Product Development Director

Company: Living Spaces
Location: La Mirada
Posted on: January 12, 2021

Job Description:

Current Living Spaces Employees: Please apply via your internal Workday Account. Living Spaces is a growing home furnishing brand and we continue to open new locations. We know in order to stay current with the times and trends, we have to perpetually update our look and selection. What has truly sustained our growth - from 1 to over 20 locations, from 100 employees to over 2,000, from a humble home furnishings store to a widely recognized and respected lifestyle brand - are the talented individuals who have taken us there. We are looking for innovative, driven, and passionate professionals to join our team so we can reach even greater heights together. We believe that a great team member experience leads to an even better guest experience. That is why we place a huge emphasis on building a great culture within our teams. Our ideal candidate will have natural talent: meaning, they possess the capacity and commitment, along with an openness to being coached around skills that will ensure they delight and exceed the expectations of our guests in all areas of Living Spaces business. We also believe in our team members taking ownership of their performance and how that contributes to the overall success of their role. Position Summary The Director of Product Development will be responsible for managing the Upholstery and Case Goods product design for Living Spaces existing lines and new product concepts. Will drive vision and technical execution of upholstery and case goods sku's ensuring performance, cost, quality and schedule adherence. Position Description Essential Duties and Responsibilities include the following. Other duties may be assigned. * Leads the technical development of products, defining product specifications, identifying risks and opportunities to preempt development hurdles, providing escalation management and working with stakeholders to balance business, design, and technical objectives * Develop new product designs/concepts and innovation strategies. Review technical and cost assessments. Partner with Product Manager's (PM's) on concepts and strategies * Translate design vision and consumer needs into products which support the Merchandising Team's product strategy * Present product development concepts to both internal and external teams * Take ownership for the entire product development process for assigned products, with an emphasis on quality product development and timely completion of all tasks in accordance with the applicable product creation calendar. Track product development progress and partner with suppliers to meet deadlines * Establish, develop and direct the production strategy for upholstery and case goods * Coordinate with cross-functional teams to ensure milestones and deliverables are on-time * Elevate high risk order issues * Constantly drive to reduce cost and lead times while maintaining quality levels. Improve efficiency in the engineering process through continuous improvement * Develop the sourcing/allocation strategy for each country * Stay up to date with furniture, home, technology and fabric trends; attend industry events as needed. Explore new materials, technology, and manufacturing processes * Establish and maintain a strong working relationship with key internal and external partners. * Ensure that all materials, processes and development samples are fully tested to ensure adherence to Living Spaces quality standards. * Exhibits ingenuity, creativity, and resourcefulness * Travel to partners both domestic and internationally for product development (approximately 25%) Qualifications Education/Experience: Bachelor's degree (B. A. or B. S.) or equivalent from four-year college in Product Development, Fashion Design or related field preferred. 7+ years of experience in managing furniture product development (entire life cycle). Extensive Furniture factory manufacturing process experience. Experience managing production and development teams. Strategic vision for overall business and category. Strong knowledge in upholstery and case goods. Extensive knowledge of furniture categories including: manufacturing techniques, costing principals, & materials technologies. Must be well versed in market trends, especially in furniture and related new technologies, have an excellent aesthetic understanding, and a high level of ingenuity and creativity. Equivalent combination of education and experience will be considered. Computer Skills: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be proficient in Microsoft Office including Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint. Proficient at 3D product design drawing and strong sketching and concept development skills. Working knowledge in Photoshop and Illustrator is a must. Supervisory Responsibilities: This position will manage a team. Develop and execute the company's business strategies in order to attain the goals of the board and shareholders. Provide strategic advice so direct reports will have accurate view of the market and the company's future. Prepare and implement comprehensive business plans to facilitate. Ensure company policies and legal guidelines are communicated all the way from the top down in the company and that they are followed at all times. Communicate and maintain trust relationships with shareholders, business partners, and authorities. Able to delegate responsibilities and supervise the work of direct reports providing guidance and motivation to drive maximum performance. Equal Opportunity Employer It is our policy to abide by all federal, state, and local laws prohibiting employment discrimination based solely on a person's race, color, religious creed, sex, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, pregnancy, physical disability, mental disability, age, military status, or status as a Vietnam-era or special disabled veteran, marital status, registered domestic partner or civil union status, gender (including sex stereotyping and gender identity or expression), medical condition (including but not limited to, cancer related or HIV/AIDS related), sexual orientation, or any other protected status except where a reasonable, bona fide occupational qualification exists. E-Verify Living Spaces participates in E-Verify. All newly-hired team members are queried through this electronic system established by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Social Security Administration (SSA) to verify their identity and employment eligibility.

Keywords: Living Spaces, La Mirada , Product Development Director, Executive , La Mirada, California