Head of Product Development (Heritage, Gift & Licensed Products)

About the role

The company is a well‑established giftware business transitioning into a culturally curated lifestyle brand. Reporting to the Sales & Marketing Director and sitting on the Senior Leadership Team, the Head of Product Development will own the commercial success of the heritage, gift and licensed product portfolio.

Key responsibilities

• Develop and execute product strategy aligned to business objectives and brand direction.
• Own product portfolio performance, including sales, gross profit and margin delivery.
• Create annual product roadmaps focused on revenue growth and ROI.
• Drive SKU rationalisation, reducing under‑performing lines and complexity.
• Lead end‑to‑end product development from concept to launch, embedding commercial discipline.
• Identify market opportunities through customer insight, trends and competitor analysis.
• Manage product architecture across proprietary and licensed ranges.
• Maximise value from licensing partnerships while strengthening owned brands.
• Oversee product briefs, packaging and merchandising to optimise retail performance.
• Lead value engineering and cost optimisation with overseas manufacturing partners.
• Ensure compliance and risk management throughout development.
• Build and develop a high‑performing, commercially focused product team.
• Collaborate cross‑functionally with Sales and Marketing to align product with demand.
• Champion the use of AI tools to improve development speed and effectiveness.

Required profile

• Senior product leadership experience within the giftware or consumer goods sector.
• Proven track record of delivering profitable product launches and improving gross margin.
• Strong commercial acumen and ability to balance creativity with financial discipline.
• Experience managing licensing partnerships and overseas manufacturing relationships.
• Ability to lead and develop high‑performing product teams.
• Data‑driven decision making using customer insight, market trends and competitor analysis.

Required skills