Senior Product Development Project Manager

Who We Are

As a family-owned company, PALECEK values integrity, loyalty, and strong partnerships. We are driven to improve, innovate, and inspire. We bring our personal best to every aspect of our business, from our design and craft to our internal teamwork and customer service. We are passionate about creativity and believe that beautiful spaces enhance the quality of life.

Summary

The Senior Product Development Project Manager is responsible for managing the full product development workflow from early concept organization through final design approval and production readiness. In this role, you will support the EVP of Product and Brand Strategy, internal design team, PD Operations, external designers, and manufacturing partners by ensuring design direction is translated into clear, actionable plans and executed with accuracy, consistency, and efficiency.

As the central project lead, you will oversee the seasonal PD calendar, drive alignment across cross-functional teams, and ensure all product concepts advance smoothly through each stage of development. You will lead weekly product development meetings, maintain structured communication, clarify ownership of tasks, and ensure timely follow-up on all action items. Your leadership will be essential in sustaining momentum, mitigating risks, and meeting all seasonal product development milestones.

The ideal candidate is highly organized, system-savvy, exceptionally detail-oriented, and an effective collaborator. This role requires someone who is flexible in their thinking, consistently good-natured, fair, and kind, with strong communication skills and the ability to manage multiple revisions, presentations, and cross-functional discussions in a fast-paced environment.

Description

• Organize and curate design inspiration, reference materials, and category direction provided by leadership and external collaborators
• Document decisions and translate design direction into clear, actionable development steps for cross-functional teams
• Partner with the EVP, Product and Brand Strategy to confirm seasonal priorities, key deliverables, and development timelines
• Structure and manage design development plans to align teams on expectations, sequencing, and milestones
• Communicate approved priorities to internal teams and external partners with clarity, consistency, and accuracy
• Lead the full product development lifecycle, from early concept refinement through final design approval and production readiness
• Coordinate and track multiple rounds of revisions, including samples, renderings, engineering updates, and costing adjustments
• Maintain highly organized documentation, version control systems, and development archives throughout all stages
• Collaborate closely with PD Operations, Design, external designers, and overseas manufacturing teams to ensure alignment
• Lead weekly Product Development meetings using structured agendas, clear action items, and follow-up tracking to ensure accountability
• Facilitate internal and external check-ins with designers, manufacturers, and partners to maintain alignment on timeline, deliverables, and design intent
• Present assortment updates at seasonal, internal, and external milestone meetings
• Issue timely and organized recap notes with defined owners, deadlines, and next steps
• Maintain and enhance tracking tools, PLM workflows, calendars, dashboards, and project management systems
• Apply strong computer and systems expertise to improve visibility, accuracy, and operational efficiency
• Recommend and implement process improvements to streamline workflows and reduce development cycle time
• Partner with Design and PD Operations teams to ensure smooth execution at every stage and quickly resolve development issues
• Participate in seasonal line reviews, milestone meetings, and product launch preparation sessions
• Lead special projects and initiatives that support broader departmental and business objectives

Key Qualifications

• Minimum of 7 years of professional experience in the design industry, ideally within furniture or home furnishings
• Demonstrated success in project management, with strong organizational and time-management abilities
• Passion for design with a highly collaborative, motivated, and detail-oriented approach
• Ability to lead with flexibility and clarity, showing a resourceful and respectful “get-it-done” mindset
• Skilled in working effectively with a wide range of internal and external partners and personalities
• Strong computer proficiency, including MS Office (Word, Excel, Outlook), with the ability to learn and adopt new software and systems; ERP experience preferred
• Able to work independently with minimal supervision while maintaining meticulous attention to detail
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills

Physical Requirements

• Operate in a professional office environment
• Moderate noise i.e. business office with computers, phone, printers and light traffic
• Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer
• Regularly required to stand, sit, talk, hear, and use hands and fingers to operate a computer
• Close vision requirements due to computer work
• Ability to see various shades of color

Pay and Benefits

• Pay range: $140,000 - $175,000 per year
• Competitive Paid Time Off
• A flexible health plan offering medical, dental, and vision benefits.
• Health Care and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts
• Health Savings Account
• 401(k) Savings Plan
• Profit Sharing Benefits
• Generous Employee Discount

Salary : $140,000 - $175,000