Job Description
To provide experienced interim leadership and continuity across the Product Development function during a period of temporary absence. Working closely with the senior leadership team, the role will manage and support the Product Development team, maintain momentum across the product pipeline and ensure clear priorities, timely decisions and effective cross-functional working.
This is a hands-on, delivery-focused role rather than a permanent strategic leadership appointment. It combines oversight of the end-to-end new product development process with coaching, escalation support, resource prioritisation and stakeholder communication.
Main responsibilities
- Interim Leadership & Team Support
- Provide clear day-to-day direction for the Product Development function for the duration of the contract, ensuring continuity and stability.
- Line manage, support and coach the team, agreeing priorities and providing a senior escalation point.
- Work with the senior leadership team to translate agreed business priorities into practical product plans and delivery decisions.
- Build strong working relationships quickly and communicate clearly with the team and senior stakeholders.
Product Delivery & Prioritisation
- Maintain oversight of the product development pipeline from concept through to production, focusing attention on critical milestones, risks and dependencies.
- Review progress with relevant project leads, intervening where needed to keep projects on track, on time and within agreed budgets.
- Support prioritisation and resource allocation across multiple fast-moving projects, balancing commercial opportunity, team capacity and deadlines.
- Ensure key decisions, actions and changes to priorities are clearly documented and communicated.
Cross-functional Coordination & Problem Solving
- Coordinate with Design, Editorial, Production, Sales, Marketing and Operations to resolve blockers and support cohesive go-to-market delivery.
- Provide practical support on escalated product, supplier, quality or timeline issues, bringing the right people together to reach solutions.
- Give concise, regular updates to the senior leadership team on pipeline status, key risks, resource pressures and decisions required.
Innovation & Continuous Improvement
- Champion creative and commercially viable product development, providing constructive challenge on concepts, designs, prototypes and packaging.
- Help ensure products reflect consumer insight, market opportunities, brand standards, usability and safety requirements.
- Support the team to ensure effective team workflows and improve processes where a clear short-term benefit can be achieved.
- Leave clear handover notes, outstanding actions and recommendations at the end of the assignment.
Required skills
- Significant experience in product development, innovation or consumer products, ideally within toys, arts and crafts, gifts, publishing or similar categories.
- Experience providing senior operational leadership in a fast-moving, multi-project environment; previous interim or fixed-term experience would be helpful.
- Strong understanding of the end-to-end product development lifecycle, from concept and design through to testing, production and launch.
- Experience line managing and coaching experienced managers or heads of function, with the confidence to provide direction while enabling them to lead their teams.
- Commercially minded, with sound judgement when balancing creativity, cost, quality, timelines and resource constraints.
- A confident and collaborative stakeholder manager who communicates clearly, handles challenge constructively and makes timely decisions.
- Highly organised and able to assess priorities quickly, bring clarity to complex situations and maintain momentum during a period of change.
Benefits
- Casual dress
- Company pension
- Cycle to work scheme
- Employee discount
- Free fitness classes
- Health & wellbeing programme
- Life insurance
- Paid volunteer time
- Referral programme
- Sick pay
- Work from home