Do you thrive on project management, balancing multiple priorities, executing with strong attention to detail, and taking initiative while following a plan? Are you passionate about developing products, perfecting formulations, and elevating the consumer experience? If so, then this Product Development Director position offers many compelling opportunities. You will:

• Join an innovative and fast-growing formulation, packaging, and brand concept design agency to help create and deliver bespoke in-room, retail, and spa collections for discerning hotels and their guests.
• Become a key player on the personal care custom development team, helping well-known hospitality brands and clients to provide a distinctive experience based in local authenticity and wellness.
• Enjoy working with a dynamic, supportive team that is fun, fast-paced, detail oriented and accountable; we do what we say we’ll do when we say we’ll do it and work hard to serve our clients.
• We are committed to providing the highest levels of product quality and client service in hospitality. Our client experience is built on a solid foundation of talented, positive, and motivated individuals who contribute to a culture of continuous improvement, creativity, and exceptional service.
• Earn a competitive salary plus all the benefits you would expect including PTO (vacation, holidays, sick time), medical and dental insurance options, 401k plan, included Old Town Pasadena parking (or train pass reimbursement), and more. The salary range for this opportunity is $110K - $130K, depending on experience. 
• Work in our new contemporary offices on Colorado Blvd in Old Town Pasadena.

LATHER Custom, a pioneer in custom travel wellness, specializes in natural hair and body products, offering aromatherapy-based personal care to guests of some of the country's most prestigious hotels and resorts. Our focus is on developing tailored, bespoke products. LATHER, a woman-owned company, was recently selected as Forbes Travel Guide’s Official Bath and Body Provider. LATHER Custom is a specialized division within LATHER, Inc., which is known for unique, natural-based personal care products for women and men.

To be a good fit for this Product Development Director opportunity, you should have:

• A bachelor's degree in a related field
• 5+ years of related Project Management experience including strong planning and organizational skills
• 2+ years of experience managing a small team
• Familiarity and knowledge of formulations, ingredients, and regulatory factors, along with packaging and design options, in the personal care / beauty or similar industry
• Technical aptitude to thoroughly understand our offerings, processes, and capabilities, including packaging options and ingredients
• Strong aesthetic sensibilities and creativity
• Enthusiasm and a passion for the personal care and travel/hospitality industries, willingness to research and learn about ingredients / products, and the experience and resourcefulness to discover further information when needed
• A self-starter with high motivation and the ability to work well independently as well as in a team environment
• A strong sense of accountability and the ability to manage multiple concurrent projects under tight deadlines, keeping them all moving toward the finish line
• Excellent interpersonal and written communication skills
• The ability to represent the company in a professional, positive manner
• Proficiency in MS Office programs including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint

Preferred but not required:

• Experience developing customized products for clients

This is a hybrid position where you will be expected to work in the Pasadena, CA office at least 3 days per week with flexibility to work from home 2 days per week.

As the Product Development Director, you will report to the President and work closely with Creative, Sales, Client Service, and Operations. You’ll directly manage the Product Development team, including one Product Development Coordinator and one Product Development Manager, in Pasadena, California. You will be responsible for understanding the markets and trends (hospitality, personal care, product design), developing new product ideas, sourcing products and components from existing and new supplier partners, and contributing to the overall growth and development of the company.

More specifically, you will be charged with managing the design and development of new custom hotel bath amenities, spa, and retail products, as well as enhancements and updates to existing collections. You will work with manufacturers to specify product needs, create and iterate on samples to achieve a creative vision, and ensure that unique and compelling products are developed on time. The process of turning an idea into a physical product takes about 3-6 months per product and you will manage multiple projects concurrently, so you will need to have excellent project management skills.

Most of your time will be spent developing products. You will manage some of the projects yourself, and for others, you’ll manage team members to ensure quality, creative, and timely development. Being at the heart of the company, you will coordinate communication with teammates, clients, vendors, and partners.

In support of the above goals, some of your specific tasks will be to:

• Create and manage timelines to ensure timely development of multiple projects concurrently.
• Intentionally develop each element of custom products to fit the appropriate aesthetic.
• Review production and development samples to ensure quality.
• Analyze pricing, design to a budget, and negotiate costs.
• Research ingredients and develop brand stories.

Note: this description is intended to give you a general overview of the position and is not an exhaustive listing of duties and responsibilities.