Director of Product Development, Drift

The Director of Product Development will lead the end-to-end development of all fragrance and physical product innovation across Drift’s portfolio, including fine fragrance, car fragrance, home fragrance, and fragrance diffusion devices. This role will own the product development lifecycle from concept through launch, partnering closely with formulation labs, fragrance houses, regulatory consultants, operations, and marketing to bring high-quality, on-brand products to market on time and within scope.

This role reports directly to the VP of Innovation & Physical Product. While remote, the position requires weekly travel to fragrance partners, suppliers, and Drift’s warehouse (NY & NJ).  Candidates must have access to a personal vehicle for travel and product testing.

What You’ll Be Responsible For:

• Lead all fragrance and product development initiatives across fine fragrance, car fragrance, home fragrance, and scent diffusion devices.
• Own the full product development lifecycle from concept, briefing, and benchmarking through evaluation, validation, production readiness, and launch.
• Create clear product and fragrance briefs that translate brand strategy, consumer insights, and white-space opportunities into actionable development direction.
• Drive innovation by identifying market trends, competitive opportunities, and white-space concepts aligned with Drift’s brand positioning, customer needs, and subscription model.
• Lead fragrance submission management, including evaluation, feedback, redirect rounds, and final selection in partnership with internal stakeholders and fragrance suppliers.
• Manage product testing programs, including fragrance panel testing, consumer feedback loops, functionality testing, efficacy testing, and stability testing where applicable.
• Oversee development of fragrance diffusion devices and ensure performance, user experience, safety, reliability, and cost targets are achieved.
• Maintain project timelines, stage gates, and critical milestones to ensure on-time execution across all active development programs.
• Identify project risks early and proactively drive solutions related to formulation, componentry, testing, regulatory, supply chain, timing, and cost.
• Own vendor and partner relationships across fragrance houses, formulation labs, test labs, and consultants through regular business reviews and project check-ins.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with Marketing, Creative, Operations, Supply Chain, and external manufacturing partners to align on product requirements, artwork, claims, launch timing, and commercialization readiness.
• Ensure all product development documentation is complete, accurate, and maintained in internal systems, including formulas, specifications, BOMs where applicable, claims support, test results, and approvals.
• Manage the collection, review, and tracking of fragrance regulatory and technical documentation from suppliers and consultants.
• Support product registration, compliance, and market readiness by coordinating documentation needed for launches, updates, and retailer or market requirements.
• Oversee sample management and organization for all active development programs, including fragrance submissions, component samples, prototypes, standards, and retain samples.
• Partner with packaging and creative teams to develop copy, artwork input, and product details that accurately reflect formula, claims, and regulatory requirements.
• Help define development standards, best practices, and scalable processes that improve speed, organization, and execution quality across the department.
• Mentor and lead product development team members, setting priorities and ensuring strong execution across multiple concurrent launches.
• Directly manage the Senior Manager of R&D and oversee day-to-day R&D prioritization, performance, and development.

What You’ll Need to Have (required qualifications):

• 10+ years of experience in fragrance and/or consumer product development, with significant experience across fragrance-led categories.
• Strong experience developing fragrance diffusion devices; device development experience is required.
• Proven track record managing end-to-end product development from concept through commercialization and launch.
• Deep knowledge of fragrance development, evaluation processes, supplier management, and product testing.
• Experience working with fragrance houses, formulation labs, contract manufacturers, packaging suppliers, and regulatory partners.
• Strong understanding of regulatory documentation and compliance requirements relevant to fragrance and home/car scent categories.
• Ability to balance innovation, speed, quality, cost, and operational feasibility in a fast-paced environment.
• Excellent project management skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities and timelines simultaneously.
• Strong communication and cross-functional leadership skills; able to influence internal teams and external partners effectively.
• Highly organized, detail-oriented, and comfortable building process in a growing business.
• Strong creative and strategic instincts, with an ability to translate trends and consumer insights into compelling product concepts.
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience required.
• Passion for fragrance and strong olfactory discernment.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, especially Excel, PowerPoint, and Word.
• Comfortable with regular travel to partners, suppliers, and warehouse locations.
• Must have access to a personal vehicle.

What We’ll Love About You (personality traits):

• Experience in home fragrance, car fragrance, and fine fragrance categories.
• Experience working in high-growth or startup environments.
• Experience supporting subscription-based product models or recurring assortment strategies.
• Familiarity with packaging development and manufacturing scale-up.

What You’ll Love About Us:

• Competitive base compensation
• Bonus program
• Remote first *
• Referral bonus
• Paid Time Off and Wellness Time Off 
• Paid Parental Leave
• 401k with Company Match through Fidelity
• Medical, Dental, and Vision Benefits
• Company provided Lifeinsurance, Short-term & Long-term Disability 
• Flexible Spending Accounts, as well as Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts
• Annual Education Stipend
• Complimentary Scentbird Membership
• Discounts on Owned Brands
• Monthly virtual team building/ educational activities
• A fun, creative and energetic work environment

About Scentbird:

Scentbird inspires fragrance lovers to go beyond the ordinary and sample scents that evoke passion, confidence, and the unknown. Our mission is to revolutionize the way we perfume by bringing the ultimate fragrance playground right to your fingertips and offering a digital subscription service that lets members choose from over 500+ designer perfumes each month.

About the Brands:

• Scentbird: The easiest way for fragrance lovers to discover, try, and buy their favorite scented products without a commitment

• Deck of Scarlet: Deck of Scarlet is on a mission to break the clean category, redefining what clean fragrances should smell like. Composed entirely of vegan, cruelty-free ingredients, our fragrances bridge the gap between the clean and luxury categories, using the highest eau de parfum concentrations housed in sculptural, eye-catching bottles. You shouldn’t have to choose between being luxe and refined, or clean and vegan—now, you don’t have to.
• Confessions Of A Rebel: We were born in 2018, holding fast to the idea that the fragrance industry was in dire need of a change. When we looked around, all we saw was a sea of sameness: outdated archetypes of femininity and masculinity paired with unrelatable images of luxury that we had no say in. In truth, we are complex in ways that cannot be contained in the traditional heteronormative stereotypes, existing beyond the binary with raw, unfiltered voices that deserve to be heard.
• Goodhabit: Enriched with a blend of essential oils, Goodhabit’s clean, vegan, cruelty-free fragrances act as bottled intentions you set free with each mist. Our scents are designed to help you align with the good habits you’re building, while working to enhance and boost your mood. Inhale, exhale, and let the good energy flow through you.
• Sanctuary: Created for those who care about the fate of our planets, Sanctuary offers fragrance for a better future.   Our clean, community-driven fragrances are inspired by endangered species and their habitats, each aimed at raising money and awareness for the preservation of their namesake.
• Drift: Drift began as an alternative to all of the tacky air care products on the market. Our products are designed to blend in, with amazing scents that stand out. We take pride in our fragrances, keeping them free from the traditional chemicals used in the fragrance industry. We are always phthalate and paraben free. We never skimp on quality of our scents or the products that deliver them. Our design ethos is simple but effective. We love our community, those who won’t settle for ordinary, and we want to deliver a best in class experience.

Scentbird is committed to bringing individuals from different backgrounds and perspectives into the Nest. We strive to uphold an inclusive environment where individuals of all different backgrounds, ages, colors, ethnicities, gender, or gender identities, genetics, physical or mental abilities, protected veteran status, race, religious or sexual orientation, thrive. We respect the laws enforced by the EEOC and are dedicated internally to going above and beyond in fostering diversity. Come as you are - we’re excited to meet you.