Director of Product Development
Westman Atelier
About Westman Atelier
A new standard of clean luxury. Founded by world-renowned editorial makeup artist Gucci Westman, Westman Atelier is a curated edit of skin-loving, performance-first makeup that is always effortless, never overdone. A mother, makeup artist, and champion of holistic living, Gucci believes passionately that ‘luxury’, ‘efficacy’ and ‘clean’ can be synonymous with exceptional makeup.
- A skincare approach to high performance make-up formulated with clean ingredients and no-compromise integrity
- Balancing perfect shades and buttery textures that melt into the skin with plant-based actives and cutting-edge science
About Our Founder
Gucci Westman has more than 20 years of professional experience as a major editorial makeup artist, contributing to publications like Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar. Gucci is known for creating dewy, supernaturally glowy looks and her highly coveted “second-skin approach” to makeup, resulting in naturally beautiful, radiantly amplified skin.
Position Summary
The Director, Product Development will play a pivotal role in driving innovation and ensuring the successful development of high-quality, sustainable, and ethically sourced products aligned with our brand and founder ethos. Reporting to the VP, Product Development & R&D, you will lead a team of talented professionals and collaborate closely with immediate and cross-functional teams to bring new products to market, consistently upholding our brand's commitment to clean beauty standards.
Responsibilities:
- Develop and execute a strategic product development roadmap that aligns with the brand's clean beauty ethos, market trends, and identifies opportunities for innovation and expansion within the clean beauty space.
- Manage the entire product development lifecycle from concept through launch, including defining timelines, setting milestones, and allocating budget to ensure on-time delivery of new product launches.
- Bring deep expertise in building and expanding shade ranges across all product categories, ensuring they are diverse, relevant, market-competitive, and aligned with Gucci’s creative vision and brand values.
- Collaborate closely with the VP of PD + R&D and Regulatory Affairs Manager to oversee the formulation process from initial concept briefing to final launch, ensuring all products meet stringent clean beauty standards, regulatory requirements, and performance expectations.
- Brief labs on new projects across all makeup and skincare categories, lead weekly lab calls, and ensure continuous follow-through on product lifecycle with external partners and internal teams.
- Oversee and support the approval and meticulous tracking of pre-production samples for all open product orders, ensuring consistency and quality.
- Rigorously manage timelines for formula development, shade matching, and all required testing phases in collaboration with the team.
- Collaborate with the team to proactively identify, troubleshoot, and resolve any challenges that arise throughout the product development cycle.
- Assist directly in all innovation initiatives alongside the founder.
- Provide guidance, mentorship, and support to team members, fostering a culture of creativity, collaboration, and continuous improvement within the product development team.
Requirements:
- Bachelor's or Master's degree in Product Development, Cosmetics Science, or a related field.
- Proven experience (8-10 years) in product development within the beauty or cosmetics industry, with a strong, demonstrated focus on clean beauty products.
- Deep understanding of clean beauty principles, ingredient sourcing, formulation techniques, and global regulatory requirements.
- Impeccable attention to detail and a commitment to product excellence.
- Strong leadership and team management skills, with a track record of building, mentoring, and developing high-performing teams.
- Excellent project management abilities, including the capacity to prioritize tasks, meet aggressive deadlines, and manage multiple complex projects simultaneously.
- Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams, external partners, and senior leadership.
- A genuine passion for sustainability, ethical sourcing, and advancing the principles of clean beauty.
*this is a remote position*