Senior Product Designer Premium Luxury Gentlemen Accessories WE at ECOMTRADE Ltd

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior Product Designer - Premium Luxury Gentlemen Accessories (WE)

Company: ECOMTRADE Ltd (Operating as Scriveiner)

Location: France

Job Type: FULL_TIME

Category: Product Design / GTM Operations

Date Posted: March 10, 2026

Experience Level: Mid-Senior Level (5-10 years)

Remote Status: On-site (within France)

🚀 Role Summary

This role is critical in building and managing a repeatable product development engine for a premium luxury gentlemen's accessories brand.
It requires a hands-on executor and world-class project manager to drive physical products from concept through sampling to production-ready status.
The Senior Product Designer will own the entire product pipeline, ensuring designs are commercially viable, manufacturable, and align with the brand's DNA.
This position involves close collaboration with founders, factories, and operations teams to ensure product quality, cost targets, and timely launches.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the role is advertised by ZenART Supplies, the actual position is with Scriveiner, a premium luxury gentlemen's accessories brand. The "WE" in the title likely signifies "Worldwide" or "Western Europe" market focus, and the location being France indicates a need for on-site presence there, despite the company's broader reach. The role is positioned as a core operational function within product development, bridging design and execution.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

Product Pipeline Ownership: Manage the end-to-end product lifecycle from insight gathering and concept development to design direction, sampling, costing, specification, quality control (QC), production readiness, and final handoff for launch.
Design & Specification: Write detailed design briefs focusing on desired aesthetics (CMF, proportions, weight, tactile cues) and translate these into factory-executable requirements, including dimensions, tolerances, materials, and finishes.
Supplier Execution & Costing: Drive feasibility studies, costing, and margin analysis early in the development cycle, defining target factory costs, Minimum Order Quantities (MOQs), and lead times.
Quality Assurance: Develop comprehensive quality plans, including QC checklists, tolerance settings, inspection points (pre-production, inline, pre-shipment), and defect standards to ensure adherence to premium luxury quality.
System Development: Implement and refine a simple, evidence-based stage-gate process for product development, creating templates for briefs, specifications, sample feedback, QC plans, and handoff packs.
Roadmap Management: Maintain a live product pipeline roadmap and tracker (12-24 months), detailing stage, risks, owners, next actions, cost/lead-time assumptions, and target launch windows.
Cross-functional Collaboration: Work closely with founders, factory liaisons, operations/supply chain teams, brand/creative teams, and customer success to ensure alignment and successful product launches.
Competitive Benchmarking: Conduct ongoing research into competitor materials, finishes, construction methods, price ladders, packaging, and gifting strategies.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities emphasize a hands-on, execution-oriented approach rather than pure ideation. The focus is on building a "repeatable product development engine" and a "scalable system," indicating a need for process-oriented thinking and documentation skills. The explicit mention of "factory liaison" suggests the Senior Product Designer will direct communication, not necessarily manage the liaison directly.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

Experience:

5-10 years of proven experience in product design, with a strong emphasis on physical product development.
Demonstrated track record of taking physical products from concept through sampling to production-ready status.
Experience in managing a product pipeline end-to-end.

Required Skills:

Superb Design Capability: Ability to create aesthetically pleasing and commercially viable products, with a keen understanding of luxury cues and brand DNA.
Hands-on Execution: Proven ability to personally progress products from inception through to launch-readiness, not just ideation.
World-Class Project Management: Excellent organizational skills to manage multiple projects, deadlines, and stages of the product development pipeline.
Factory Communication & Collaboration: Ability to effectively communicate design intent, provide actionable sample feedback, set acceptance criteria, and develop QC plans with manufacturing partners.
Commercial Realism: Strong understanding of cost targets, margin awareness, lead time, MOQ constraints, and the ability to make disciplined trade-offs.
Specification Writing: Proficiency in translating design concepts into detailed, factory-executable requirements.
Problem-Solving: Ability to diagnose issues in samples and drive iterations decisively.
Clear Communication: Excellent written and spoken English for expressing complex design ideas and providing detailed feedback.

Preferred Skills:

Experience in accessories, stationery, or gifting categories.
Experience working with global manufacturing ecosystems and quality control processes.
Ability to work with diverse materials such as metal, resin, and leather, and with high-standard packaging design.
Familiarity with CMF (Color, Material, Finish) principles in a luxury context.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "must-haves" are heavily weighted towards practical execution, project management, and commercial acumen, suggesting the company prioritizes designers who can deliver tangible results and manage the entire development process independently. The preference for specific categories and materials points towards a need for domain expertise.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

End-to-End Product Development Case Studies: Showcase at least 2-3 detailed case studies demonstrating the full product lifecycle from initial research and concept generation through to final production-ready specifications and quality control plans.
Commercial Viability Demonstration: Clearly articulate how your design decisions addressed cost targets, margin requirements, and lead time considerations. Include examples of trade-offs made and their impact.
Factory Collaboration Examples: Provide evidence of how you translated designs into manufacturable products, including examples of detailed briefs, actionable sample feedback, and QC criteria you developed.
Process Improvement Focus: Highlight instances where you implemented or improved product development processes, such as stage-gate systems, template creation, or feedback loops.
Visual Documentation: Include high-quality renderings, prototypes, technical drawings, and final product images where possible.

