JIVARO is partnering with a highly regarded Australian consumer brand to appoint a Head of Product as the business enters an exciting new phase of growth and product expansion.

This is a newly created opportunity for an experienced product professional to play a significant role in shaping the future product direction of the business.

Working closely with the founders, the Head of Product Development will be responsible for identifying new product opportunities and taking them through the complete development lifecycle, from initial concept and product strategy through to design, development, sampling, sourcing, manufacturing and commercial launch.

This is not a traditional retail product or category management role. The business is looking for someone who has a genuine passion for creating and developing physical products, with the commercial understanding to ensure that great ideas translate into successful products in market.

The role will initially have a strong individual contribution focus, with the opportunity to build and develop a team as the product portfolio and new categories grow.

Key Responsibilities

Reporting directly to the founders, you will take ownership of the product development process across new and emerging categories.

Your responsibilities will include

- Identifying new product and category opportunities through customer insight, market trends, competitor analysis and emerging consumer needs.
- Developing product strategies and category roadmaps aligned to the broader business strategy.
- Translating commercial and customer opportunities into clear product concepts and development briefs.




- Leading products through the full development lifecycle, including concept, design, prototyping, sampling, refinement, costing, sourcing and manufacturing.
- Working closely with designers, suppliers, manufacturers and other external partners to bring products to life.
- Maintaining a strong focus on product quality, functionality, design, customer experience and commercial viability.
- Assessing product performance and using market and customer insights to inform future product development.
- Managing product margins, pricing, investment and commercial performance.
- Developing and maintaining robust supplier and manufacturing relationships.
- Managing product development timelines and ensuring key milestones are achieved.
- Balancing creative product thinking with commercial discipline and operational execution.
- Building a considered and differentiated product portfolio, with a focus on developing fewer, exceptional products rather than managing a high-volume seasonal SKU cycle.
- Over time, developing and leading a product team as the business continues to expand.

We are looking for someone who has been directly involved in taking products from an initial idea through to a finished product in the hands of the customer.





You will ideally bring

- Significant experience in physical product development, ideally across a design-led consumer environment.
- Demonstrated experience taking products from concept through design, development, sampling, sourcing and manufacturing.
- A strong design sensibility and an instinctive understanding of what makes a product desirable, considered and commercially relevant.
- Experience developing product strategies, category roadmaps and new product pipelines.
- Strong commercial understanding across margins, pricing, forecasting, product performance and investment allocation.
- Experience working directly with international suppliers and manufacturers.
- The ability to balance customer needs, design, quality, functionality and commercial outcomes.
- Strong project management skills and the ability to manage multiple development programs while maintaining attention to detail.
- A highly collaborative approach and the confidence to work closely with founders and senior stakeholders.
- The ability to operate comfortably in a hands-on environment where you will be expected to both develop the strategy and get into the detail of making it happen.

Experience within a smaller, product-led or design-led business will be highly regarded, particularly where you have had significant ownership and influence over the product portfolio. Relevant backgrounds could include furniture, homewares, lifestyle, baby and children's products, consumer goods, appliances, sporting goods or other design-led physical product categories.

📌 Head of Product Development (Melbourne)
🏢 JIVARO recruitment
📍 Melbourne