Head of Product Realization

About tonies:

tonies is the globally leading interactive audio platform for children with more than 10 million Tonieboxes and 125 million Tonies sold. The intuitive and award-winning audio system has changed the way young children play and learn independently with its child-safe, wireless, and screen-free approach. Tonieboxes have been activated in over 100 countries, the content portfolio includes around 1,400 Tonies in several languages. Since its inception, tonies has achieved significant milestones, including listing on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange in November 2021 as well as a globally present team of over 550 dedicated professionals operating from various countries.

Joining our tonies team means being part of an inspiring mission to create innovative and meaningful experiences for children around the world. Together, we’re shaping the future of play, learning, and imagination.

You as part of tonies:

As Head of Product Realization (all genders), you lead the teams and capabilities that translate creative product designs into technically robust, manufacturable and scalable products.
You are responsible for Material Development, Technical Construction, Tooling and Decoration Development, bringing these disciplines together to translate the creative intent of Product Design into production-ready technical solutions.
Beyond the realization of individual products, you contribute to the long-term strategy and capability roadmap for Product Realization, ensuring that our materials, technologies, technical solutions and manufacturing capabilities evolve in line with our future product portfolio. Working closely with Product Design, Global Production, Quality, NPI, Procurement and our global supplier network, you ensure that technical feasibility, manufacturability, quality, cost and scalability are considered early and consistently through to successful implementation in serial production. You lead an international team of specialists and report to the Director Global Product Industrialization.

Your tasks and responsibilities will include:

• Product Realization Strategy: You contribute to shaping the long-term strategy for Product Realization and own the translation of strategic priorities into a clear capability roadmap, anticipating future product, technology and manufacturing needs across materials, technical construction, tooling and decoration.
• Product Realization Leadership: You lead and further develop the Product Realization organization, establishing clear ownership, strong technical capabilities, standards and effective ways of working across the different disciplines.
• Technical Product Realization: You own the translation of creative and 3D product designs into robust and manufacturable technical product specifications – including the integration of NFC/RFID while ensuring that the original design intent and product experience are maintained.
• Design for Manufacturing: You ensure robust technical product construction and the application of DfM principles, identifying feasibility risks early and developing scalable technical solutions. 
• Tooling You oversee tooling development from technical concept and supplier commissioning through to qualification, ensuring defined quality, capacity and performance requirements are met.
• Decoration Development: You lead the development and industrialization of our decoration solutions and processes, ensuring that creative requirements are translated into stable, repeatable and scalable manufacturing processes.
• Material Strategy & Development: You contribute to shaping and continuously evolving our long-term material strategy and technology roadmap. You identify, develop and qualify future-ready material solutions, balancing product performance, quality, sustainability, cost and scalability.
• Cross-functional & Supplier Collaboration: You work closely with Product Design, Global Production, Quality, Procurement, NPI and our global supplier network to translate creative product ideas into robust, scalable and manufacturable solutions and successfully bring them into serial production.
• Standards & Continuous Improvement: You establish and continuously improve technical standards, specifications, documentation and development processes across Product Realization.
• People Leadership: You build, lead and develop a high-performing international team of technical specialists, coaching your team members, creating clear accountability and fostering an environment of collaboration and continuous development.

What we are looking for:

• A university degree in Engineering, Materials Science, Industrial Design, Product Development or a comparable technical field – or equivalent relevant professional experience.
• You have already gained at least 8 years of professional experience product development, product realization, industrialization or a comparable technical function, ideally within consumer products, toys or a comparable high-volume manufacturing environment.
• Proven experience leading multidisciplinary technical teams and developing both people and technical capabilities.
• A structured yet pragmatic working style, combined with strong ownership and sound decision-making in a dynamic product environment.
• Experience contributing to technical development, material or manufacturing strategies and translating long-term strategic priorities into actionable roadmaps.
• Strong understanding of Design for Manufacturing (DfM) and the ability to balance design intent, technical feasibility, quality, cost and manufacturing requirements.
• Experience with NFC/RFID-enabled products or comparable embedded technologies is a strong plus.
• Excellent communication skills and fluency in German and English

Why tonies?

• Global Teamwork: We collaborate across departmental and country borders on our vision to bring the Toniebox into every child's room in the world.
• Come as you are: This applies not only to the dress code but also to everything else. Because only where you truly feel comfortable can you give your best.
• Mobility: Choose the option that suits you best - a Deutschlandticket (public transport ticket) for unlimited mobility, a monthly contribution for an office parking space, a leasing bicycle, or a remote work subsidy.
• Enhanced Security: Benefit from subsidies for company pension plans, occupational pension schemes, and occupational disability insurance.
• Rest & Time Off: Enjoy 30 days of paid annual leave plus three additional days off such as Rosenmontag, Christmas Eve, and New Year's Eve. After one year of employment, you can also use up to 10 "toniecation days" (unpaid leave days).
• Continuous Learning: Benefit from our internal and external training opportunities as well as an individual learning budget to continuously expand your knowledge.
• Language Learning & Relaxation: Improve your communication skills with the language learning app Babbel and find relaxation through our access to the meditation app Calm.
• Discounts: Benefit from attractive discounts on our entire range of tonies products.

Good to know:

As part of our principles, we are committed to supporting inclusion and diversity at tonies. We actively celebrate our colleagues’ different abilities, ethnicities, faith and gender. Everyone is welcome and supported in their development at all stages in their journey with us. 

We look forward to hearing from you!

Lisa Weyers
Talent Acquisition Manager