Director, Product Development

The Director of Product Development - Asia Region leads and strengthens the regional product development function across Vietnam Thailand Indonesia and China ensuring the successful execution of global product strategies through technical excellence disciplined project management and strong factory engagement. This role bridges design engineering sourcing and manufacturing - owning the transition from concept to commercialization. The Director provides hands-on leadership in solving complex technical challenges implementing best-in-class systems and processes and ensuring that product intent is executed with precision quality and speed.

What Youll Do:

Strategic & Technical Leadership

• Define and deliver Company Category and Product-level strategies in alignment with global direction.
• Translate design and engineering intent into manufacturable high-performance products by clearly communicating the why behind every decision.
• Act decisively to anticipate challenges solve problems and ensure on-time on-target product execution.
• Drive consistency and alignment across teams factories and functions to maintain seamless project flow.

Product Development & Technical Execution

• Lead the full product development cycle from brief through to production approval for equipment accessories and performance gear.
• Provide hands-on technical expertise in materials (plastics composites foams textiles metals) and manufacturing methods (tooling molding forming lamination assembling).
• Apply deep knowledge of sports product design including ergonomics durability safety and performance requirements.
• Integrate athlete feedback biomechanics and lab performance data into material selection and design refinement.
• Validate prototypes with engineering teams and factory partners to ensure specifications meet design and functional goals.

Risk Management

• Lead structured design risk analysis (DFMEA) to identify potential failure modes early prioritizing and eliminating risks through design improvements or process controls.
• Implement and enforce PD stageâgate reviews to ensure readiness criteria documentation and validation requirements are fully met before advancing to each subsequent phase.
• Maintain rigorous control over design changes verification results and documentation required for launch approval.
• Ensure robust design verification and reliability testing (including lab and field validation) is completed to confirm performance durability and safety targets prior to commercialization.
• Partner with Quality and Engineering to define test standards acceptance criteria and reporting templates for regional factory teams.

Factory Collaboration & Technical Problem Solving

• Serve as the key technical liaison between global PD Engineering and regional factories.
• Partner with factories to identify root causes drive corrective actions and improve development efficiency.
• Troubleshoot production readiness tooling material or testing issues through hands-on engagement and cross-disciplinary collaboration.
• Mentor factory-based teams in technical standards testing protocols and continuous improvement tools.

System & Process Implementation

• Lead the adoption and optimization of structured project management systems (e.g. PLM or other digital tools) to increase visibility and control across all projects.
• Establish and standardize development milestones documentation practices and KPIs to enhance team accountability and delivery.
• Train regional PD teams and partners in systematic data-driven ways of working to improve accuracy predictability and cross-team communication.
• Continuously seek opportunities to improve product development efficiency through smarter processes automation and digital integration.

Team Leadership & Collaboration

• Build mentor and empower a regional PD team capable of delivering technical excellence across multiple factory hubs.
• Create a culture of ownership transparency communication and proactive problem-solving.
• Partner cross-functionally with global Design Engineering Sourcing Quality and Supply Chain teams to deliver seamless handoffs and aligned execution.

Performance Quality & Delivery

• Define and manage KPIs for timeliness cost targets quality metrics and technical readiness.
• Ensure all products meet global standards for performance safety and durability.
• Oversee testing validation and compliance review processes before mass production.
• Drive continuous improvement through post-launch evaluations and feedback loops.

What to Bring:

Required

• 12 years of product development or technical management experience within sporting goods equipment or related performance categories.
• Proven track record leading teams across multiple regional PD and factory locations.
• Deep hands-on expertise with materials (plastics composites foams textiles metals) and manufacturing processes.
• Strong technical problem-solving skills with history of resolving complex factory-based challenges.
• Experience implementing or managing digital project management systems (e.g. PLM platforms).
• Skilled in interpreting engineering drawings performance requirements and quality standards.

Preferred

• Bachelors or advanced degree in Materials Science Mechanical Engineering Industrial Design or related field.
• Background in developing technical solutions with manufacturing partners in Asia.
• Demonstrated success introducing process innovation tool upgrades or automation.
• Fluent in English; regional language skills are a plus.

Core Competencies

• Defines and delivers clear Company Category and Product strategies.
• Communicates product intent effectively ensuring all stakeholders understand the purpose and why.
• Deep knowledge of materials manufacturing and product engineering.
• Strong factory-based technical problem-solving and execution focus.
• Skilled at implementing new processes systems and digital tools to improve efficiency.
• Anticipates problems and acts decisively maintaining ownership through resolution.
• Drives accountability structure and clarity across teams and projects.
• Passionate about sport product performance and technical excellence.

Required Experience:

Director