Director of Product Development

Summary

Join Caraway, a fast-growing home goods brand, as their Director of Product Development in Asia. This leadership role involves managing and improving existing product lines, developing new initiatives, building factory relationships, and sourcing new suppliers. You will collaborate closely with the US team and factory partners to bring innovative products to life, focusing on quality, cost, and aesthetics. The position requires managing a team of two and involves travel to Asia. You will be responsible for communication between stakeholders, including the US team, Asian team, factories, and design agencies. This role demands strong project management, technical expertise, and leadership skills.

Requirements

• 7+ years of experience in kitchenware product development. Bonus points for experience in metals, sustainable plastics, glass, and wood
• You’re detail-oriented and a fast learner comfortable wearing many hats
• You take initiative and have a relentless desire to optimize + improve each product
• You’re an analytical, data-driven thinker who can translate complex challenges into actionable insights
• Able to communicate clearly and seamlessly with a wide array of internal and external stakeholders
• Excellent at written communication with an ability to act as intermediary between Design, Product Development and factories
• Strong project management and communication skills
• Willing to travel for several days at a time and able to work independently, establishing priorities as necessary
• An established leader in the kitchen and homewares space with at least 10 years of experience in homewares product development

Responsibilities

• Project Management and Communication
• Establish a deep understanding of the product, including technical details, design, and overall requirements and coordinate communication between internal stakeholders and external factory partners to ensure intended details are met
• Ensure full details are established, clear, and communicated to external stakeholders. This includes the CAD and design details, but also quality and testing requirements. Work with the internal Caraway team to establish new standards and/or adapt existing ones as needed
• Establish priorities between Asia and USA PD team based on production timeline, critical nature of issues, and supplier needs
• Provide clear daily communication on key issues, blockers, missing details, and other facets to keep projects moving forward. Explicitly detail what is needed from the US team to keep a 24 hour cycle between the US and Asia team
• Communicate with factory management directly when necessary, ensuring key issues are addressed in a timely manner and by the appropriate parties
• Understand the basics of costing and labor costs across Asia. Coordinate pricing updates with suppliers throughout the development process on both unit and tooling costs
• Technical Leadership
• Be able to follow complex technical problems, providing guidance for internal team members and factory partners
• Communicate information clearly to internal team members and provide actionable items in a timely manner to maintain project timelines
• Work closely with the US team to ensure specifications are fully detailed prior to supplier engagement (technical, tooling details, CMF, etc)
• Proactively identify ways to save costs without compromising aesthetics or quality
• People Management + Leadership
• Establish weekly priorities with local team members, keeping key projects in mind in coordination with the US team and support the continued growth and professional development of direct reports
• Set quarterly team metrics and goals outside of project-based work. For example, establishing improved quality metrics and documentation with key suppliers

Preferred Qualifications

Additional expertise in metals, sustainable plastics, glass, wood, electronics, and other materials is helpful as we continue to develop sustainable options

Benefits

• A Setup that works for you:: From MacBook to PC, we’ve got you covered. Let us know what you prefer and we’ll get your at-home set up stocked!
• Elevate your Workspace: Annual reimbursements for you to elevate your workspace , from standing desks to desktop succulents, you got it!
• Fully Remote: Need to pick up the kids? No problem. Have a doctor’s appointment? Enjoy! Flexibility when you need it most
• Coworking Reimbursement: Need a break from the home setting? Monthly reimbursements for you to get out of the house and work from anywhere. From day passes, to monthly memberships, the world is your oyster, we mean office
• Events + Swag: Connection is top of mind (Yes, even in our completely remote environment). We have monthly virtual events, company wide offsites, and many opportunities for new Caraway swag!
• Leveling Up with Caraway: In addition to exciting opportunities and exposure in your day-to-day work, we offer annual reimbursements to all full-time employees to support their professional development aspirations!
• #AwayFromCaraway: We believe healthy, happy humans do better work. We offer PTO in addition to annual holidays and quarterly wellness days
• Wellness Reimbursement: Monthly reimbursements for you to stay well . From meal services to gym memberships to monthly massages, we want our team to have the flexibility to choose what wellness means for them
• Employee Discount: We provide an employee discount on all Caraway Home products so you can continue to level up your kitchen and home life, too!
• Home Upgrade(s): Complimentary product as a new hire + continuous to expand your Caraway Home collection