Product Development Assistant

The Winning Hearts Organization is Hiring!

About StoreBound

Join the Winning Hearts Organization! StoreBound is one of North America's fastest-growing housewares companies, most known for their Dash and Sobro products. StoreBound turns big ideas into award-winning retail products faster than ever. Our mission is to inspire people to make healthy meals at home with our joyful, accessible, and inclusive collection of kitchen essentials.

Join the best team in the industry and become a part of our team of innovative, enthusiastic, passionate, and caring individuals. We’re in it to win hearts!

About the Position

The Product Development Assistant will play a key role in supporting our product development team throughout the entire product lifecycle. This individual will assist in factory communication, concept ideation, prototype development, factory negotiation, testing, and launch. The ideal candidate is a creative thinker, an excellent communicator, and a strong attention to detail. They will support the product development manager with developing key new products that drive profit, and sales and that will become key items that continue to be reordered.

Key Responsibilities
Factory Negotiation:

• Regular and direct communication with overseas offices and factories. 
• Weekly calls with design team to review open projects, timelines, and next steps
• Direct conversations with the factory to work through pricing discussions and come to equitable resolutions.
• Engage multiple factories for a competitive quoting process and report back on results to ensure satisfactory margins for the company and customer.

Product & Order Tracking for New Development:

• Manage & track on-order products to ensure we are on time with our product development schedule; Follow up with our Hong Kong team and factories as needed.
• Communicate with Operations if any changes to timelines or ship dates occur.
• Manage all creative requests and deadlines; keep the creative team informed on sample ETAs for photoshoots, artwork deadlines etc.
• Maintain price lists, tracker spreadsheets, and our Trello boards so that the product is always updated with the latest status.

Testing and Quality Assurance:

• Support in conducting product testing to ensure quality, performance, and safety standards are met.
• Assist in identifying and addressing any issues or defects, working closely with
  quality assurance teams.
• Track all samples that are coming to the office and communicate timing to all relative parties involved.
• Responsible for sending out samples to 3rd party teams for approvals and recipe development.

Testing & Certifications for Products:

• Track all testing certifications – ensure we receive them on time and save them in the required folders.
• Handle any additional testing requested by sales or retailers including but not limited to audits, etc.
• Approve all rating labels for electrical products.
• Create UPC’s for all new items

Coordination and Communication:

• Facilitate communication between different departments involved in the product development process.
• Assist in coordinating meetings, follow-ups, and project timelines to ensure seamless collaboration.

Prototype Development:

• Aid in the creation and testing of product prototypes, working closely with design and engineering teams.
• Provide feedback on prototypes, contributing to design improvement and functionality enhancements.

Documentation and Reporting:

• Maintain accurate and detailed records of product development processes, including research findings, design iterations, and testing results.
• Prepare reports and presentations summarizing key findings and progress updates for management and stakeholders.

Idea Generation:

• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to brainstorm and develop innovative product ideas.
• Assist in creating detailed product briefs, including specifications, features, and target audience
• Assist with sourcing new ODM products through our Hong Kong sourcing team.
• Evaluate customer reviews and ratings and report back to the team on your findings.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field (such as Product Design, Engineering, Product Development, Buying/Merchandising)
• Strong analytical skills and ability to interpret market research data.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and project management tools.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Detail-oriented with strong organizational and multitasking abilities.
• Ability to work effectively in a team and independently with minimal supervision.
• Prior experience in product development or a related field is a plus.

Benefits

• Annual Base Salary: $55,000-58,500
• Competitive Health, dental, and vision insurance (100% company contribution)
• Health and wellness perks
• Hybrid flexible work schedule
• Commuter benefits
• 401(K) Retirement Plan (up to 4% company matching)
• A prime location in New York City’s Financial District…Steps away from Wall St.
  

StoreBound is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status. All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply and will receive consideration for employment.

Note: We will not be accepting 3rd party searches

For questions or concerns, please email talentandculture@storebound.com.

Salary : $55,000 - $58,500