Manager, Product Development at Guitar Center

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

The Manager, Product Development will drive the creation, execution, and delivery of product development initiatives within a defined brand. Reporting to the Director, Product Development, this role is responsible for managing product lifecycles from concept through production, ensuring alignment with business objectives, timelines, and cost targets. The Manager will collaborate closely with design/engineering resources and commercial partners to bring consumer-relevant products to market.

Responsibilities will include, but are not limited to:

• Product Development Execution: Manage day-to-day product development activities from concept through mass production, ensuring products meet design intent, quality standards, and business requirements.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with Merchandising and Planning teams to align on specifications, sourcing, cost, and delivery goals.
• Product Concept Development: Partner with the cross functional team to ideate and develop new product opportunities based on consumer and market insights.
• Consumer Insights: Support product validation by incorporating user testing feedback into design improvements and final product specifications.
• Project Management: Develop and maintain project timelines, track budgets, and coordinate deliverables to ensure on-time and on-cost product launches.
• Product Standards: Monitor performance targets and collaborate with testing/quality teams to validate durability, reliability, and experience benchmarks.
• Cost Management: Track product cost structures, support cost optimization efforts, and partner with sourcing on value engineering opportunities.
• Category Knowledge: Maintain up-to-date knowledge of product category trends, materials, and technical details to support development and cross-functional decision-making.
• Post-Purchase Support: Contribute to the creation of product documentation, troubleshooting guides, and FAQs to enhance customer experience.
• Culture & Collaboration: Model teamwork, problem-solving, and respectful communication, contributing to a positive and high-performance culture.