Product Developer - Gifts & Home

Product Developer - Gifts and Home! Up to £40,000 depending on experience, London

We are working with a fabulous creative gift and home product design company that supplies their products to retailers worldwide. They are looking for a talented and passionate Product Developer to join their hugely successful team!

You will work within the Product Team who is dedicated to developing gorgeous design-led products for many well-known retail customers in the UK and worldwide including John Lewis, Tesco, Selfridges, Harrods and Urban Outfitters – as well as thousands of smaller independent boutiques and online retailers.

Your role as Product Developer will include:

• Taking ownership of new product ranges and product refreshes.
• Analysing the market and new product development opportunities.
• Accurately briefing in-house teams (Product/Graphic Design, Photography, Licensors).
• Taking feedback from these teams and amending projects where necessary.
• Ensuring factories and suppliers and briefed accurately and effectively.
• Ensuring target margins are met and maintained by negotiating cost prices with suppliers as well as lead times, MOQ’s, and any additional charges when required.
• Taking responsibility for multiple critical paths, from initial concepts, right though to production.
• Coordinating multiple product development projects.
• Always be looking for opportunities of cost saving by possible amendments to a product specification whilst maintaining a high level of quality.
• Helping to ensure all quality and technical product standards are met.
• Building and maintaining strong relationships with your existing supply base.
• Helping to source new suppliers, both UK and FE.
• Proof reading of products and packaging.
• Creating detailed product specifications.
• Working with the wider cross functional team; operations regarding stock control, design, copywriting, sales, accounts department and customer services.

The successful Product Developer applicant must have / be: 

• At least 3 years' of hands on product development experience.
• Buying experience will be considered if you have developed direct with factories (not through agents).
• Excellent communication skills - in both briefing and feedback scenarios.
• Be experienced with critical paths and development time lines (including chasing up deliverables).
• Have experience working with creatives.
• Must have visited Far East based factories.
• Adaptable - willing to accept responsibilities outside their normal remit.
• Be able to take direction from senior management.
• Be pro-active and driven by constructive criticism from project team members.
• Have knowledge of the gift/home industry.
• Have awareness of compliance and product safety.
• Have a very strong commercial sense and be able to express this creatively and commercially.

Please get in touch to hear more about this fabulous Product Developer role.