Tory Burch Product Development Director

About Tory Burch

Founded in New York in 2004, Tory Burch is an American luxury lifestyle brand distinguished by its expressive use of color, signature prints and modern interpretation of classic style. Its collections span ready-to-wear, handbags, footwear and accessories, reaching an international clientele through a global retail and digital presence. As an employer, the company offers opportunities across design, merchandising, retail, technology and corporate functions, combining creative ambition with commercial expertise. Employees contribute to a founder-led business whose identity connects personal style with purpose. Women’s empowerment remains central to this identity, notably through the Tory Burch Foundation’s support for women entrepreneurs.

Role & Responsibilities

• Lead the end-to-end handbags and small leather goods (HBSLGs) development process, from design handoff, development review, construction and feasibility alignment, prototype and sales sample review, and pre-production approval support through production-readiness coordination.
• Partner with Design, NY PD, Tech, QA, Raw Materials, Costing, Testing, Production, and vendors to align development goals, seasonal calendars, sample priorities, construction considerations, cost implications, and handover milestones.
• Apply product and technical knowledge of bag construction, materials, workmanship standards, fit-for-use requirements, and production feasibility to balance aesthetics, quality, cost, and manufacturability.
• Identify development, construction, fit-for-use, quality, testing, and production risks early; work with technical and quality partners to resolve issues and avoid late-stage changes.
• Drive sample execution, development validation, testing follow-up, and review and approval of product approval samples against seasonal timelines; escalate key issues with clear recommendations and action plans.
• Set development standards and monitor supplier and development KPIs, including sample hit rate, approval lead time, issue closure, calendar adherence, and production readiness; use insights to strengthen execution discipline and continuous improvement.
• Lead, coach, and develop the product development team by clarifying ownership, strengthening development discipline, improving problem-solving and influencing skills, and reinforcing accountability for KPI delivery, calendar adherence, cross-functional communication, and vendor partnership.

Qualifications

• At least 15 years of experience in product development, pre-production, or commercialization for handbags and small leather goods, preferably within global brands, retailers, sourcing offices, or manufacturing environments.
• At least 5 years of leadership experience, including leading product development teams, managing competing seasonal priorities, influencing cross-functional partners without direct authority, driving KPI ownership, and maintaining calendar discipline across development milestones.
• Strong working knowledge of HBSLG construction, materials, trims, finishing techniques, testing requirements, and manufacturing processes, with the ability to identify risks and partner with technical experts on solutions.
• Ability to balance design intent with technical feasibility, quality performance, cost targets, vendor capability, production efficiency, and consumer-use expectations.
• Strong problem-solving, communication, influencing, stakeholder management, decision-making, escalation, and vendor partnership skills; ability to convert development and calendar risks into clear options, KPI-based priorities, and actionable recovery plans.
• Fluent written and spoken English; Mandarin and/or Cantonese is a plus.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and structured development tracking tools; experience with seasonal calendars, sample trackers, issue logs, PLM systems, or other product workflow platforms is a plus.

Skills

Experience

At least 15 years in product development, pre-production, or commercialization for handbags and small leather goods; at least 5 years of leadership experience.

Benefits

Generous benefits supporting mental and physical health, financial security, and overall wellness; employee discount; access to exclusive sample sales; free on-demand executive coaching.

Culture

Tory Burch’s workplace culture reflects the brand’s entrepreneurial spirit and optimistic outlook, bringing together creative expression, commercial ambition and a collaborative approach to building a global fashion business. Its commitment to women’s empowerment gives the company a distinctive sense of purpose, connecting its identity as an employer with its broader mission to support women’s ambitions.

About Cerulean

Cerulean is the definitive career portal for the global luxury industry. We match exceptional professionals with exclusive opportunities at the world's most prestigious brands. From haute couture and fine watchmaking to prestige beauty, hospitality, and boutique retail, Cerulean centralises luxury employment to help you find the career for which you were destined.