Job Title: Head of Product Development

Location: Norfolk / Hybrid

Reporting To: Design Director

Who we are

At Monica Vinader, we believe luxury should be empowering, long-lasting and responsibly made. Guided by integrity, craftsmanship and innovation, our goal is to elevate people’s lives by opening access to a more beautiful world.

From crafting consciously with recycled precious metals and ethically sourced materials, to designing enduring, versatile pieces made to be layered, loved and lived in every day, we are redefining what modern jewellery can be. We create jewellery that marks moments, tells stories and becomes part of who you are, all while making responsible luxury more accessible.

Our commitment to sustainability, innovation and positive impact continues to be recognised across the industry. We are proud to have received:

• Responsible Jewellery Brand, 2026 – Country & Town House

• Responsible Business of the Year, 2025 – Positive Luxury

• Top 50 Inspiring Workplaces (UK & NI), 2024 – Inspiring Workplaces

With a global footprint across physical retail, e-commerce and trusted partners, we put our community at the heart of everything we do. Proudly female-founded and inclusive, we build meaningful relationships with the people who wear and love our jewellery.

We are looking for a Head of Product Development to join us as we continue this journey and help us shape what the future of modern jewellery can and should be.

Where we need your help

The Head of Product Development role is an exciting opportunity to help support the delivery of an ambitious product pipeline, where you will bring ideas to life. You will work closely with the New Product Development (NPD) team to deliver beautiful, sustainable, quality products, on time and at a competitive price. You will champion the customer at every point of the product journey; with senior thinking, pace, passion and team spirit.

Your role will span the development across categories, materials and suppliers. From our famed Vermeil to fine 14k solid gold jewellery, semi-precious gemstones, pearls and Lab Grown Diamonds, leather, packaging and small other categories. No one day will be the same.

This role has a requirement to travel to Norfolk 2-3 days per week, to work with the team at our picturesque Holkham office and remote working for part of the week. London office also available instead of remote where suits.

What you’ll do

Role Purpose

The Head of Product Development is the bridge between creative vision and commercial reality. You will lead a high-performing team to transform designs into market-ready products, ensuring every piece meets our exacting standards for quality, cost, sustainability, and compliance.

Operating in a fast-paced, agile environment, you will balance granular technical detail with high-level strategic thinking to drive a consistent, innovative product pipeline.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership & Team Management

• Team Development: Lead and mentor a team of Product Developers (2 direct reports, plus 1 upcoming hire), while collaborating with the Head of Design to oversee the output of 5 cross-functional team members.

• Operational Excellence: Manage departmental workflow, ensuring a balanced distribution of projects across the team and supply base to maximise expertise and professional growth.

• Culture & Mindset: Foster a culture of agility, high standards, and proactive problem-solving. Act as the primary escalation point for the team, empowering them to resolve issues while stepping in to handle complex supplier negotiations.

• Process Innovation: Streamline development workflows and introduce standardised tools (e.g., 3D printing, sizing guides, and testing protocols) to improve speed-to-market and efficiency.

• Stakeholder Management: Speak with clarity, confidence and influence across a broad range of internal stakeholders & external stakeholders (suppliers) to create buy in and alignment of approach, and enabling clarity for your team to deliver to

Product Development & Execution

• End-to-End Delivery: Oversee the full development lifecycle—from initial design brief to launch—across diverse categories including Jewelry and Lifestyle (Ceramic, Leather, Packaging) & others. Aim to lead development by example.

• Technical Translation: Translate design aesthetics into technical specifications, providing expert guidance on construction methods, stone settings, and componentry.

• Critical Path Management: Drive rigorous adherence to the critical path, working cross-functionally with Brand, Merchandising, and Operations to ensure seamless, on-time launches. Ensure agility and tactical thinking to drive alternative routes to sealing, doing tasks in parallel and focusing on the best way for the right design and commercial outcome.

• Strategic Sourcing: Lead sourcing projects for new materials, stones, and innovative components, collaborating tightly with the supply team. Conduct market research to identify new suppliers and techniques that align with our sustainability and quality goals.

Supplier & Commercial Management

• Relationship Management: Build strong relationships with all suppliers. Act as a point of escalation. Build and foster trust throughout the team with suppliers in a collaborative way. Act as a brand ambassador, leading international supplier trips to optimise development timelines and strengthen strategic partnerships.

• Commercial Optimisation: Use data-driven insights to inform priorities, leading tenders and resourcing projects to optimise costs and mitigate quality risks. Focus on consistent integration with commercial team to develop products in the right way using smart thinking.

• Reporting: Provide concise, high-level development updates to the Design Director and General Manager of Supply, identifying and resolving potential bottlenecks before they impact delivery.

As a People Manager:

• Coach and develop your direct reports to deliver their role to the best of their ability

• Maintain a foundational understanding of company policies that affect your team, including any team members in other territories or business divisions, and ensure those policies are applied fairly and consistently

• Recognise and celebrate successes

• Manage your team’s performance, attendance and any incidents that arise

• Support your team in prioritising their wellbeing, providing guidance on workflow management and prioritisation to enable work/life balance

• Lead by example, showcasing the MV behaviours, competencies and values

• Empower your team to make decisions, providing guidance and support and identifying the learning opportunity from our ‘test and learn’ behaviour

• Collaborate with the People & Culture team for advice on complex or sensitive matters

What you’ll bring

About You

• Connect & Empower

  • Communicates Effectively: You are equally comfortable briefing a factory floor as you are presenting development milestones to senior stakeholders. Translates complexity into clarity, influences across functions

• Master & Apply

  • Applies Knowledge with Impact: Connects functional insights to business priorities. You have the "technical eye" to spot a production issue at a glance but the "business brain" to align your team’s efforts with company-wide commercial goals.

• Grow & Adapt:

  • Embraces Change: Leads change with purpose, reframes ambiguity as opportunity. You thrive in a fast-paced setting and can pivot priorities without losing momentum.

  • Challenges & Commits: Leads constructive challenge, commits with influence

To be successful at Monica Vinader, it helps if you...

• Are hands-on, solutions-focused, and entrepreneurial

• Collaborate openly with humility, honesty, and humour

• Embrace learning, teaching, and personal growth

• Stay resilient, adaptable, and self-motivated in a creative environment

• Speak up when you don’t know—and act fast to figure it out

Additional Requirements

Ability to document your authorisation to work in the United Kingdom.

Travel Requirements

This role requires 2-3 days in our Norfolk office. Outside of this, hybrid working is an option or being based in the London office.

Regular travel oversees (Italy, India, Thailand) 2-3 times per year

Our Aims and Values

Our mission is to be the leading accessible luxury brand, by delivering outstanding quality, design and customer service. We are:

Customer Obsessed

We put our customers at the centre of every decision and deliver thoughtful, personal experiences.

Caring

We act with respect and empathy for people, communities, and the planet.

Fast Paced

We move with focus and flexibility to make progress quickly and decisively.

Exceptional

We hold ourselves to high standards and are always learning, improving, and raising the bar.

Commercial

We make smart, data-led decisions that create long-term value for the business and our customers.

Monica Vinader as a global business makes the following inclusive culture pledge:
Our jewellery is for everyone and so is our community. Together, we will continue to implement sustainable changes to ensure that career opportunities and progression are open to all. We commit to celebrating the diverse voices of our employees, partners, and the customers we serve.

This job description is not intended to be an exhaustive list of duties to be performed by the employee. This job description may be altered to reflect the business needs of the company.