Product Developer & Designer - Gear

Gymreapers•Nampa, ID

12d•Onsite

About The Position

Gymreapers is hiring a Product Developer & Designer to own performance gear and accessories from initial concept through bulk production and launch. The role combines product design and development, including creating concepts and technical packages, coordinating samples with factories, and supporting products through production approval. Product categories include lifting belts, straps and wraps, grips, bags, recovery and training equipment, and branded packaging. The position works daily with domestic and overseas vendors and collaborates with the factory team, Sourcing, Merchandising, Creative, and Engineering. The work emphasizes durability, performance, material integrity, fit, aesthetics, brand alignment, cost, quality, and scalability. The role is on-site at Gymreapers’ headquarters in Nampa, Idaho, and reports to the Director of Product.

Requirements

At least 3 years of product development and design experience in performance gear, sporting goods, accessories, bags, tactical gear, or consumer products (hard goods, softgoods, or both).
Personally owned both the design and development of products brought to market, with a portfolio or track record from concept sketch through production.
Production-ready tech pack skills and solid knowledge of materials, hardware, and construction methods, including sewn-product construction.
Hands-on experience running sample rounds and working directly with overseas factories on cost, minimum order quantities, and timelines.
Proficiency in Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop, and Excel for bills of materials and cost breakdowns.
Experience owning a development calendar and managing multiple projects across multiple seasons.
Strong organization, follow-through, and communication, with a habit of flagging risks early.
Genuine passion for strength, fitness, and performance gear.

Nice To Haves

Experience with CAD or 3D tools such as Fusion 360, SolidWorks, Rhino, Blender, or CLO3D.
Experience with 3D-printed prototypes, tooling, and molds.
PLM, bill of materials, and cost-sheet experience.
Familiarity with product compliance and testing and packaging development.

Responsibilities

Turn market, competitor, and athlete insights into product concepts, sketches, and design direction across performance gear and accessory categories.
Design products for performance, durability, fit, aesthetics, and brand alignment; identify innovation opportunities in existing and new categories.
Participate in product ideation and roadmap development and support category expansion.
Conduct competitive teardowns to identify design gaps and product failure points.
Build and maintain production-ready tech packs covering construction details, points of measure, bills of materials, materials, hardware, branding placement, packaging, and compliance requirements.
Create CAD files, technical drawings, and pattern-ready files that communicate dimensions, tolerances, and construction intent.
Select materials and hardware with cost and manufacturability in mind.
Apply design-for-manufacturing and design-for-assembly principles to protect cost, quality, and scalability.
Manage day-to-day development and sampling for assigned projects with domestic and overseas vendors and the factory, including sample rounds, fit sessions, and prototype reviews.
Provide specific sample feedback and move revisions toward approval.
Negotiate cost, minimum order quantities, and timelines directly with factories while considering margin and target IMU.
Approve pre-production submissions, including materials, components, molds, tooling, and packaging, and support bulk production approval.
Plan and review wear, load, and functional testing and set performance and durability benchmarks.
Enforce quality standards for samples and production units and work with vendors to resolve construction or workmanship issues.
Manage testing requirements with vendors and assess risks associated with new materials, constructions, tooling, and suppliers.
Develop packaging that balances protection, cost, retail readiness, and brand presentation.
Support launch readiness with Merchandising, Marketing, and Creative, including packaging reviews and sample approvals.
Own the calendar from concept through production handoff, including milestones, prototype rounds, material lead times, and approvals.
Flag delays and risks early and keep launch schedules current across multiple projects and seasons.
Maintain accurate SKUs, costing, specifications, revisions, and approvals in PLM and Jira, and keep vendor files organized in shared folders.