Process Documentation:

Stage-Gate Process Design: Demonstrate understanding and ability to implement a structured stage-gate process with clear criteria and sign-off points.
Template Creation: Showcase your ability to create standardized documentation for design briefs, technical specifications, sample feedback, QC plans, and product handoff packs.
Workflow Optimization: Explain how you would establish cadences for reviews (e.g., weekly pipeline reviews, monthly portfolio quality reviews) and integrate feedback from operations and customer success.

📝 Enhancement Note: Given the emphasis on building a "repeatable product development engine" and "scalable system," the portfolio should heavily feature process-oriented work. Candidates should be prepared to discuss not just the final design but the methodology, documentation, and systems they employed to achieve it. The ability to demonstrate impact on cost, quality, and efficiency will be paramount.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

Estimated Range: €55,000 - €75,000 per annum.
Methodology: This estimate is based on industry benchmarks for Senior Product Designers with 5-10 years of experience in Western Europe, specifically France, with a focus on physical product development and luxury goods. Factors considered include the role's end-to-end ownership, the company's emphasis on profitability and quality, and the provided benefits. Cost of living in France, particularly for a role that requires on-site presence, is also factored in.

Benefits:

Annual Performance Bonus: Tied directly to business outcomes, reflecting the company's focus on results.
Paid Annual Leave: Standard provision for a full-time role, ensuring work-life balance.
Paid Sick Leave: Structured support for employee well-being.
Welcome Gift: A curated set of Scriveiner pens, allowing the designer to experience the product quality firsthand.

Working Hours:

Standard 40-hour work week, typical for full-time roles in France.
📝 Enhancement Note: While a standard work week is mentioned, the "hands-on executor" expectation might imply a need for flexibility and dedication beyond strict hours, especially during critical development phases.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is an estimation. The company is described as "highly profitable" and "founder-led," suggesting potential for competitive compensation. The inclusion of a performance bonus indicates a strong results-oriented culture.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Premium/Luxury Gentlemen's Accessories, E-commerce and Retail.

Company Size: Small to Medium-sized Enterprise (SME). Scriveiner has won awards including the King's Award for Enterprise and was recognized by the Sunday Times as one of the UK's top 100 fastest-growing privately owned companies. This suggests a growing, established, yet agile business.

Founded: Scriveiner is an established brand, with awards and recognition indicating a history of success and growth.

Team Structure:

Founder-Led: Direct access to founders, implying a flat hierarchy and fast decision-making processes.
Lean Operations: Emphasis on "comfort operating without direct reports and without heavy agency dependence," suggesting a small, highly efficient core team where individuals wear multiple hats.
Cross-functional Collaboration: Key working relationships are defined with Founders, Factory Liaison, Ops/Supply Chain, Brand/Creative, and Customer Success, indicating a collaborative, integrated approach to product development and business operations.

Methodology:

Product-Quality Obsessed: A core tenet of the business, driving high standards in design and manufacturing.
Design-Led: The company aims to become a "globally recognised, design-led household name."
Data-Informed: Customer Success insights directly feed into product improvements, implying a feedback loop for continuous enhancement.
Efficiency Focused: Building a "repeatable and scalable product development system" and emphasizing "commercial realism" highlights a commitment to efficient operations and profitability.

Company Website: [ZenART Supplies website mentioned, with note that the role is for Scriveiner. A direct Scriveiner website would be the primary reference.] The domain derived is "zenartsupplies.co".

📝 Enhancement Note: The culture appears to be fast-paced, results-driven, and highly focused on product quality and commercial success. The lean structure means the Senior Product Designer will have significant autonomy and responsibility.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: Senior Individual Contributor. This role is pivotal in shaping the product offering and establishing robust development processes. It sits at the intersection of design, operations, and commercial strategy.

Reporting Structure: Reports directly to the Founders. This offers high visibility and direct influence on strategic decisions.

Operations Impact: The Senior Product Designer will have a direct and significant impact on the company's revenue and brand perception by defining the product portfolio, ensuring quality, and driving efficient product launches. Their work directly influences profitability through cost management and margin optimization.

