Director, Product Development

About the Company

e.l.f. Beauty, Inc. stands with every eye, lip, face and paw. Our deep commitment to clean, cruelty free beauty at an incredible value has fueled the success of our flagship brand e.l.f. Cosmetics since 2004 and driven our portfolio expansion. Today, our multi-brand portfolio includes e.l.f. Cosmetics, e.l.f. SKIN, pioneering clean beauty brand Well People, Keys Soulcare, a groundbreaking lifestyle beauty brand created with Alicia Keys and Naturium, high-performance, biocompatible, clinically-effective and accessible skincare.

We have annual revenues of ~$900 million and our business performance has been nothing short of extraordinary with 20 consecutive quarters of net sales growth as we have grown to #3 mass cosmetics brand in the US and are the fastest growing brand among the top 5. Our total compensation philosophy offers every new hire competitive pay and benefits, bonus eligibility (200% of target over the last four fiscal years), equity given to every full-time employee as a part of their new hire package, flexible time off, year-round half-day Fridays, and a hybrid 3 day in office, 2 day at home work environment. We believe the combination of our unique culture, total compensation, workplace flexibility and care for the team is unmatched across not just beauty but any industry.

Job Summary

We are looking for a passionate, collaborative, and strategic Director of Product Development for e.l.f. Cosmetics with proven experience in the beauty industry to join our growing team. The Director of Product Development will lead the development of new products from ideation to launch across multiple color categories and strategic adjacencies ensuring they meet the highest standards of quality, efficacy, and market relevance. This position will provide direction and oversight for a variety of tasks required for new product launches, product extensions, and reformulations. The ideal candidate will be someone who embraces the e.l.f. value of Executing with Quality and Speed and can thrive in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment as a team player comfortable with collaboration across multiple parts of the business. This candidate has proven experience mentoring and elevating talent with an ability to work seamlessly with cross functional and external partners.This candidate will demonstrate a deep knowledge and passion for the beauty industry with an ability to identify ingredients and technologies that will elevate and differentiate new and existing product performance.  The Director, Product Development will report directly to the VP, Product Development. This position is based in our Oakland, CA office.     Responsibilities:  

• Direct new product programs with an expertise and passion for formulas, ingredients, benefits, and usage with relevance to the portfolio
• Demonstrate a high degree of competitive knowledge in cosmetics from a global standpoint – with respect to new ingredients and technology
• Direct development of formulas and shades to R&D, evaluate and follow-through on all aspects of the product development cycle to ensure timelines are being achieved
• Recommend benchmarks and ingredient proposals that elevate, expand, and deliver on product brief concepts
• Partner and collaborate with Innovation Product Marketing, Package Development, Education, Upstream Innovation, Global Marketing and Creative teams to deliver a best-in-class consumer experience
• Monitor formula costs as they pertain to new product development programs
• Champion consumer and clinical testing of new products
• Support the product development process (innovation and reformulations) to ensure it runs smoothly and efficiently
• Lead the cross-functional claims process to ensure all claims, safety and consumer testing is aligned up front and scheduled to hit all key milestones
• Collaborate with VP to ensure strategic business objectives are met, optimize processes, workflows, and SOPs to support rapid growth
• Develop and implement aesthetic standards, processes, and controls to ensure that product standards for performance and color are clear, aligned and achieved
• Work efficiently across the organization to support 3-year launch calendars and company business objectives
• Manage and develop direct reports, including hiring, training, coaching, and supporting career development
• Research and evaluate new competitive products for aesthetics, claims, and product positioning as they relate to the current e.l.f. portfolio and future category opportunities
• Foster partnerships with strategic suppliers, manufacturers, and other industry experts to develop new products, improve existing products and identify future innovation opportunities
• Display strong and consistent attention to consumer feedback and competitive trends to inform product recommendations, improvements, and advancements
• Attend industry conferences and tradeshows to keep informed of new ingredient and product trends
• Participate in evening calls with the China R&D team
• Travel to China once per year
• Demonstrate the e.l.f. ethos by actively participating in the company culture   Requirements:  
• 10+ years of experience in color cosmetics product development. Additional experience in body care, skincare and/or fragrance development a plus
• Bachelor's degree in a relevant field (business, marketing, product development, etc.); advanced degree is a plus
• Exceptional product evaluation skills are required
• Flexibility and resilience to work collaboratively in a dynamic, fast-paced environment
• Strong strategic, analytical, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills
• Organized and detail oriented with a strong ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously and take complete ownership of projects
• Ability to handle multiple categories, projects and skus at different points of development with accuracy, composure, energy, and speed
• Strong leadership track record in managing and developing a team
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills; ability to communicate effectively with internal teams, including senior management and peers
• Creative thinker with a passion for driving innovation and staying ahead of market trends in the beauty industry
• Skilled at converting product and consumer feedback into insights that drive development of new products and improve existing products
• Exceptionally curious & passionate about products and the consumer
• In office a minimum of 3 days of the week
• Willingness for occasional travel (domestic and international)
• Expertise in PowerPoint, Word, Excel