Business and Product Development Manager

Engagement Type
This is not a side-project or multi-client sourcing-agent role. We're looking for someone whose full-time, dedicated focus is on our brand, not someone juggling several other clients or projects in parallel. Expected to scale toward a full-time working relationship; hours may ramp up over time as the pipeline of work grows, but the commitment from day one should be treated as a primary, ongoing role rather than freelance/contract-style multitasking.

Compensation
Open, based on the candidate's experience and expertise level. We're open to starting with a paid trial project before transitioning into a longer-term, ongoing engagement (hourly or monthly retainer, to be discussed based on fit).

About the Role
We're a fast-growing men's watch and accessories brand expanding aggressively into new product categories jewelry, packaging, leather goods, and premium lifestyle accessories. Right now, our factory relationships are managed through a third-party fulfillment partner acting as a middleman. We want to bring those relationships in-house, and we're hiring someone based in China to own that transition.

This is a trust-critical, relationship-driven role. We are not looking for a generic sourcing agent who submits RFQs and forwards quotes. We're looking for someone who can become a genuine long-term partner, someone who represents our brand directly with factories, builds real relationships, and has the judgment to know which factories are actually capable, which materials and finishes make a product feel premium, and which suppliers to avoid. Every deal and agreement will still be reviewed and signed off by our leadership team and this person is the person on the ground opening doors and managing the relationship, not a middleman acting independently on our behalf.

Important context: Leadership is traveling to China later this year specifically to meet this hire in person and tour factories together, so timely onboarding matters.

Responsibilities

Sourcing & Factory Management
Source and evaluate factories across China (and broader Asia where relevant)
Build and maintain a strong, vetted supplier base for long-term category expansion
Conduct supplier verification, factory audits, and in-person visits when needed
Coordinate with factories via WeChat, email, calls, and in-person meetings

Product Development
Own new product development end-to-end from concept/idea through sampling to mass production
Manage sample requests, review rounds, and approvals providing detailed feedback on quality, materials, finishing, construction, and packaging
Help improve product quality, perceived value, and manufacturability without unnecessarily inflating cost
Support development across watches, jewelry, bracelets, chains, rings, watch boxes, travel cases, sunglasses, packaging, and future lifestyle categories

Negotiation & Commercial Management
Request and compare quotes, samples, MOQs, lead times, and production terms across suppliers
Negotiate pricing, payment terms, MOQs, tooling costs, and production timelines
Manage production timelines proactively and flag risks early, before they become costly problems

Relationship & Trust Building
Represent our brand directly and build genuine, durable relationships with factory partners and suppliers, the kind of relationships that get us in front of the right people, not just the cheapest quote

Act as a dependable, high-trust point of contact, someone leadership can hand a task to and know it will be tracked and followed through without needing to be chased

Reporting
Keep leadership informed with clear, organized updates on sourcing progress, sample status, factory capability assessments, and risk flags
Be responsive and proactive, this is not a "wait to be asked" role

What You'll Be Able to Help Us Answer:
Which factory is actually capable of making this well?
How can we improve the product without making it too expensive?
What material, coating, clasp, bracelet, packaging, or finish will make this feel more premium?
What are the risks before mass production?
Which suppliers should we avoid?
How do we reduce cost without hurting the product?
How do we build a stronger, more reliable long-term supplier network?

Requirements
Based in China, Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Dongguan, Shanghai, Yiwu, or a nearby sourcing hub

Direct, hands-on experience in fashion, apparel, or retail-adjacent product categories is required, this is a hard requirement, not a nice-to-have. Candidates with strong general e-commerce or multi-category sourcing backgrounds (e.g., electronics, beauty/wellness) but no fashion/apparel/retail experience are not a fit for this role, regardless of how strong their general sourcing skills are.

Experience with watches, jewelry, fashion jewelry, stainless steel jewelry, plated products, leather goods, packaging, eyewear, or related accessories strongly preferred on top of the fashion/apparel/retail requirement above

Strong, direct experience working with Chinese factories, not solely through intermediaries

Conversational English proficiency at minimum, you don't need to be fully fluent, but you must be able to understand requests clearly and communicate product specifics, risks, and negotiations back to us without relying on machine translation. (Internally, we assess this on a 1–5 scale; a 3 or above is the bar.)

Fluent in Mandarin
Strong negotiation skills
Solid understanding of product quality, materials, finishing, production processes, and supplier management
Able and willing to travel to factories and supplier sites as needed (reasonable notice given — not last-minute or overnight asks)
Detail-oriented, highly organized, and comfortable maintaining clear documentation (sample tracking, supplier communications, quotes, timelines)
Able to work independently and move quickly without heavy hand-holding
Has good taste and a real understanding of what makes a product feel premium, able to think beyond "cheap sourcing" toward building genuinely better products
A track record of stable, meaningful engagements with previous clients or employers (we look closely at work history, frequent short-term stints of a month or two each are a red flag; we're looking for someone who commits and delivers over time, not project-hoppers)
Comfortable working with a pipeline of ongoing tasks and projects, not just reactive one-off requests

Nice to Have
Direct experience with fashion jewelry, silver, gold-plated products, stainless steel jewelry, watches, or accessories specifically
Experience with global DTC or e-commerce brands
Experience managing BOMs, costing sheets, supplier scorecards, QC processes, and sample approval workflows
Experience with packaging development and premium unboxing design
An existing, vetted factory network in watches, jewelry, accessories, leather goods, or packaging
Experience with large-scale e-commerce partnerships across US and international markets

Application Process
To apply, please include:
Your current location in China or Asia
Product categories you have direct experience sourcing or developing (please be specific about fashion/apparel/retail experience, this is a requirement, not optional)
Concrete examples of products you've developed or sourced, ideally with photos/portfolio if available
Whether you have experience with watches, jewelry, accessories, packaging, or leather goods specifically
Whether you're able to travel to factories in person
Your experience negotiating directly with factories
Any existing supplier networks or factory relationships you already have
Your English proficiency level (conversational is the minimum bar)
Your hourly rate or monthly retainer expectation
A brief note on your work history, we're especially interested in roles or engagements you've held for a meaningful period of time (6+ months), not just short-term projects

We're open to starting with a paid trial project before moving into a longer-term, dedicated role if there's a strong mutual fit.