Product Development Manager

Product Development Manager

Caraway is a home goods brand on a mission to craft well-designed, non-toxic home goods that thoughtfully raises the standards of what you cook with. We're passionate about creating elevated products, free of toxic chemicals, that are better for you, your family, and the planet. We prioritize a holistic approach to the creation of Caraway products. We partner with ethical manufacturers where their employees are safe, paid fairly, given benefits, and work regulated hours. Our eco-friendly manufacturing process releases less CO2 into the environment than traditional non-stick coatings and we engage in sustainable packaging practices, free of single-use plastics and ship in packaging made from recycled materials. We pride ourselves on continuously striving to do and be better - for you and the planet - in every step of the process.

Since launching in November 2019, we've become one of the fastest growing digitally-native brands of the last decade and are now sold in retailers including Target, Bloomingdale's, Crate & Barrel, The Container Store, Costco, Zola, and many more.

We've amassed over 85,000+ five-star reviews from happy customers and hundreds of press hits from the likes of Vogue, Domino, Good Housekeeping, Food & Wine, Architectural Digest, PureWow, Fortune, and CNN.

Caraway is a fully-remote company filled with motivated and hardworking innovators and doers. We're continually developing programs to support our distributed team to ensure a successful remote experience. If you're looking to join a brand that folks love, read on and apply!

The Opportunity:

The Product Development Manager role will be a key team member for physical product development at Caraway. Primary responsibilities will be managing our existing product portfolio, driving process optimizations, cost reductions, packaging improvements, quality resolutions, and product improvements across our suite of in-market items. This will involve research into new and emerging technologies, with an emphasis on coatings development and improvement, and requires the candidate to have the ability to research, downselect, interpret data, build test plans, and more. They will support the development and launch of new products, as needed, bringing new concepts and ideas to life. These new product development opportunities will be focused primarily on analog items and additions to our current offerings.

You'll be driving improvements with innovative techniques, materials, and an uncompromising focus on the highest quality and aesthetic outcomes in a way that excites our consumers. You will have the opportunity to work with our industrial design agencies, internal product development team in the US and Asia, as well as our overseas manufacturing partners and other internal Caraway teams like marketing and creative. You will work closely with our customer support (CX) team to identify quality issues, interpret field data, prioritize initiatives, and implement solutions.

This role will report directly to the Associate Director of Product Development and will be a hybrid position with at least 2-3 in-office days per week. Our office is located conveniently off of Union Square in Manhattan with easy access to multiple subway lines. This position requires 1-2 nightly supplier calls during the week (Monday to Thursday) and potential travel to Asia and other regions when required.

Who You Are:

You have a technical background in mechanical, hardware, or systems engineering who has hands-on experience with consumer products (home & kitchen a plus). You seamlessly leverage your experience to guide industrial design, suppliers, and internal product development, and are also looking for exposure to marketing, merchandising, operations, and more. This development process requires adaptability and flexibility as we continue to expand the product offerings into new categories with a small team. You are an expert at prioritizing and organizing your work allowing you to fulfill the multi-faceted activities required to bring multiple products to market simultaneously.

To be successful in this role, you must be a hands-on executor, a strong creative problem solver, and thrive working both autonomously and collaboratively. You'll be proficient in data analysis and can confidently and accurately draw and explain concise conclusions. You are skilled and comfortable liaising with external vendors, suppliers, and manufacturers as well as internal stakeholders.

Responsibilities:

• Own product improvement initiatives encompassing research, test plan development, qualifications, validations, costing, implementation strategy, and more to properly test, validate, and incorporate advancements to core products.
• Work with operations and CX to determine cut-in dates and lot tracking to validate product improvements in the field
• Conduct detailed technical assessments for existing and new product development, including outlining tests and experiments for suppliers, data analysis based on test results, providing alternative solutions to technical issues, etc.
• Write detailed technical specifications and quotation packages for suppliers, including technical overviews, cosmetic and quality requirements, product requirements, and other details
• Meet with design firms and internal stakeholders to discuss products in development and provide feedback on design and concept direction with regards to pricing concerns and feature set requirements.
• Work hand-in-hand with the Caraway Product, CX, and Operations teams to establish priorities, collect customer data for top quality issue drivers, communicate with factories to resolve quality issues, and establish new guidelines for quality control.
• Be able to conduct tests on product samples in order to assess performance and associated customer impacts. Communicate improvements and action plans to suppliers.

Knowledge, skills, and abilities:

• 5+ years of experience in a mechanical, systems, or hardware engineering role. Experience in consumer products, particularly small home appliances, is a plus.
• Experience working with overseas manufacturers for new product development with hands-on exposure in factory environments strongly preferred.
• Strong knowledge of manufacturing processes.
• Ability to participate in weekly evening calls between 8 PM EST - 11 PM EST.
• Be able to assess, dissect, and draw concise conclusions from large data sets. Use data to guide decision making and drive discussions with suppliers
• Knowledge of prototyping processes and options. Has exposure to refining designs and iterating on prototypes through hands-on work. Can use CAD efficiently, but does not need to be an expert.
• Superior organizational skills and ability to prioritize workload autonomously
• A love of details with strong aesthetic sensibility and an eye for design. Desire to always move fast while balancing speed versus expected deliverables.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills. Able to disseminate information in a clear and concise manner for internal and external audiences.

The anticipated base salary range for this role is $110,000 - $135,000 - Final compensation will depend on a variety of factors determining the base pay at offer, including but not limited to: skills, qualifications, experience. This range provides the opportunity to progress as you grow and develop within a role.

Caraway Life:

Caraway is an exciting, mostly remote digitally native company that is bringing kitchenware and home goods into the modern era, leading from a non-toxic and sustainable foundation.

Team:

You will be joining a passionate and collaborative fully-remote team that prides itself on high-quality work, supporting one another, sharing our successes, and building a brand we truly love, together.

Culture:

At Caraway, we value continuous learning and career growth. We strive to continually optimize our processes, ensuring that we're thoughtful in everything we do, both internally and externally. We listen to our employees, celebrate our wins, and constantly look for ways to be better for our team, and the world.

Workplace:

Being a fully-remote company, we have no headquarters and are truly distributed across the country. Our leadership team sits on both the East and West Coast and we have folks in a variety of states. We offer a monthly stipend towards co-working space should folks need to switch up their working environment every now and then.

Benefits:

• Equity: We believe in our product and that the sky's the limit for where our business is going. You are an asset to Caraway's success and we think you should be rewarded for it.
• 401k: A 3% company match to help you plan for your future.
• Benefits: Comprehensive medical, dental + vision coverage options with generous employer contributions + access to FSA/HSA/Dependent Care FSA's
• Parental Leave: Up to 12 weeks of fully paid parental leave, depending on tenure, and access to additional fertility care services via KindBody
• 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