CONSUMER PRODUCT INNOVATION & DEVELOPMENT LEAD

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 cost is part of product design and can make intelligent tradeoffs among features, materials, packaging, margin and retail price.

Fast and Iterative You are comfortable showing an 80% concept, getting feedback and improving it quickly rather than waiting weeks for perfection.

THE EXPERIENCE WE ARE LOOKING FOR Required:

• Demonstrated experience developing physical consumer products, not solely software or digital products.
• Experience taking tangible products from concept through development, sourcing, sampling and commercialization.
• Experience working directly with manufacturers, suppliers, sourcing teams, engineers, designers or overseas factories.
• Strong understanding of consumer-product economics including landed cost, MSRP, margin, MOQ, freight, duties, packaging and channel fees.
• Ability to evaluate actual products, materials, prototypes and production samples.
• Strong understanding of consumer behavior, competitive assortments, retail environments and marketplace trends.
• Portfolio or concrete examples of physical products, prototypes or product lines you personally helped create or commercialize.
• Strong written, visual and verbal communication skills.
• Willingness to work on-site in the Greater St. Louis area and travel domestically or internationally as needed.

Experience in one or more of the following is especially relevant: Housewares, home organization, cleaning, household products, beauty/personal care, pet products, automotive aftermarket, tools, hardware, general merchandise, impulse products, appliances or other mass-market consumer goods.