Product Manager

For more than 60 years, hand2mind has inspired learning through play by creating hands‑on, classroom‑tested materials that help children learn by doing. We’re a growing, family‑owned company recognized as a Chicago Tribune Top Workplace and trusted by teachers and families alike. We create a wide range of educational products—classroom tools like Hands-on Standards ® , consumer products for Number Blocks ® , and innovative items like our new Bubble Plush™ Yoga Balls.

If you’re curious, collaborative, and a kid at heart, you’ll feel right at home here. Join us in shaping the future of learning with our award-winning team!

For more than 60 years, hand2mind has inspired learning through play by creating hands‑on, classroom‑tested materials that help children learn by doing. We’re a growing, family‑owned company recognized as a Chicago Tribune Top Workplace and trusted by teachers and families alike. We create a wide range of educational products—classroom tools like Hands-on Standards ® , consumer products for Number Blocks ® , and innovative items like our new Bubble Plush™ Yoga Balls.

If you’re curious, collaborative, and a kid at heart, you’ll feel right at home here. Join us in shaping the future of learning with our award-winning team!

We are looking for a creative, organized, and resourceful Product Manager to oversee the development of our educational product and toy lines. You will thrive in a collaborative and rapidly evolving environment, managing a product portfolio from concept through to market launch. You will be responsible for steering cross-functional teams and working with overseas manufacturers, various internal departments and external licensors as needed to bring our innovative educational products to life.

A sense of humor is a plus!

• Manage 8-12 new products through the product life cycle, from ideation to market launch- ensuring products meet key milestone dates, align with our educational mission, and meet quality standards.
• Collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams, including editorial, industrial design, creative, sales, custom solutions, and marketing, to bring innovative educational products to market on time and within budget.
• Work with vendors to quote products, negotiate prices, and determine delivery schedules to meet product launch goals.
• Support market research efforts by gathering data, customer feedback, and conducting competitor analysis to identify opportunities, trends, and insights that inform product strategy.
  • Identify competitors, analyze their strengths and weaknesses, and assess market trends.
  • Organize, participate, and lead product testing for new concepts.
• Participate in data maintenance projects utilizing Microsoft Dynamics 365 (D365) and product related spreadsheets.
• Work closely with Sales and Marketing on key sample requests for customer meetings, photoshoots, video shoots, trade shows, etc.

• Within 60 Days:
  Use project management tools like  to actively track milestones and ensure smooth execution for all ongoing projects.
• Within 9 Months:
  Lead brainstorming sessions for future product ideation generating 20-30 ideas for building out the product road map.
• Within 12 Months:
  Within budget and timeline constraints, successfully lead cross-functional teams to develop and launch 8-12 new products that meet educational and quality standards or made to order products that meet specific retailer needs.

• Bachelor's Degree required, advanced degree preferred.
• 3-5 years of consumer product development experience.
• Excellent organization, presentation, and communication skills (both written and verbal).
• Creati…