Director, Product Development, Accessories, Handbags, & Leather Goods

Position Title: Director, Product Development, Accessories

Reporting to Title: Chief Officer, Product Development and Production Sourcing

Summary:

As the Director, Product Development, Accessories, you will lead product development for the accessories business, spanning handbags, small leather goods (SLG), and leather goods. You will own the development calendar and strategic planning process, partnering closely with design and merchandising to bring seasonal collections to life that meet aesthetic vision, cost targets, and quality standards.

You will lead and grow the Accessories Product Development team, setting technical and creative direction while ensuring initiatives are executed cleanly from concept through final development handoff. You will serve as the primary connector between internal design and merchandising partners and external material, hardware, and component suppliers, driving decisions at key development milestones.

This role requires strong leadership, sourcing knowledge, and a sharp aesthetic sense to deliver product that reflects the brand’s premium positioning.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Develop clear product development calendars for handbags, SLG, and leather goods that align with seasonal business needs and cross-functional milestones.
• Lead and grow the Accessories Product Development team, partnering with design and merchandising to create seasonal collections that satisfy aesthetics, cost, and functionality requirements.
• Own strategic planning for the accessories product development function, ensuring initiatives are executed from concept through final development handoff.
• Lead communication and alignment between internal partners (design, development, merchandising) and external partners (material, hardware, and component suppliers).
• Attend and drive decision-making in prototype, SMS, and BOM meetings to keep development on track and achieve departmental goals.
• Initiate clear directives with material and design teams to improve product quality and department profitability.
• Own the accessories development budget, ensuring initiatives stay within financial targets.
• Travel internationally to manufacturing and material partners, as needed, to expedite prototype development and resolve design or construction questions.
• Identify and build relationships with material, hardware, and component vendors to support sample development, quality, and innovation goals.
• Identify sourcing gaps and recommend new material and component suppliers to meet business objectives across handbags, SLG, and leather goods.
• Initiate seasonal hindsights with key departments and vendors to capture learnings and refine the development process.
• Seek opportunities to reduce development costs, shorten sample lead times, and increase process efficiency.
• Align with RTW product development leads on best practices and shared business objectives.
• Set and uphold aesthetic, construction, and quality standards across all accessories product development.
• We are an Equal Opportunity Employer M/D/F/V
• In compliance with the New York City salary transparency requirements, the potential salary for this position is from $165,000 to $175,000, which represents a range commensurate with experience, knowledge, and skills required.

Requirements

• 8+ years of global accessories product development experience, with a concentration in handbags, small leather goods, and leather goods.
• Experience with manufacturing and material partners across Asia and Europe.
• Bachelor's degree or equivalent.
• Strong aesthetic sense and deep construction knowledge in luxury leather goods and hardware.
• Fundamental understanding of handbag, SLG, and leather goods construction, costing, functionality, calendar management, and material applications.
• Proven experience leading and developing product development teams, with strong budget ownership and strategic planning skills.
• Effective cross-functional collaborator who drives on-time delivery, target costs, and appropriate quality and functionality.
• Strong problem-solving, negotiation, planning, and organizational skills.
• Excellent written and oral communication, interpersonal, and multitasking skills.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel and Outlook; experience with RLM preferred.
• AI fluency — comfort using AI tools to accelerate work such as calendar tracking, vendor correspondence, and reporting, with sound judgment about when to rely on them and when to verify.