Product Development Manager, Footwear & Lifestyle

Aimé Leon Dore is looking for a Product Development Manager, Footwear & Lifestyle to join our team in New York, New York, reporting directly to Senior Product Development & Production Manager. This position will be responsible for managing the end-to-end product development process across ALD’s fastest-growing categories, including footwear, bags, leather goods, and lifestyle/hard goods. This role partners closely with Design, Footwear Partners, and Production to bring products from concept through production hand-off while protecting ALD’s standards of quality, execution, and brand integrity. 

This is a highly cross-functional role requiring strong vendor management, material knowledge, and an ability to balance creative intent with cost, timing, and technical feasibility. 

Duties and Responsibilities 

• Manage the full product development lifecycle for Footwear & Lifestyle categories from concept through production hand-off


• Partner with Design to translate creative vision into technically executable products


• Own all communication with domestic and overseas vendors related to development, samples, timelines, and changes


• Drive sample execution (protos, PPS, TOP, SMS) and ensure adherence to quality, construction, and brand standards


• Maintain and update WIP, costing, and sample tracking across internal systems


• Partner with Design and Production to manage material selection, lead times, and MOQ constraints


• Identify construction or material risks early and propose solutions


• Support Footwear teams with development oversight and vendor coordination as needed


• Research new factories, materials, and techniques that support innovation and growth


• Ensure product data, costing, and delivery timelines are accurate and communicated cross-functionally 

Qualifications 

• 3–6+ years of Product Development experience, ideally in Footwear, Bags, Leather, or Lifestyle / Hard Goods


• Strong understanding of materials, construction, and manufacturing processes


• Experience working with overseas factories


• Proficiency in PLM (Backbone preferred), Adobe Illustrator, and Microsoft Office


• Highly organized, detail-driven, and comfortable managing multiple timelines


• Strong communication skills across creative and production teams 

Salary Range: $65,000 - $80,000