Product Development Manager

Beacon Promotions Inc•Eagan, MN

About The Position

HPG, an industry-leading promotional supplier, is looking for a Product Development Manager to help expand our growing team. The Product Development Manager will work closely with our Sales and Marketing teams and be responsible for the planning, development and overall product management of existing products as well as managing the pipeline and workflow for new innovations within our Beacon/Mixie divisions. This individual will be a dynamic, hard-working professional with a strong product and design background. In addition to exceptional leadership and creative skills, you must have a “roll-up your sleeves" attitude, exceptional follow-up and responsiveness and be a self-managed, independent worker who is detailed-oriented.

Requirements

BA/BS degree in Business, Marketing, Industrial Design, Project Management, or related fields and/or equivalent experience.
Must have 3-5 years experience developing consumer products and working with a Creative Team through processes of ideation, product design, labeling, and package design.
Experience collaborating and leading cross-functional teams throughout all phases of a project.
Demonstrated success in product launches and end-to-end execution of marketing strategies.
Highly detail-oriented with proven time-management and project management skills, and a track record of hitting deadlines.
Ability to multi-task and provide effective direction to numerous functional groups in a fast-paced environment.
Excellent communication skills and experience in getting results out of overseas partners, and people of diverse cultural backgrounds.
Good written skills, especially as it relates to copywriting for packaging, collateral materials and the web.
Basic understanding of manufacturing processes and materials and of packaging materials and processes.
Strong grasp of graphic design across various platforms, mediums, and packages.
Fluency with Microsoft Office software a must.

Nice To Haves

Knowledge of Adobe CS and Product Lifecycle Management software a plus.

Responsibilities

Project Management. Capable of planning and overseeing complex projects in a timely fashion to completion. Includes meeting with appropriate stakeholders, setting realistic timelines, developing a detailed project plan, designating appropriate resources, monitoring progress, and keeping stakeholders informed throughout.
Market Awareness. Develop and maintain a deep understanding of market conditions and the competitive landscape for products managed, as well as a monitoring of trends and market drivers in ancillary categories. Identify competitors for key categories of products in the promotional market. Monitor product offering, key features/benefits, and pricing.
Sourcing. Source and evaluate manufacturing/production partners, and shepherd them through the development process including product, onboarding, price negotiations, compliance, and production preparation along with capacity considerations. Manage the relationship with supply-side partners and ensure their compliance to quality and other standards of conduct.
Compliance. Ensure products meet legal and regulatory standards, as well as conforming to pre-determined efficacy levels. Be able to support conformance through test results, MSDS, Hazard and Allergen documents, regulatory certifications, and other forms of documentation.
Development. Author and own all details of products including product copy, item setup, product specifications, box markings, UPC codes, translations, and other related details.
Sales. Support sales team with prototypes, samples, presentations, sales sheets, merchandisers, and promotional plans.
Product Management. Manage product roadmap and product lifecycle through to end of life, including product improvements, QC issues, cost savings, and ultimately obsolescence.
Engagement. Responsible for maintaining a collaborative, fun, critique-centered dialog within the Product Development Team.
Collaboration. Interface with other departments to ensure products launched are done so on time, at budget, and best positioned for success in the marketplace. Regular reporting of the status of projects and transparency into the progress of development projects.