Description
Arden Companies is America’s leading manufacturer and marketer of cushions and pillows. We have four manufacturing plants in the United States, a corporate office just north of Detroit, and offices in China and Taiwan.
We’re looking for a creative and organized Product Development Specialist to help us bring unique designs and performance features to market.
Reporting to the Product Development Sr. Manager, this exciting and educational role is an opportunity to gain valuable experience in all phases of the product lifecycle working with both domestic and international sources. This hands-on position encompasses everything from concept to product finalization and will give you exposure to working with a variety of departments and team members including: Design, Textile, Trend Forecasting, Marketing, Graphic Design, Engineering, and our Asia offices.
Responsibilities
- Complete competitive market analysis throughout the year. This involves store visits, capturing photos to document assortments and organizing our internal reports using Excel and Power Point.
- Study trend reports and market research for the purpose of brainstorming new product ideas and strategies.
- Kick off new product development Salesforce and PLM (Product Lifecycle Management) tools to manage communications along the way to ensure our process follows the development stream.
- Maintain updated notes regarding product status updates using our PLM system and assist in communication with our Sales, Engineering and Asia teams on these topics as needed.
- Work with the Graphic Design team to brainstorm marketing collateral and packaging for new products.
- Complete Design Briefs outlining the details of our sample requests for use with our overseas suppliers.
- Document and catalog product samples as they arrive from our Domestic and Asia teams.
Requirements
- Bachelor Degree, Preferred disciplines include Product Development, Merchandising, and Marketing.
- At least 1 year of experience working in a professional (corporate) setting is preferred.
- Well versed in Microsoft Office products, specifically Power Point and Excel.
- Able to understand and quickly learn how to use various web-based software systems, like PLM and Salesforce/CRM.
- Excellent organization, attention to detail and communication skills, both oral and written, to both internal and external audiences.
- Must have a car and be willing to drive to various retail locations in the metro Detroit and Windsor, CAN areas as needed. Mileage to stores is reimbursed.
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 your resume to recruiting@ardencompanies.com
Additional Arden Companies corporate information is available online at www.ardencompanies.com