Product Director

About Us:

A division of Hoonigan, Driven Lighting Group (DLG) is the largest and most well-respected designer, marketer, influencer, and online retailer of aftermarket enthusiast automotive lighting products.

Founded in 2005 and trendsetting since day one, DLG arguably established the market for performance lighting in the enthusiast space. Today, DLG’s portfolio of premium brands canvas all categories, including complete assemblies, bulbs, off-road and accent lighting. The extensive product offerings serve a diverse customer base, all of which is fueled by world-class digital marketing and white glove customer service.

Job Summary:

The Product Director of Lighting is responsible for overseeing all aspects of product development, launch execution, and strategic planning for the lighting category. This role requires a data-driven approach to evaluating and prioritizing product opportunities while ensuring alignment with financial targets and market demands. The Product Director will collaborate with cross-functional teams, drive new product initiatives, and ensure efficient operations through clear guidance, reporting, and collaboration with internal departments.

Responsibilities:

Executive Responsibilities:

• Create and maintain the new product plan to support the budget and track progress toward delivering on our budgetary commitments.
• Annual Budget Planning: Develop and manage the annual budget for all new product launches, detailing timing, quantities, and revenue impact on a monthly/annual basis.
• Weekly & Monthly Reporting: Monitor and report product performance against plans through Sales, Inventory & Operations Planning (SIOP) reports and monthly business reviews, including vitality index and launch updates.
• Strategic Opportunity Evaluation: Assess and prioritize product development opportunities using objective data while maintaining focus on existing project completion. Evaluate current product performance and collaborate with sales and marketing to understand areas of improvement.
• Financial Arrangements: Collaborate with finance leadership to determine tooling investments, capital expenditures (CAPEX), and amortization strategies.
• Guidance & Leadership: Provide strategic directions to direct reports, supporting their roles and ensuring success.
• Vendor Agreements & SOP: Review and support vendor agreement creation and support adherence to standard operating procedures and agreement terms.
• Lead new product launch process including product data, packaging, and other collateral required to bring new products to market.

Subject Matter Expertise:

• Product Development Process: Oversee the development pipeline, utilizing project management software, ensuring proper test report templates, submissions, communication, and vendor approvals.
• Risk Mitigation: Identify and mitigate risks in the development process, particularly in prototyping (pre-tooling) and trial production (pre-mass production) phases.
• Private-Label & White-Label Deals: Evaluate private-label opportunities, considering margins and workload distribution for custom versus off-the-shelf solutions. Carefully consider team bandwidth limitations or other hurdles.
• Manufacturing Techniques: Maintain in-depth knowledge of lighting manufacturing processes.Define project expectations and parameters at the beginning of any new project.
• Design Patents: Guide the team in identifying key design features to protect through patents.
• Market Demand Analysis: Work closely with marketing and B2B teams to understand high-end lighting customer needs and competitive positioning.

Patent & Trademark Management:

• Conduct reviews as soon as tooling is paid to ensure that design patents are filed as soon as product designs are finalized.
• Coordinate with WheelPros legal counsel to manage patent filings.
• Maintain organizational oversight to ensure intellectual property protection.
• Manage product naming process that complies with trademark protocol and infringement mitigation.

Day-to-Day Operations:

• Test Reports: Conduct final reviews of test reports to ensure clarity, consistency, and compliance with standards prior to sharing with vendors and official communication channels.
• Product Team Leadership: Lead weekly product team meetings to set priorities, address challenges, and align cross-functional efforts.
• New Product Launch Coordination: Collaborate with marketing, inventory management, and data teams to ensure timely product launches, managing content creation, pricing, and support product data updates in NetSuite and SAP.
• Manage product data creation and distribution to appropriate channels.

Cross Departmental Collaboration:

• Work with B2B and Marketing teams to drive success through wholesale and direct-to-consumer channels.
• Coordinate with inventory management to forecast demand.
• Partner with product data teams to maintain SKU creation, pricing strategies, and adherence to data standards.
• Workflow Management: Prioritize incoming vendor and internal requests, and delegate tasks to team members.
• Team Development & Resource Utilization: Leverage the unique skills of team members across disciplines such as 3D scanning, packaging, mechanical design, optical design, validation, electronics, and data management.

Performance Metrics:

• Successful execution of new product launches per the annual product plan.
• Achievement of revenue targets and margin goals.
• Effectiveness in prioritizing and executing product development initiatives.
• Accuracy and timeliness of reporting and budget adherence.
• Team development and efficiency improvements in product workflows.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in business, Engineering or a related field.
• 5 years of experience in product development, product management, or a related role, within the aftermarket automotive industry.
• Strong analytical and financial acumen, with experience in budgeting and product profitability analysis.
• Deep knowledge of manufacturing techniques and supply chain processes.
• Experience with vendor relationships, the ability to travel to Asia and other countries as needed.
• Experience with ERP systems (NetSuite, SAP) and project management tools.
• Proven ability to lead cross-functional teams and manage multiple product launches simultaneously.
• Excellent communication, organizational, and leadership skills.

Disclaimer:

We are an E-Verify employer.

If an offer for employment is made, the offer will be contingent on passing a pre-employment background and drug screening.

We are an equal opportunity employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or protected veteran status.

The preceding position description has been designed to indicate the general nature and essential duties and responsibilities of work performed by employees within this position. It may not contain a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications required of employees in this position. The description, duties, functions, and responsibilities are subject to change.