Arden Companies, a growing Bingham Farms, Michigan based leading manufacturer and distributor of home products servicing the leading retailers in the USA and Canada.
The Product Development Manager reports to the Director of Product Development and is responsible for the creation and development of new products, from concept to completion with the goal of disrupting and profitably growing the pet segment of our business. New product ideas are generated from market research, industry knowledge, and direct requests from retailer partners. You will be a key part of a cross-functional team to bring new and innovative products to life at the store level and on retailer websites. Successful candidates must have strong leadership skills, be able to multi-task work on a variety of retailer projects and accounts, have strong communication skills, be detail-oriented, have the ability to organize and meet tight deadlines, work with domestic and international teams and suppliers, and demonstrate a professional demeanor and strong work ethic.
Primary Responsibilities:
- Oversees the development, execution and operational sequencing of products from concept to customer. This includes both Direct Import items and Domestically Manufactured Product.
- Develop a full catalog of product offerings that are both beautiful and high quality.
- Understands all details of the Arden product, from Fabric to Polyester fill, sewing techniques, manufacturing efficiencies, etc. You must be able to put all these different product components together to ensure successful execution of the finished product.
- Consitently monitor the different product components to ensure quality and performance are at the top of the industry and request any necessary testing or evaluation for product improvements.
- Utilizes our Product Lifecycle Management System to create and track the product development process and capture all notes, changes and costing as it goes from concept to finalized product.
- Utilizes our Salesforce CRM platform to communicate status updates of new developments to the sales team and the cross-functional team.
- Receive and develop new product requests from the Retail Sales Managers for their accounts. This requires excellent communication and listening skills to fully understand the scope of the request and ensure all appropriate questions are asked.
- Works closely with the Design and Marketing team to determine specific developments for each account. This includes presenting supplier capabilities to the Design team on a regular basis, so they understand what new materials and techniques are available.
- Works with the Engineering team to provide product specifications and design direction to create prototype samples for approval and quoting.
- Works with our Director or Global Sourcing on requesting quotes from our overseas suppliers on our new developments.
- Works with our compliance and sourcing team to ensure our products are tested to meet each retailer’s quality specifications and standards.
- This position works closely with the Director of Pricing Strategy and the Sales Managers to determine target costs for each retailer and ensure we meet those costs on any new products that are being developed.
- This position requires collaboration with our Asia office to ensure correct execution of our products from beginning to end. Our Asia office acts as “feet on the ground” with our overseas suppliers, so this position is responsible for ensuring they are aware of the project requests, costing requirements, and quality standards that are in process for our Retail Accounts.
- Work with merchandisers and agents oversees to determine capable and quality vendor base, narrow down factories that we want to work with, and requesting samples and costing to ensure these new suppliers can meet our requirements.
- Manages the development calendar and deadlines for critical approvals.
- Become a product champion and bring to market new and innovative products provide the best solutions for the end consumer. Utelize trade shows, market visits, compet & cushionitive analysis, consumer research, and retailer requests to inform this direction. An eye for trend-forward techniques and saleable design is required.
- Participates in development of Industry Insights reports for internal and customer consumption and a vast understanding of the competitive landscape.
- Supports the Sales Team on new product category requests for each retailer. This requires working with our Asia office to find new suppliers and learn as much as possible about the new product category and whether or not it is an option for us to enter.
Professional Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in Product Development or Design, Marketing, Business, or related field required.
- Minimum five years work experience in product development or buying, experience in pet product category is preferred.
- Excellent PowerPoint and Excel skills with experience in retail presentations and an understanding of cost and margin calculations.
- Must live within a commutable distance to Bingham Farms, MI or Dallas, TX offices and be willing to travel domestically and internationally.
Arden Companies is an equal opportunity employer. Candidates must be eligible to work in the U.S. on a permanent basis. Arden Companies participates in the Department of Homeland Security’s E-Verify Program to verify the employment eligibility of all newly hired employees.
Please send resumes to recruiting@ardencompanies.com. Additional information is available online at Arden Companies Career Opportunities