Program Manager - PD

Job Title: Product Design Program Manager Location: Mumbai Type: Full-time Role Overview: As the Product Design Program Manager, you will be responsible for managing the entire product design lifecycle from initial customer briefs to final sample creation and order booking. You will work with specialized product design teams, each focusing on different geographic regions and customer preferences. Your primary goal will be to ensure that design concepts are translated into successful products that not only meet customer expectations but also drive repeat orders and sustained growth. Key Responsibilities: Program Management: Oversee the end-to-end product design process, ensuring smooth collaboration between design teams, sales teams, and manufacturing units. Manage timelines, milestones, and resources, ensuring designs are delivered on schedule. Maintain clear communication with cross-functional teams to track the progress of each project/brief and resolve any roadblocks. Design Coordination: Coordinate the efforts of multiple product design teams, ensuring that each team is focused on their respective customer regions and delivers designs that resonate with the target market. Ensure that design concepts, sketches, and samples are reviewed and approved in a timely manner. Facilitate design reviews and revisions based on customer feedback, market trends, and internal quality standards. Sample Development & Production: Collaborate with the manufacturing and prototyping teams to ensure that design concepts are translated into high-quality samples. Manage timelines for sample delivery and coordinate any necessary adjustments or rework based on customer feedback. Performance Monitoring & Success Metrics: Track the success rate of designs, ensuring that each design leads to increased orders and long-term customer satisfaction. Analyze order patterns, customer feedback, and market trends to inform future designs and improve overall design success. Report on key performance indicators (KPIs) such as design success rates and project delivery timelines. Continuous Improvement: Identify and implement process improvements to enhance efficiency, reduce lead times, and increase the quality of the design-to-sample process. Stay up-to-date with industry trends, new technologies, and competitor offerings to continuously innovate and elevate the design process. Skills and Qualifications: Experience: 5+ years of experience in product design program management, preferably within the jewelry or fashion accessories industry. Proven experience in managing multi-disciplinary teams and delivering complex product design projects on time and within scope. Strong understanding of the jewelry design process, from concept to prototype, with a focus on B2B customer needs and preferences. Project Management: Exceptional organizational and project management skills, with experience in managing multiple projects simultaneously. Proficiency in project management tools (e.g., Jira, Trello, MS Project) and ability to create detailed project plans and timelines. Cross-Functional Collaboration & Problem Solving: Ability to work with diverse teams across different regions and geographies, understanding the nuances of each market and adjusting strategies accordingly. Excellent interpersonal and communication skills to effectively manage relationships with both internal teams and external clients. Strong problem-solving skills with the ability to adapt quickly and find solutions in a fastpaced environment. Education: A Bachelor s or Master s degree in Product Design, Industrial Design, Fashion Design, Business Management, or a related field is preferred. MBA degree with program management background preferable Key Competencies: Strong ops orientation - managing timelines and ensuring continuous progress on all live projects/briefs Leadership and team management Cross-functional collaboration and problem solving Time management and organizational skills Data analysis and performance monitoring Knowledge of jewelry production processes and material trend