PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR/MANAGER - HOME & HOUSEWARES
hace 20 horas
Edison
PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR / MANAGER - HOME & HOUSEWARES \n Edison, New Jersey | Full-Time | On-Site | Frequent Travel to New York City Showroom \n Local candidates only. No Relocation available for this position. \n ABOUT HOME EXPRESSIONS INC. \n Home Expressions Inc. is a fast-paced, design-driven home and housewares company developing innovative, trend-right products for leading retailers. Headquartered in Edison, NJ, with a New York City showroom, Dallas creative center, and offices in Ningbo and Shenzhen, our global team develops and sources products across a broad range of home categories. \n We manage product development from concept and trend direction through sourcing, sampling, costing, packaging and production, combining creativity, business acumen, global sourcing and speed-to-market. \n THE ROLE \n We are seeking an exceptional Product Development Coordinator / Manager to join our Edison, NJ team. \n This highly visible, fast-paced role combines product development, project management, problem solving and business thinking. The position reports directly to the VP of Product Development and works closely with the VP daily across product initiatives, customer programs, sourcing, strategy and execution. \n This candidate will frequently travel to our New York City showroom for customer and buyer meetings alongside the CEO, VP of Product Development, Sales and senior team members. After meetings, this person will translate feedback into actionable projects and ensure development, costing, sampling, communication and follow-up are completed accurately and on time. \n We are looking for someone ready to hit the ground running, take ownership and become a critical member of Product Development. \n WHAT YOU'LL DOCUSTOMER MEETINGS & NYC SHOWROOM \n · Frequently travel to our NYC showroom for buyer meetings, product presentations, line reviews and development meetings. \n · Attend customer meetings alongside the CEO, VP of Product Development, Sales and senior leadership. \n · Develop a strong understanding of each retailer's customer, assortment, aesthetic, price points and product needs. \n · Capture buyer feedback, product requests, assortment changes, pricing targets and deadlines. \n · Own post-meeting follow-up and ensure every action item is communicated, assigned, tracked and completed. \n · Translate customer feedback into development requests, sample revisions, costing, packaging changes and timelines. \n · Ensure samples, costing, presentations and requested information are ready for upcoming meetings and deadlines. \n PARTNERSHIP WITH VP OF PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT \n · Report directly to and work closely with the VP of Product Development every day. \n · Support priority customer programs, product initiatives and ongoing development. \n · Translate strategic direction into actionable plans for Design, Sourcing and overseas teams. \n · Maintain visibility across projects and proactively communicate status, samples, costing, approvals, timing, risks and outstanding decisions. \n · Anticipate needs and identify potential issues before they impact customer deadlines. \n · Bring forward ideas and solutions while continuously improving processes, organization, communication and productivity. \n PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT & PROJECT OWNERSHIP \n · Manage multiple product-development projects from concept through production. \n · Maintain development calendars, timelines, WIP reports and project trackers. \n · Coordinate across Product Development, Sales, Design, Packaging, Sourcing, Quality, Operations and overseas teams. \n · Translate customer requests and creative concepts into clear development briefs. \n · Track samples, revisions, approvals, costing, packaging and production status. \n · Proactively identify projects falling behind and take action to get them back on schedule. \n · Manage competing priorities and operate effectively against challenging, overlapping deadlines. \n · Drive projects forward rather than simply tracking them - follow up, problem-solve, communicate and execute. \n PRODUCT, TREND & RETAIL AWARENESS \n · Maintain a keen eye for trends across home, housewares, lifestyle, fashion, color, materials, pattern and consumer behavior. \n · Frequently shop the marketplace and conduct competitive research across mass, specialty, off-price and e-commerce retailers. \n · Maintain a strong understanding of our current retailers, their assortments, competitors, consumers and price points. \n · Develop competitive landscapes by retailer, category and competitor. \n · Identify emerging trends, white-space opportunities and commercially viable product ideas. \n · Create trend boards, competitive research and product-direction presentations to share with retailers and Sales teams. \n · Bring new product and category opportunities to Product Development and Sales. \n · Balance creativity with business acumen across trend, function, quality, cost, margin, retail price and consumer appeal. \n FACTORY, SOURCING & SAMPLE DEVELOPMENT \n · Communicate with China offices, overseas factories and suppliers