Growth Opportunities:

Process Ownership & Scalability: Opportunity to build and own a critical operational engine for product development, with the potential to scale it as the company grows globally.
Brand Influence: Shape the product DNA and future direction of an award-winning, design-led brand.
Leadership Potential: While not a direct management role, success in this position could lead to broader product leadership responsibilities or strategic operational roles within the company.
Cross-functional Expertise: Gain deep experience working across design, manufacturing, supply chain, marketing, and sales.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role offers a unique opportunity for an experienced product designer to build out a core operational function from the ground up within a successful, quality-focused company. The direct reporting line to founders provides a clear path for influence and potential advancement.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: On-site in France. Given the company's UK origins (implied by Sunday Times recognition), this might be a dedicated office or a co-working space. The emphasis on "hands-on executor" suggests a need for physical presence for prototyping and factory liaison coordination.

Office Location(s): France. Specific city or region not detailed.

Workspace Context:

Collaborative Environment: Close interaction with founders and other core team members (factory liaison, ops, brand).
Hands-on Access: Likely access to prototyping tools, material samples, and potentially product testing facilities.
Technology Integration: Expected to leverage design software, project management tools, and potentially PLM (Product Lifecycle Management) systems.

Work Schedule: Standard 40-hour work week, but the role's nature may require dedication beyond typical hours during critical project phases.

📝 Enhancement Note: The on-site requirement in France suggests that candidates must be willing and able to work from a physical location within the country. The environment is likely dynamic and results-oriented, typical of growing SMEs.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

Initial Screening: Review of CV and portfolio to assess experience, design capability, and fit with the "hands-on executor" requirement.
Portfolio Presentation & Case Study Review: Candidates will likely present 1-2 key projects from their portfolio, detailing their process, challenges, solutions, and outcomes, with a focus on the end-to-end product development lifecycle.
Technical & Commercial Discussion: In-depth discussion on design principles, manufacturing feasibility, costing, QC, and project management methodologies. Expect scenario-based questions.
Founder/Leadership Interview: Assessment of cultural fit, strategic thinking, autonomy, and alignment with the company's vision and values.
Final Offer: Based on overall assessment.

Portfolio Review Tips:

Show, Don't Just Tell: For each case study, clearly outline the problem, your role, the process followed, the design decisions made, the challenges encountered (especially with manufacturing and costing), and the final results (e.g., production readiness, margin improvements).
Highlight Process: Emphasize your approach to building a repeatable product development system, including documentation, stage-gate processes, and factory communication strategies.
Quantify Impact: Whenever possible, use data to demonstrate the impact of your work, such as cost savings achieved, lead time reductions, quality improvements (e.g., reduced return rates), or successful product launches.
Luxury & Commercial Balance: Clearly articulate how you balanced premium/luxury aesthetics with commercial realities (cost, MOQ, manufacturability).
Factory Collaboration: Showcase examples of how you effectively worked with factories, provided clear feedback, and ensured quality standards were met.

Challenge Preparation:

Be prepared for hypothetical scenarios related to product development challenges, such as a factory issue, a cost overrun, or a design compromise.
Expect questions about how you would establish and manage a product pipeline tracker.
Think about how you would define "handoff-ready" specifications for different stakeholders.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process will heavily scrutinize the candidate's ability to execute, manage processes, and deliver commercially viable products. The portfolio is the primary tool for demonstrating these capabilities.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

CAD Software: Proficiency in industry-standard 3D CAD software (e.g., SolidWorks, Rhino, Fusion 360) for designing physical products.
Prototyping Tools: Experience with various prototyping methods (3D printing, CNC, manual mock-ups).
Adobe Creative Suite: Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign for visual design, mock-ups, and documentation.
Project Management Software: Tools like Asana, Trello, Jira, or Monday.com for managing the product pipeline, tasks, and deadlines.
PLM Software (Potentially): Familiarity with Product Lifecycle Management systems could be beneficial for managing product data and workflows.

Analytics & Reporting:

Spreadsheet Software: Advanced proficiency in Excel or Google Sheets for costing analysis, data tracking, and reporting.
Data Visualization Tools (Potentially): Experience with tools like Tableau or Power BI could be advantageous for presenting pipeline metrics.

CRM & Automation:

CRM Systems: While not directly managing CRM, understanding how product specifications and launch readiness impact sales and customer success is key.
Communication Platforms: Slack, Microsoft Teams for internal communication.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis is on practical design and project management tools. The company's lean structure may mean they use accessible, widely adopted software rather than highly specialized enterprise solutions, but a strong understanding of process management software is crucial.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

Product Quality & Excellence: A non-negotiable standard driven by the company's "product-quality obsessed" and "design-led" ethos.
Commercial Acumen: A pragmatic approach to design, ensuring profitability, margin targets, and manufacturability are central to decision-making.
Efficiency & Scalability: Commitment to building robust, repeatable processes that can support global growth.
Hands-on Execution: A bias towards action and personal accountability for driving projects to completion.
Clear Communication: Valuing precise, actionable communication, especially with external partners like factories.

