendations to external development partners (ex: labs, chemists, contract manufacturers) for iteration
Lead cross‑functional reviews of formula progression and sensorial direction; provide expertise to inform decisions while escalating key milestones and final approvals to the Chief Brand Officer, CEO, and Founders for alignment with brand vision and commercial objectives
Ensure all formulas meet required benchmarks for efficacy, stability, safety, compliance, ingredient philosophy, and competitive differentiation
Vendor & Supplier Management
Build and maintain relationships with CMOs, fragrance houses, packaging partners, and raw material suppliers
Negotiate costings, lead times, MOQs, and exclusivity opportunities
Implement vendor scorecarding and performance reviews
Build and maintain strategic relationships with contract manufacturers (CMOs), fragrance houses, packaging partners, and raw material suppliers across skincare, body care, and fragrance to support DIME’s product innovation goals
Lead technical and strategic discussions with vendors including formulation advancement, ingredient innovation, packaging feasibility, sustainability options, “clean” formulation requirements, and category‑specific performance needs
Negotiate costings, MOQs, lead times, testing requirements, and exclusivity opportunities in partnership with executive leadership team, ensuring alignment with brand objectives and target margins
Develop vendor scorecarding, performance tracking, and capability assessments to ensure partners consistently meet quality, innovation, compliance, and responsiveness standards
Partner closely with Supply Chain/Operations to align on forecasts, capacity planning, production schedules, and operational constraints while maintaining ownership of technical feasibility, formula direction, and supplier innovation opportunities
Collaborate with Operations on final contract terms, production pricing, and supply continuity while retaining PD oversight of formula integrity, fragrance briefs, raw material specification control, and packaging technical validation
Identify potential new vendor partners, fragrance houses, raw material innovations, and packaging technologies to support long‑term product pipeline development and elevate brand competitiveness
Business & Financial Management
Own COGs strategy, margin targets, and cost optimization across the PD pipeline
Partner with operations on forecasts, inventory needs, and risk mitigation
Ensure all launches meet margin and cost requirements prior to gate approval
Partner with Finance, Operations, and the Chief Brand Officer to support annual budget planning for product development, including R&D expenses, testing, sampling, packaging prototypes, and vendor fees
Cross-Functional Leadership
Collaborate closely with Product Marketing, Creative, Regulatory, and Operations to move products from concept to launch
Lead PD reviews, milestone meetings, and executive gate approvals
Provide technical guidance and product expertise across the organization
Build scalable processes, documentation systems, and operating standards
Foster a culture of proactive problem solving, clarity, and excellence
Others
Completes assigned training on time
Other duties as assigned
Requirements
Proven leadership of cross‑functional programs and external vendors
Strong strategic thinking, negotiation, and margin management skills
Ability to balance long‑term vision with operational reality
Qualifications, Education and Experience
8+ years of product development experience in beauty/skincare
Experience in both skincare and fragrance development, preferred
Hands‑on experience developing skincare or fragrance products for brands with clean ingredient philosophies, sensitive‑skin standards, or no‑list formulation requirements, preferred
Deep technical knowledge of formulas, raw materials, claims, and regulatory considerations
Physical Requirements
Works in a hybrid environment, either in a home or office setting
Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer
Regularly required to sit, talk, hear, and use fingers to operate a computer and telephone
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Position Description The Product Development Director supports and operationalizes the product strategy and long-term innovation roadmap defined by the Chief Brand Officer. While the CBO owns the overall product vision, category direction, and multi-year roadmap, the PD Director translates this vision into an executable development strategy—leading formula direction, technical feasibility, supplier partnerships, claims strategy, and the cross‑functional execution required to deliver best‑in‑class products.
