Product Developer

Manduka’s Product Developer will interface with designers, overseas factories, vendors and upper management to take products from design hand off through production. This individual will work directly with all vendors on sourcing, developing, technical adjustments, production logistics, costing, and MOQ’s based on the parameters of the initial design brief. They will maintain a live documentation of the development process and be responsible for coordinating meetings with upper management and designers seeking feedback and approval at all stages of development.

Ideal candidate thrives in a supporting role as process manager, supplying upper management with comprehensive and strategic communication so that collective decisions can be made. This position is ideal for an individual who is self-motivated, a strategic thinker, creative, focused, detail-oriented, solution-oriented and ready for a fast-paced job.

About us: Manduka is recognized in the industry and in the marketplace as a leader of high-performance yoga products. Our company's reputation and success has been built on word-of-mouth experiences with our products, staff and our demonstrated commitment to providing quality products as tested by yoga instructors worldwide.

High Level Responsibilities:

Product development coordination and management
Deadline management
Market Research
Sourcing
Reports for upper management

Product Development Coordination and Management:

Work with designers to source necessary materials and researching most cost efficient options
Communicate directly with vendors throughout development process
Request samples and cost details based on approved tech packs
Manage communication of materials, price point and technical/functional requirements
Review all samples/prototypes upon receipt; collecting and documenting comments from upper management
Communicate comments and necessary changes to appropriate parties (designer, supplier, vendor)
Manage pre-production process ensuring vendors are meeting required deadlines
Anticipate potential issues and prepare contingency plans

Reports and Deadline Management:

Send through weekly reports to upper management on project status updates
Manage design calendar through clearly communicated deadlines
Manage product lifecycle calendar communicating next steps to all departments
Conduct monthly ambassador feedback sessions, record findings and communicate relevant feedback to design team

Research and Development

Write product development briefs for new projects
Create competitive analysis reports for all products in development
Research new production practices and eco-friendly processes that can be implemented at the factory level
Research new materials and innovative eco-friendly components to be used in new and existing products

Sourcing:

Seek out new vendors with production capabilities that match the needs of specific products
Source material options for new products providing the design team with options that meet their spec and price point criteria
Counter source existing products with new factories as necessary to improve efficiencies and margin
Research available vendors as needed to meet the demands of production

Administrative Support:

Maintain accurate BOM’s for all products in development/production
Communicate price changes/material changes to upper management for approval
Maintain live documentation of development process for all projects in basecamp
Request and record all vendor compliance documents
Manage organized records of all test results obtained in development and pre-production

Skills Required:

Ability to think strategically
Proactive and highly organized
Results oriented; masterful verbal and written communication
Ability to maintain and adhere to deadlines
Strategic mindset
Problem solving capabilities; solution-oriented
Understands the entire development process
Ability to communicate with designers and a strong understanding of the creative process
Experience working with overseas vendors
Understanding of technical product specs
Detail-oriented; eagle eye
Team player
Positive attitude
Maintains a healthy lifestyle; interest in yogic lifestyle is a plus
Ability to speak Mandarin a plus
Experience in designing technical accessories, yoga, and fitness a plus

Key Deliverables:

Project Status Grid
Development Department Next Steps
Product Lifecycle Next Steps
Update Basecamp
BOM and Tech Pack updates
Pre-production sample tracking
Development timelines

Other development projects

Education & Job Status:

Degree: BA degree; business, retail-related major preferred Experience: 5 years Job Location: El Segundo, CA Availability: Full time

To Apply:

Inability to follow these instructions will disqualify the candidate

No phone calls or walk-ins
Email resume as a Word doc. Or PDF to careers@manduka.com
The email subject line must read: Job Position, First Name Last Name
Serious inquiries only