Collaboration Style:

Direct & Transparent: Given the founder-led structure and lean team, communication is likely direct, open, and focused on problem-solving.
Cross-functional Integration: Strong emphasis on working collaboratively with Operations, Brand, and Founders to ensure holistic product success.
Feedback-Oriented: Customer success insights directly inform product improvements, indicating a culture that values feedback and continuous iteration.

📝 Enhancement Note: The culture rewards individuals who are proactive, detail-oriented, commercially minded, and adept at working within a streamlined, results-driven environment.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

Balancing Luxury Aesthetics with Affordable Pricing: A core challenge in the "affordable luxury" segment, requiring clever design and efficient manufacturing.
Global Manufacturing Complexity: Navigating international supply chains, quality control, and communication barriers.
Building a Scalable System: Establishing processes that can effectively support future company growth without becoming overly bureaucratic.
Independent Execution: Operating effectively without direct reports or heavy reliance on agencies, requiring strong self-management and problem-solving skills.
Defining and Maintaining Brand DNA: Ensuring all new products consistently reflect the premium luxury identity of Scriveiner.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

Process Development Expertise: Opportunity to design and implement a critical operational process for a growing brand.
Deep Dive into Luxury Goods Manufacturing: Gain firsthand experience in the nuances of producing high-quality accessories from materials like metal, resin, and leather.
Strategic Product Roadmap Influence: Play a key role in shaping the company's product future and brand direction.
Exposure to Founder-Level Strategy: Direct interaction with founders provides insights into business strategy and growth planning.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role presents a significant opportunity for growth by tackling complex challenges in a dynamic environment, with direct impact on the company's success and brand evolution.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

"Describe your process for taking a physical product from initial concept to a production-ready specification. What are the key stages, potential pitfalls, and how do you ensure commercial viability?"
"Walk me through a time you had to make a difficult trade-off between design aesthetics, cost, and production feasibility. How did you approach it, and what was the outcome?"
"How would you establish a 'repeatable product development engine' for a brand like Scriveiner? What key elements would you include in your system and documentation?"
"Imagine a sample from a new factory arrives with significant defects. How would you diagnose the issue, provide feedback to the factory, and ensure corrective action?"

Company & Culture Questions:

"Why are you interested in the 'affordable luxury' segment and gentlemen's accessories specifically?"
"How do you approach working autonomously and without direct reports or heavy agency reliance?"
"What does 'product-quality obsessed' mean to you, and how would you embed that into the product development process?"

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

Structure Your Case Studies: Use a clear narrative: Problem/Opportunity -> Your Role -> Process/Solution -> Challenges -> Results/Impact.
Focus on Process & Commercials: For each project, explicitly detail your design process, how you managed factory communication, your approach to costing and margin, and any quality control measures you implemented.
Showcase Documentation: If possible, share examples of design briefs, technical drawings, or QC checklists you created.
Quantify Results: Highlight any measurable impacts, such as achieving target costs, reducing lead times, or improving product quality.
Tailor to Luxury: Emphasize how your design choices enhance the premium/luxury feel of the product.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview will likely be very practical and results-oriented. Candidates should prepare to discuss specific examples that demonstrate their ability to execute, manage projects, and deliver commercially successful products in a luxury context.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Senior Product Designer position:

Submit your application directly through the provided Workable link.
Curate Your Portfolio: Select 2-3 of your strongest case studies that best showcase end-to-end physical product development, commercial realism, and factory collaboration. Ensure they highlight your process for building repeatable systems and your understanding of luxury aesthetics.
Tailor Your Resume: Highlight keywords such as "Product Development," "Project Management," "Luxury Goods," "Affordable Luxury," "Factory Liaison," "Specification," "Quality Control," "Costing," and "Stage-Gate Process." Quantify achievements wherever possible.
Prepare Your Presentation: Practice a concise and compelling walkthrough of your portfolio case studies, focusing on your methodology, problem-solving skills, and commercial impact. Be ready to articulate your vision for building Scriveiner's product development engine.
Research Scriveiner: Understand their brand, product range, awards, and market positioning. Familiarize yourself with the "affordable luxury" model and the specific challenges and opportunities within the gentlemen's accessories market.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and operations industry-standard assumptions. All details should be verified directly with the hiring organization before making application decisions.

Senior Product Designer Premium Luxury Gentlemen Accessories WE