Product Development Manager

As the Product Development Lead for Rugs at Saraswati Globals, your primary objective is to drive innovation, design alignment, and market-focused product creation. This pivotal role involves close coordination with the Design, Production, Sales, and Marketing teams to ensure the timely development of commercially viable collections. You will be responsible for leading the end-to-end product development process across various rug categories including hand-knotted, hand-tufted, flat weaves, and hand-woven. Your role will involve conceptualizing new product ranges based on global design trends, market intelligence, and customer insights. Collaboration with the Design Team will be essential to translate creative concepts into market-ready products. Regular interactions with Sales, Design, and Suppliers will be necessary to understand client needs and emerging market demands. You will be required to study global trend forecasts, participate in fairs/exhibitions, and align the product development strategy accordingly. Overseeing sampling, prototyping, and development timelines with in-house teams and artisans will also be part of your responsibilities, ensuring quality, cost parameters, and technical feasibility throughout the product development cycle. As a key liaison between Design, Production, and Sales, you will play a crucial role in ensuring that all new developments are in alignment with Saraswati Globals brand positioning and quality standards. Effective team leadership and mentorship for the product development team will be essential to foster a culture of creativity, collaboration, and continuous improvement. Additionally, you will actively participate in showcasing new collections at exhibitions, market weeks, and client meetings, gathering direct feedback from key customers for product refinement. The desired profile for this role includes a Graduate/Postgraduate degree in Textile Design, Product Development, or equivalent, along with 8-12 years of experience in product development, preferably in rugs, carpets, or home furnishings. Experience with export markets and premium/luxury product categories will be advantageous. Key skills required for this role include a strong understanding of materials, techniques, and rug manufacturing processes, market and trend analysis capabilities, leadership and team management skills, effective communication with cross-functional teams, and a creative problem-solving approach.,