regarding development, specifications, samples, costing, materials, packaging and timelines. \n · Issue clear development requests and detailed sample comments and revisions. \n · Understand manufacturing capabilities, materials, construction, tooling, MOQs and production limitations. \n · Troubleshoot development challenges and identify alternative materials, constructions or solutions when necessary. \n · Manage sampling from initial prototype through final approved sample. \n · Review samples against specifications, customer requirements and approved designs. \n · Request, track and evaluate quotations and product costing. \n · Work toward target costs, retail prices and margin objectives while identifying value-engineering opportunities. \n · Ensure final products reflect approved construction, dimensions, materials, colors, finishes, components and packaging. \n PRODUCT DOCUMENTATION \n · Maintain accurate product information, specifications, costing, approvals and development history. \n · Ensure dimensions, materials, construction, finishes, colors, components, packaging and labeling requirements are clearly documented. \n · Keep communication between customers, Sales, Design, Product Development, Sourcing and factories accurate and consistent. \n CATEGORIES MAY INCLUDE \n Kitchen & Housewares | Storage & Organization | Bath | Tabletop | Entertaining | Serveware | Drinkware | Hydration | Food Storage | Cleaning & Utility | Home Decor | Textiles | Seasonal & Holiday | Bedding & More \n WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR \n · Bachelor's degree in Product Development, Merchandising, Business, Supply Chain, Industrial Design or related field, or equivalent experience. \n · 2-5+ years of product development, sourcing, merchandising or related consumer-product experience preferred; title will be based on experience. \n · Experience in housewares, home decor, kitchen, bath, tabletop, storage, textiles, seasonal or related consumer products strongly preferred. \n · Strong business acumen with an understanding of how product, cost, margin, retail pricing, consumer demand and customer strategy work together. \n · A keen eye for trends and the ability to identify trends that can translate into commercially successful products. \n · Excellent written and verbal communication skills with customers, senior leadership, internal teams and overseas partners. \n · Exceptional ability to multitask, prioritize and manage multiple customers, projects and deadlines. \n · Ability to work extremely well independently while also serving as a critical collaborative team member. \n · Self-motivated, proactive and comfortable taking ownership without constant direction. \n · Ability to work at a fast pace through difficult deadlines and high-volume development periods while maintaining accuracy. \n · Strong problem-solving skills and a solutions-oriented mindset. \n · Ability to identify inefficiencies and recommend practical improvements to workflow, communication and productivity. \n · Excellent organization, follow-through, accountability and sense of urgency. \n · Experience working with overseas factories, suppliers and sourcing offices, particularly in Asia, strongly preferred. \n · Experience participating in retailer/buyer meetings and managing post-meeting development follow-up highly desirable. \n · Ability and willingness to travel frequently between Edison, NJ and our New York City showroom. \n · Experience developing products for national, mass, off-price, specialty, e-commerce and/or private-label retailers highly desirable. \n · Strong proficiency in Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook. \n · Familiarity with Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop required. \n · Experience with ERP, PLM, project-management or product-development systems is a plus. \n · Ability to understand technical drawings, CADs, product specifications and packaging files preferred. \n · International travel to factories, sourcing markets and trade shows may be required. \n WHO WILL THRIVE HERE \n We're looking for someone smart, commercially minded, highly organized, curious, resourceful and ready to hit the ground running. \n You should be comfortable in New York customer meetings, understanding what the buyer wants, why they want it, and the business opportunity behind the request, then turning that conversation into action. \n You have a great eye for product and trends and understand the numbers. You can manage a significant workload, shift priorities quickly, solve problems and keep projects moving under pressure. \n Most importantly, you follow through. You take ownership, bring ideas for improvement and ensure every customer request becomes an action item that moves through completion. \n WHY HOME EXPRESSIONS INC. \n At Home Expressions, you'll see the entire product-development process - from trends and buyer meetings to overseas development and products at retail. \n You'll work directly with the VP of Product Development, senior leadership and customers, with the opportunity to influence both products and how the team works. \n To apply: Please submit your resume highlighting relevant product development, sourcing, merchandising, retail and/or consumer-products experience. \n