Job description

THE MANDATE
Find the next meaningful physical consumer-product opportunities within our existing categories, turn them into compelling concepts quickly, and prove that they can win with consumers and make money.
This is not a software, SaaS, digital-platform or IT product management position. We are looking for someone with hands-on experience developing tangible consumer products — products that are designed, sourced, manufactured, packaged and sold to consumers.
THE OPPORTUNITY
We are looking for a hands-on consumer product innovator and developer, not a traditional project coordinator or technology product manager.
You should understand how a physical consumer product moves from:
• Consumer Need
• Idea
• Concept
• Prototype
• Costing
• Supplier
• Sample
• Packaging
• Production
• Retail/E-commerce Launch
You will bring an outside-in view of consumer behavior, retail trends, materials, aesthetics, competitive products and emerging needs, and translate those signals into commercially viable products within our existing categories. You will also use ChatGPT, image-generation tools and other AI-enabled resources to dramatically accelerate research, ideation, visualization, concept development and decision-making.
Creativity matters — but commercial viability matters just as much. A great-looking product only advances when it solves a real consumer problem, can be manufactured at the right cost, earns the required margin and has a credible path to meaningful sales.
WHAT YOU WILL OWN
Develop a continuous pipeline of physical consumer-product ideas grounded in consumer needs, marketplace gaps, retail activity, competitive products, reviews, social trends and emerging behaviors.
Identify opportunities for new products, product improvements, materials, finishes, packaging, form factors, features and use cases within our existing consumer categories.
Move quickly from a rough idea to a decision-ready product concept, including:
• Consumer problem or unmet need
• Target consumer
• Product features
• Materials and construction
• Dimensions and form factor
• Color, finish and aesthetic direction
• Prototype or concept visualization
• Packaging direction
• Target landed cost
• Target retail price
• Margin expectations
• Competitive positioning
• Reason the product can win
Create and refine rapid prototypes and product concepts using AI tools, designers, engineers, suppliers, sample makers and other resources.
Work directly with domestic and international manufacturers and suppliers to determine feasibility, improve samples, resolve production challenges and negotiate toward cost targets.
Evaluate materials, tooling, packaging, manufacturing methods and feature tradeoffs.
Build the product economics early, including:
• Landed cost
• MSRP
• Retail and channel margin
• Contribution margin
• Freight
• Duties and tariffs
• Packaging cost
• Minimum order quantities
• Channel fees
• Cost sensitivity scenarios
Evaluate products for Amazon, DTC, social commerce and traditional retail channels.
Analyze competitive products, consumer reviews, marketplace data, search activity, social signals and retail assortments to identify unmet needs and opportunities.
Write clear product-development briefs that allow sourcing, engineering, design, packaging, marketing and content teams to move quickly.
Review prototypes and samples, identify problems and drive improvements through production-ready execution.
Kill weak concepts early, learn from failed ideas and aggressively move the strongest opportunities forward.
Present clear recommendations to leadership regarding what we should build, who it is for, why consumers will buy it, what it should cost and what must be true for us to proceed.
HOW YOU WILL WORK
Consumer-Product Focused
You understand physical products: how they are designed, made, packaged, shipped, merchandised, sold and experienced by consumers.
Hands-On
You are comfortable going from an idea on a whiteboard to calling a supplier, evaluating materials, reviewing a sample, changing packaging or solving a manufacturing problem.
AI-Enabled
You use ChatGPT, image-generation tools and other AI resources as product-development tools for research, concept generation, visual exploration, product renderings, packaging directions, feature comparisons and rapid decision-making.
Trend Fluent — but Commercially Grounded
You pay attention to consumer behavior, retail, social platforms, design, materials and adjacent categories, but you can distinguish a lasting opportunity from a short-lived trend.
Design-Minded
You have strong visual judgment and understand how consumers experience the color, shape, material, packaging, features and usability of a physical product.
Economically Rigorous
You understand that c

CONSUMER PRODUCT INNOVATION & DEVELOPMENT LEAD at Schroeder & Tremayne, Inc.