Director of Product Development

About Warmies:

At Warmies, we create products that bring comfort, calm, and connection into everyday life. Best known for our iconic microwavable plush animals infused with real French lavender, Warmies has grown into a beloved lifestyle and gifting brand found in boutiques, pharmacies, specialty retailers, and major national accounts across the United States.

Our products sit at the intersection of wellness, gifting, home comfort, and emotional connection — and we are just getting started.

We are looking for a highly creative, strategic, and operationally strong Director of NPD & Production to help shape the future of the Warmies brand through innovation, product storytelling, and world-class execution.

This is a full-time, in-office leadership role based in Chicago, Illinois. Candidates must be located in or willing to relocate to the Chicago area.

Position Overview:

The Director of NPD & Production will lead the end-to-end innovation and production process for Warmies in the U.S. market — from trend discovery and concept creation through sampling, costing, manufacturing coordination, commercialization, and launch execution.

This role sits at the intersection of creativity and operational excellence. The ideal candidate understands how to develop products consumers emotionally connect with while also ensuring products are manufacturable, cost-effective, high quality, and delivered on schedule.

In addition to leading product innovation, this individual will oversee and help build the NPD and Production teams, creating structure, accountability, and creative energy across the organization. This role requires a strong leader who can inspire teams, elevate product quality, and scale product development and production capabilities as the business continues to grow.

While this position is primarily focused on the U.S. business, the role will also collaborate closely with international Warmies teams and global partners to share innovation, align product strategies where appropriate, and leverage ideas and opportunities across markets.

You will work cross-functionally with leadership, sales, marketing, creative, sourcing, operations, and overseas manufacturing partners to create compelling products that strengthen Warmies’ position as a leading lifestyle and gifting brand in the United States.

Key Responsibilities:

PRODUCT INNOVATION & BRAND EXPANSION

• Lead the development of new product categories, collections, seasonal launches, and innovation initiatives across the Warmies portfolio
• Identify emerging consumer, wellness, gifting, lifestyle, toy, home, and fashion trends that can translate into commercially successful products
• Develop innovative concepts that align with the Warmies brand identity while expanding the brand into new opportunities
• Build and manage the long-term product innovation pipeline and roadmap
• Help shape future category growth opportunities and strategic product direction
• Collaborate with international Warmies teams to share ideas, product learnings, and innovation opportunities across markets

LICENSED PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT

• Lead the development of licensed Warmies products in partnership with globally recognized brands and entertainment partners
• Collaborate with licensors and creative partners including Peanuts Worldwide, Paramount Global, Sanrio, and other leading brands to create iconic, emotionally resonant products
• Ensure licensed collections authentically blend Warmies’ comfort-first identity with the storytelling and design standards of each partner brand
• Manage approvals, design direction, timelines, and communication with licensing partners throughout the development process

PRODUCTION AND SUPPLY CHAIN LEADERSHIP

• Oversee production execution and manufacturing readiness across all product launches
• Manage relationships with overseas factories and manufacturing partners to ensure quality, timing, compliance, and scalability
• Drive costing discussions, margin optimization, sourcing strategy, and production planning
• Partner with Operations and Supply Chain teams to improve production efficiency and product flow
• Lead quality control initiatives and ensure products meet safety and regulatory standards across U.S. retail channels
• Monitor production timelines and proactively solve development or manufacturing challenges

END-TO-END PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT

• Own the full product development lifecycle from concept through commercialization
• Create detailed product briefs, specifications, and development timelines
• Lead sample reviews, product revisions, and quality refinement processes
• Ensure products maintain the Warmies brand standard for comfort, quality, softness, and emotional appeal

CROSS-FUNCTIONAL LEADERSHIP

• Partner with Sales teams to align launches with retailer opportunities and market demand
• Collaborate with Marketing and Creative teams on packaging, merchandising, storytelling, and go-to-market strategy
• Present concepts, prototypes, timelines, and product strategies to executive leadership
• Support key retailer meetings, product presentations, and strategic growth initiatives
• Coordinate cross-functionally with international teams where products, licenses, sourcing, or innovation initiatives overlap

TEAM LEADERSHIP & PROCESS DEVELOMENT

• Lead, mentor, and develop the NPD and Production teams
• Build scalable systems and processes for innovation, development, sourcing, and production management
• Drive organization, accountability, and communication across multiple development calendars and launch timelines
• Foster a culture of creativity, curiosity, speed, collaboration, and product excellence
• Help recruit and develop future talent within the organization

Qualifications & Experience

• 7–12 years of experience in consumer product development and/or production leadership, preferably in plush, toys, wellness, gifting, home, lifestyle, accessories, or related categories
• Proven experience leading products from ideation through production and retail launch
• Experience managing and developing teams within product development, sourcing, or production functions
• Strong understanding of manufacturing, sourcing, costing, production planning, and supplier management
• Experience working directly with overseas factories and development partners
• Experience developing licensed consumer products and collaborating with brand partners is highly preferred
• Strong product aesthetic and understanding of consumer trends and brand positioning
• Excellent organizational and project management skills with the ability to manage multiple complex initiatives simultaneously
• Strategic thinker with strong commercial instincts and operational discipline
• Collaborative leadership style with strong communication and presentation skills
• Comfortable operating in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment

Additional Requirements

• Must be based in Chicago or willing to relocate
• This is a full-time in-office role with regular in-person collaboration required
• Ability to travel domestically and internationally as needed for trade shows, partner meetings, factory visits, and collaboration with international teams

Preferred Experience

• Experience in emotionally driven consumer brands or gifting categories
• Background in plush, soft goods, sensory, wellness, or lifestyle products
• Experience with licensed products and seasonal retail programs
• Passion for trend forecasting, storytelling, and consumer behavior

WHY JOIN WARMIES?

Warmies products are more than products — they are comfort rituals, thoughtful gifts, and emotional experiences. Customers turn to Warmies during moments that matter: to comfort children, reduce stress, celebrate milestones, support wellness, and create meaningful connections.

As Director of NPD & Production, you will help shape the next chapter of one of America’s fastest-growing lifestyle gifting brands with enormous opportunity for innovation and expansion.

This is a chance to build products people genuinely love while helping define the future of a fast-growing brand rooted in warmth, comfort, and emotional connection.