Product Development Manager

ABOUT PUNCH STUDIO

Punch Studio is a leading Home, Gift & Stationery product supplier for thousands of specialty retailers worldwide. We create high quality, beautifully designed and giftable products that bring delight to people's everyday lives and homes. We are a privately held company headquartered in Culver City, CA looking for passionate leaders to join our growing, vibrant team!

ABOUT THE JOB

Under the general direction of the Director of Product Development & Sourcing, the Product Development/Trend Manager is responsible for managing product development for major key accounts and leading launch & development of new physical product categories in giftware, stationery, decorative storage, wall decor etc. Focusing on current market trends and the competitive landscape, the PD/Trend Manager would develop and present trend right product ideas to the cross functional teams. Also, acts as a liaison between the Sales, Design, Art Production and Purchasing departments to communicate product parameters, advise on particular product specifications and pricing.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

• Lead and create new product development based current market trends and customer requests, determining product specifications and target costs.
• Ability to research trends and translate them into new product concepts and formats to offer to accounts.
• Deep understanding of costing and margins
• Develop expert knowledge of pricing, materials, trends and developments in new product categories.
• Collaborate with the Sales team to prepare product presentations for accounts meetings.
• Negotiate with factories using a strong understanding of development costs and manufacturing procedures, working closely with Purchasing team to secure the best margins.
• Manage quality control of items throughout the approval process, with a sharp eye for detail to make sure all product specification and quality standard are met, and follow-through to resolve any issues.
• Work with Sales to help establish timelines for each program, defining PD deliverables and securing key due dates with factories.
• Anticipate and identify potential challenges and support Sales team on all PD-related issues that could cause program delays.
• Work closely with Sales and Customer Service teams to understand customer vendor requirements, managing customer compliancy and supporting processes/procedures to meet customer needs and avoid chargebacks/penalties.
• Determine testing/compliancy requirements of any new categories.
• Manage test reports and factory audits according to customer-specific requirements, working with customer compliancy representative to resolve any testing issues.
• Re-source with multiple vendors when necessary in order to hit target margins.
• Work with agent closely when in need of new vendor for new product category.

Requirements

WHAT YOU'LL HAVE

• BFA in Product Design, BBA or related field.
• 5+ years of experience in product development/management including trend research and presentation, costing, product packaging, production, manufacturing and merchandising.
• Proven track record of managing all aspects of a successful product throughout its lifecycle. Wall décor experience is not a must but an interest is necessary. Experience working with Off Price accounts is a plus.
• Working knowledge of MS Office, including Excel, Word and Outlook.
• Working knowledge of duty rates, testing and compliance.
• Knowledge of product development process and manufacturing with oversees vendors.
• Ability to think critically and solve problems quickly and efficiently.
• Ability to understand current and future trends and present them to cross functional teams
• Ability to quickly understand new concepts and accurately apply them in a fast-paced, evolving team environment.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Ability to effectively communicate to different levels of management both orally and in writing.

COMPENSATION: $70,000 to $90,000 based on experience.

Benefits

• Competitive compensation
• Paid vacation, holidays and sick time
• Benefits plan including medical, dental and vision
• Retirement and profit sharing options