Product Development Assistant - Plants & Preserved Gifts

Product Development Assistant - Plants & Preserved Gifts

#23157

The Product Development Assistant supports the development and management of the PLANTS & PRESERVED assortment, working collaboratively with the Sr. Director of Product Development to manage the product life cycle from inspiration and ideation through commercialization, photography, and launch. The position owns day-to-day execution across line list management, product development, vendor and sample coordination, hard goods and packaging, gross margin, creative turnover, and Live Date List readiness.

This position combines product development coordination and hands-on product management, requiring regular interaction with live plants, preserved products, hard goods, packaging and physical samples throughout the development and commercialization process.

This position reports to the Sr. Director of Product Development and partners cross-functionally with Merchandising, Planning, Procurement, Vendor Relations, Quality Assurance, Creative, Photography and Legal to bring customer-focused products to market on time and with accurate product information.

The Product Development Assistant in this position is responsible for:

• Managing the line list for new seasonal and core development, ensuring assortment updates and documentation are accurate and current
• Coordinating key product development milestones and timelines, identifying dependencies, risks, and follow-up needs
• Managing component, samples, material, product specification, and packaging information throughout development
• Supporting development of hard goods including planters, plush, preserved roses, wreaths, centerpieces, add-ons, and other innovative products
• Partnering with vendors to obtain samples, coordinate revisions, support box fit and complete ship sample approvals
• Preparing and maintaining gross margin calculations for core and seasonal products
• Coordinating photography samples and creative/copy turnover with accurate product features and attributes
• Ensuring commercialized products are ready to launch according to the Live Date List, including dates, retails, names, and legal/trademark review
• Maintaining accurate product data and images across internal assortment systems and documents.
• Partnering with Procurement and Vendor Relations on commercialization, packaging, QA and CSI-related issues and resolution
• Managing sample/design room organization, labeling, inventory and readiness for meetings and development work

The person in this position will perform the following tasks:

• Manage and update the line list and related assortment documentation for seasonal and core development
• Coordinate samples for product development meetings, test shipping, photography, box fit and vendor review; track approvals and returned samples.
• Maintain product, component and packaging specifications and supporting documentation
• Gather market, competitor and trend data to support assortment and product development decisions
• Review product data, images, pricing, names, and dates for accuracy prior to launch and cross-check website information
• Attend cross-functional meetings, commercialization meetings and product development events and communicate actions and follow-up
• Prepare and maintain gross margin calculations and supporting files
• Assist with product presentations, assortment turnovers, and preparation of materials for internal reviews
• Prepare creative briefs and care-card information for products requiring customer education or product-specific instructions
• Prepare photography and creative turnover materials, including product features, attributes, colors, descriptions, functionality, and occasion
• Work with the Sr. Director of Product Development to support product design, sample creation, and development revisions
• Provide recommendations for process and system improvements based on daily interactions with internal systems and cross-functional partners

A successful Product Development Assistant will demonstrate the following:

• Strong ownership, follow-through and accountability for product development deliverables and deadlines
• Excellent critical thinking, problem-solving, and decision-making skills
• Ability to manage multiple projects, priorities, and detailed product information in a fast-paced environment
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret product, cost, pricing, and gross margin information
• Exceptional organization, accuracy, writing, proofreading, and data management skills
• Strong written and…