Company Overview: MacKenzie-Childs is a leading home furnishings retail company known for its unique design, high-quality products and exceptional customer service. We specialize in offering a wide range of kitchen, entertaining, décor and furniture items that cater to various styles and preferences, ensuring our customers find exactly what they need to make their homes joyful and stylish.
Position Summary:
Lead and manage all aspects of the Seasonal Product Development Department, collaborating closely with Merchandise Planning and Design. Focus includes but is not limited to new product design, sourcing, managing, negotiating, and assorting and editing product categories in order to maximize company sales growth and profitability.
Essential Job Duties and Responsibilities: (Additional duties may be assigned)
Product Development:
· Research unique opportunities for new seasonal products in assigned categories that support the brand direction. Work with vendors to identify new manufacturing opportunities within manufacturer’s area of expertise. Make sure all new development supports the brand direction of fun, quirky, artisanal, positive, colorful, and authentic products that convey our point of view on decorating “The Home.”
· Maintain knowledge of home furnishings market trends through research and competitive shopping to ensure the development of unique products that will thrive in a competitive landscape.
· Attend trade shows as appropriate for category growth.
· Identify trends in categories, styles, and silhouettes. Lead development of unique offerings with direction and approval of Creative Director/Chief Brand Officer.
· Create and organize new product lists for each season with CD/CBO and Product Planning to outline groundwork for new products for future seasons through constructive conversations using data analytics and creative thinking.
· Manage assignments given by CD/CBO for development of new product concepts.
· Develop collections within agreed upon themes within a range of product values for each collection.
· Manage oversight, management and career development for all subordinates in the Seasonal Division including but not limited to Product Managers, Product Manager Assistant, and Merchandising Assistant associates.
· Ensure that product development is in accordance with the timeline set forth in the Design and Development Calendar.
· Collaborate and encourage open communication between all internal and external Product Managers and associates including designers to assure the most comprehensive collection development.
· Manage vendor performance and create performance improvement plans at any time necessary implementing scheduled calls and reporting tools for remediation.
Business Management:
· Manage the life cycle of all products in assigned categories which includes strategic planning of the product assortment, vendor selection, communication with the vendor, sampling, sales collateral and packaging inclusion if appropriate, negotiations of tooling and finished costs, pricing, timely delivery, and getting products to market in an organized and timely manner.
· Promote growth in categories through planning and product development strategies to meet or exceed established sales goals.
· Lead constructive discussions with executive team in respective categories during the semi-annual new product meetings and style-outs.
· Protect the quality and integrity of products by frequent communication with manufacturing resources through production phases. This can be accomplished by checking in with suppliers on a routine 90, 60, 30 day calendar.
· Collaborate with all business channels to support category sales and strategies.
· Review and advise on forecasts prepared by Product Planning as additional eyes on sales trends.
· Negotiate tooling, testing and product costs and MOQs to achieve the best possible outcome for MacKenzie-Childs.
· Communicate all delay and production issues with management. Manage these to a minimum.
· Provide concise weekly recap to CD/CBO each Friday.
· Manage new product lists with product planning through weekly updates.
· Analyze potential partner relationships for products.
· Ensure that proprietary designs are protected as best as possible at all manufacturing sources.
· Finalize NDA contracts with all new suppliers.
· Visit agents and manufacturing sources on an as-need basis, as the budget permits. Support budget preparation with travel and tooling cost plans as requested by CD/CBO. Manage planned expenses not to exceed final budget plans. Any and all changes to budget expenses must be approved by CD/CBO as approved variances.
· Communicate and establish standards for all new product details to Quality Assurance Department.
· Create and finalize BOMs when needed for all new products.
· Update all manufacturing sources with any/all changes to products.
· Mentor and develop talent growth. Manage support positions to fullest productivity. Conduct annual reviews.
Supervisory Responsibilities:
The Product Manager has direct supervision over the Seasonal Product Manager and Merchandising Assistant. Responsibilities include instructing and training in work methods; scheduling, assigning and approving work; conducting performance evaluations and making recommendations regarding unsatisfactory employees.
Education and Experience:
· Requires a BA or BS Degree and proven Microsoft Office 365 skills – especially Excel and PowerPoint with the ability to build Excel models given a general or specific objective.
· Must have relevant professional experience managing some or all facets of a merchandise planning function.
Special Requirements:
· Must be willing and able to travel globally, at times for 2 weeks, and be enthusiastic and energetic in various cultural and industrial environments.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
Requires strong organizational skills, the ability to lead meetings, attention to details and the ability to work in a fast-paced environment.
Desired Skills:
· Excellent work ethic and ability to work in fast-paced environment.
· Appreciation and respect for cultural and language diversity.
· Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
· Professional presence and articulate presentation.
· Open-mindedness and inquisitive to learn new things.
· Familiarity and adeptness with modern office technology.
· Analytical thought process and problem-solving skills.
Equipment Used:
Computer, printer, scanner, telephone and photocopier
Computer Software: Outlook, Word Excel and PowerPoint
Physical and Mental Requirements:
· Ability to sit, stand, walk, talk, hear, reach, push, pull, lift, crouch, kneel, bend, climb stairs, use fingers to grasp, handle, feel, and perform repetitive motions of hands or wrists.
· Exerts up to 50 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 20 pounds of force frequently or constantly to move objects.
· Close mental and visual attention required to perform work dealing primarily with preparing, analyzing, and interpreting data and figures, using a computer terminal, and/or extensive reading.
Environmental Conditions:
There is no exposure to adverse environmental conditions. Work is performed in a typical office work environment.
Salary Range and Benefits:
MacKenzie-Childs is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer and welcome applications from all qualified candidates.