Director Jewelry Product Development Jobs (NOW HIRING)

About Us

American Exchange Group is an industry leader in fashion accessory products and brand management. By facilitating distribution to major retailers internationally for their globally recognized brands, custom private label brands, and exclusive licensed brands—including footwear, tech wearables, watches, jewelry, handbags, fashion accessories, home, and beauty—American Exchange Group raises the bar by disrupting the status quo with value and quality, while staying at the forefront of trends.

Joining American Exchange Group means being part of a dynamic and diverse team where your contributions drive real impact—and where there’s always room to grow. If you're looking to be part of a company that blends heritage with hustle, we’re excited to meet you.

Visit our website at www.axnygroup.com

Senior Manager, Jewelry Product Development & Merchandising 

Join a fast-growing accessories company creating jewelry for some of the world’s most recognized fashion and lifestyle brands

Location: New York City (Hybrid: Monday through Thursday in office, Friday remote)

Reports To: Vice President of Product Development

About the Role

We're looking for an experienced and creative leader to join our Jewelry Team as Senior Manager, Jewelry Product Development & Merchandising. 

Reporting directly to the Vice President of Product Development, you'll own the creative vision, product development and merchandising strategy for multiple licensed and private label fashion and lifestyle brands, leading collections from concept through production.

This is an opportunity to shape established brands, launch new ones and influence the future of our business. We're looking for someone with exceptional design instincts, strong business acumen and a passion for creating products that customers love.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the creative direction and seasonal product strategy for multiple jewelry brands.
• Develop fashion jewelry collections including necklaces, earrings, bracelets, rings, sets and trend driven accessories.
• Research global trends, shop the marketplace and analyze competitors to identify emerging opportunities, white space and new product categories.
• Develop innovative collections that align with customer needs, brand positioning and target retail price points.
• Collaborate closely with executive leadership, sales teams and retail customers to develop compelling assortments and merchandising strategies.
• Present concepts, trend direction and seasonal collections to executive leadership, licensors and retail partners.
• Partner directly with overseas manufacturers to ensure design intent, quality, costing and on time delivery
• Lead the development of packaging and merchandising solutions that elevate the overall brand experience
• Analyze sales performance, customer insights and market trends to influence future product development.
• Work closely with licensors to ensure all products meet brand standards and approval requirements.
• Mentor junior designers while helping build a collaborative, high performing creative team.
• Manage multiple brands and seasonal launches while maintaining exceptional attention to detail and meeting timelines.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of fashion jewelry product development or merchandising experience.
• Proven track record developing successful jewelry collections for national or global fashion or lifestyle brands.
• Expert knowledge of jewelry construction, castings, plating, stones, materials and manufacturing techniques.
• Extensive experience partnering with overseas factories throughout the product development process.
• Strong understanding of fashion trends, merchandising and consumer behavior.
• Ability to balance creativity with commercial objectives, including costing, pricing and margin considerations.
• Experience presenting to executive leadership, licensors and major retail customers.
• Exceptional organizational, communication and project management skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and thrive in a fast-paced environment.
• Demonstrated leadership experience with the ability to mentor and develop junior designers.
• Highly proficient in Microsoft PowerPoint and Excel.
• Experience leveraging AI tools to support design and product development is a plus

Portfolio Required

Please include a portfolio showcasing your trend research and examples of commercially successful product development.

What We Offer

• Comprehensive Health & Wellness Benefits, including medical, dental, vision, and supplemental insurance
• 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan with company match
• Generous Paid Time Off (PTO) and paid holidays
• Flexible Fridays with shortened hours during both Summer and Winter seasons
• Health Savings Account (HSA)
• Flexible Spending Account (FSs)
• Tax-free commuter benefits
• Exclusive employee merchandise discounts

Salary: The anticipated base salary is $110k– $120k annually. Actual compensation will be determined based on a variety of factors including, but not limited to, experience, skills, education, internal equity, and location.