Product Developer Manager, Hair Accessories

About Us

American Exchange Group is an industry leader in fashion accessory products and brand management. By facilitating distribution to major retailers internationally for their globally recognized brands, custom private label brands, and exclusive licensed brands—including footwear, tech wearables, watches, jewelry, handbags, fashion accessories, home, and beauty—American Exchange Group raises the bar by disrupting the status quo with value and quality, while staying at the forefront of trends.

Joining American Exchange Group means being part of a dynamic and diverse team where your contributions drive real impact—and where there’s always room to grow. If you're looking to be part of a company that blends heritage with hustle, we’re excited to meet you.

Visit our website at www.axnygroup.com

Job Title: Product Development Manager - Hair Accessories 

Reporting directly to the Vice President of Product Development, you'll own the creative vision, product development and merchandising strategy for multiple licensed and private label fashion and lifestyle brands, leading collections from concept through production.

This is an opportunity to shape established brands, launch new ones and help drive the future of our business. We're looking for someone with exceptional design instincts, strong business acumen and a passion for creating products that customers love.

Key Responsibilities

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  • Lead the creative direction and seasonal product strategy for multiple accessory brands.
  
  
  • Develop innovative hair accessories collections from concept through production.
  
  
  • Research global trends, shop the marketplace and analyze competitors to identify emerging opportunities and white space.
  
  
  • Develop innovative products that align with brand positioning, customer expectations and target retail price points
  
  
  • Collaborate closely with executive leadership, sales teams and key retail customers to develop compelling product assortments and merchandising strategies.
  
  
  • Present concepts, trend direction and seasonal collections to executive leadership, licensors and retail partners.
  
  
  • Partner directly with overseas manufacturers to ensure design intent, quality, costing and on time delivery
  
  
  • Work closely with licensors to ensure products meet all brand standards and approval requirements.
  
  
  • Analyze sales performance, customer insights and market trends to drive future product development.
  
  
  • Mentor junior designers and foster a collaborative, high performing creative team.
  
  
  • Manage multiple brands and product launches while maintaining exceptional attention to detail and meeting timelines.
  
  
  
  
  

Qualifications

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  • 8+ years of product development experience. Preferably in hair accessories. 
  
  
  • Proven track record developing successful accessories for national or global fashion or lifestyle brands.
  
  
  • Expert knowledge of accessory construction, movements, materials and manufacturing.
  
  
  • Extensive experience working directly with overseas factories throughout the product development process.
  
  
  • Strong understanding of merchandising, trend forecasting and consumer insights.
  
  
  • Ability to balance creativity with commercial objectives, including costing, pricing and margin considerations.
  
  
  • Experience presenting to executive leadership, licensors and major retail customers.
  
  
  • Exceptional organizational, communication and project management skills.
  
  
  • Ability to lead multiple projects simultaneously in a fast-paced environment.
  
  
  • Demonstrated leadership experience with the ability to mentor and inspire others.
  
  
  • Highly proficient in Adobe Creative Suite, Microsoft PowerPoint and Excel.
  
  
  • Experience leveraging AI tools to support design and product development is a plus
  
  
  
  
  

Portfolio Required

Please include a portfolio showcasing your design process, trend research and examples of commercially successful product development.

What We Offer

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  • Comprehensive Health & Wellness Benefits, including medical, dental, vision, and supplemental insurance
  
  
  • 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan with company match
  
  
  • Generous Paid Time Off (PTO) and paid holidays
  
  
  • Flexible Fridays with shortened hours during both Summer and Winter seasons
  
  
  • Health Savings Account (HSA)
  
  
  • Flexible Spending Account (FSs)
  
  
  • Tax-free commuter benefits
  
  
  • Exclusive employee merchandise discounts
  
  
  
  

Salary: The anticipated base salary is $100k-$110k annually. Actual compensation will be determined based on a variety of factors including, but not limited to, experience, skills, education, internal equity, and location.

This position description is not intended to be and should not be construed as an all-inclusive list of responsibilities, skills or working conditions associated with this position. While this description is intended to accurately reflect the position's activities and requirements, management reserves the right to modify, add or remove duties as necessary. The compensation package is dependent on a number of factors, including, for example, experience, education, market data, and business needs.