Duties/Responsibilities Innovation Strategy & Pipeline Ownership
Build and maintain a 24–36 month product pipeline aligned to brand strategy, financial targets, and whitespace opportunity
Translate brand DNA and audience insights into product concepts and innovation opportunities
Partner with CBO to define hero strategy, portfolio architecture, and category expansion
Conduct competitive deep dives, trend analysis, and ingredient innovation scouting
Formula, Claims & Sensory Leadership
Drive formula direction with contract manufacturers, ensuring alignment with brand standards, performance requirements, and the product vision set by executive leadership
Partner with Brand teams to shape claims strategy, testing roadmaps, and substantiation plans that support brand positioning and long‑term innovation goals
Evaluate and guide all sample rounds, including texture, finish, absorption, fragrance accords, aroma intensity, dry‑down, longevity, and overall sensorial profile. Provide technical and strategic recommendations to external development partners (ex: labs, chemists, contract manufacturers) for iteration
Lead cross‑functional reviews of formula progression and sensorial direction; provide expertise to inform decisions while escalating key milestones and final approvals to the Chief Brand Officer, CEO, and Founders for alignment with brand vision and commercial objectives
Ensure all formulas meet required benchmarks for efficacy, stability, safety, compliance, ingredient philosophy, and competitive differentiation
Vendor & Supplier Management
Build and maintain relationships with CMOs, fragrance houses, packaging partners, and raw material suppliers
Negotiate costings, lead times, MOQs, and exclusivity opportunities
Implement vendor scorecarding and performance reviews
Build and maintain strategic relationships with contract manufacturers (CMOs), fragrance houses, packaging partners, and raw material suppliers across skincare, body care, and fragrance to support DIME’s product innovation goals
Lead technical and strategic discussions with vendors including formulation advancement, ingredient innovation, packaging feasibility, sustainability options, “clean” formulation requirements, and category‑specific performance needs
Negotiate costings, MOQs, lead times, testing requirements, and exclusivity opportunities in partnership with executive leadership team, ensuring alignment with brand objectives and target margins
Develop vendor scorecarding, performance tracking, and capability assessments to ensure partners consistently meet quality, innovation, compliance, and responsiveness standards
Partner closely with Supply Chain/Operations to align on forecasts, capacity planning, production schedules, and operational constraints while maintaining ownership of technical feasibility, formula direction, and supplier innovation opportunities
Collaborate with Operations on final contract terms, production pricing, and supply continuity while retaining PD oversight of formula integrity, fragrance briefs, raw material specification control, and packaging technical validation
Identify potential new vendor partners, fragrance houses, raw material innovations, and packaging technologies to support long‑term product pipeline development and elevate brand competitiveness
Business & Financial Management
Own COGs strategy, margin targets, and cost optimization across the PD pipeline
Partner with operations on forecasts, inventory needs, and risk mitigation
Ensure all launches meet margin and cost requirements prior to gate approval
Partner with Finance, Operations, and the Chief Brand Officer to support annual budget planning for product development, including R&D expenses, testing, sampling, packaging prototypes, and vendor fees
Cross-Functional Leadership
Collaborate closely with Product Marketing, Creative, Regulatory, and Operations to move products from concept to launch
Lead PD reviews, milestone meetings, and executive gate approvals
Provide technical guidance and product expertise across the organization
Build scalable processes, documentation systems, and operating standards
Foster a culture of proactive problem solving, clarity, and excellence
Others
Completes assigned training on time
Other duties as assigned
Requirements
Proven leadership of cross‑functional programs and external vendors
Strong strategic thinking, negotiation, and margin management skills
Ability to balance long‑term vision with operational reality
Qualifications, Education and Experience
8+ years of product development experience in beauty/skincare
Experience in both skincare and fragrance development, preferred
Hands‑on experience developing skincare or fragrance products for brands with clean ingredient philosophies, sensitive‑skin standards, or no‑list formulation requirements, preferred
Deep technical knowledge of formulas, raw materials, claims, and regulatory considerations
Physical Requirements
Works in a hybrid environment, either in a home or office setting
Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer
Regularly required to sit, talk, hear, and use fingers to operate a computer and telephone
#J-18808-Ljbffr