Title: Product Development & Sourcing Specialist

Location: Farmingdale, NY

Job Type: Full-time

Schedule: M-F 8:30am-5:30pm (1-hour lunch break); additional availability needed for communication with factories/vendors overseas, special projects, etc.

Salary Range: $71,250 - $121,600 (Actual compensation will be determined based on experience, location, and other factors permitted by law)

Classification: Exempt

Why Work @ BEDGEAR?

If you’re looking for a career and not just a job, BEDGEAR provides a work environment that accelerates growth for all its team members. Keeping up with the everyday challenges of a fast-growing consumer goods company demands a team of all-in players, who are focused on continuous improvement, collaboration, leadership, and have a growth-mindset. If you want to elevate yourself personally and professionally, surrounding yourself with others that share the same values, beliefs, and behaviors will provide the support and extra push to reach new heights and smash new goals. At BEDGEAR you can expect to find successful teammates who exemplify our core values of being:

HUNGRY - HUMBLE - CURIOUS - CLEVER - COMMITTED - HUMANITARIAN

About BEDGEAR® PERFORMANCE®

Launched in 2009, BEDGEAR® is the brand of Performance® that provides innovative bedding by focusing on an active lifestyle and well-being. BEDGEAR’s sleep solutions are engineered with Performance fabrics that are temperature neutral and instant cooling and maximizes airflow to allow the body to naturally regulate its temperature. With a core belief of One Size Does Not Fit All™, BEDGEAR has redefined the way people view sleep by developing interactive in-store experiences and breathable bedding products that are personally fit to a consumer based on specific factors, including body type, sleep position and temperature. BEDGEAR is dedicated to integrating environmental responsibility into product development to ensure less returned goods are being sent to landfills. BEDGEAR is essential to the rest and recovery routines of professional athletes and active people who need to maximize their sleep. A proud manufacturer in the USA, BEDGEAR offers mattresses, pillows, sheets, blankets, pet beds as well as travel, kids and baby products that often feature removable and washable covers to maintain a clean and healthy sleep environment. BEDGEAR is represented in more than 4,000 retail stores across the globe and has earned more than 220 U.S. and worldwide patents, trademark registrations and pending applications. Sleep Fuels Everything®!

Learn more at bedgear.com.

About the Position:

Product Development and Sourcing Specialists ensure the timely delivery of innovative, functional, cost-effective, and high-quality products to market through the cross-functional collaboration with various departments, and project management of the product development process from ideation to mass production.

What's Expected (including but not limited to):

DESIGN

• Guide new product design working in collaboration with Creative and other key contributors for the ideation and prototyping of innovation and functional products.
• Gather input, develop, and design day-to-day execution, draw up designs, test prototypes and identify issues.
• Innovation process – researching and bringing new technologies for assigned product lines while managing existing product lines.
• Responsible for following through and project management of the product development phase of item design and changes.

SOURCING

• Write Purchase Orders for Raw Materials sourcing and counter sourcing new and existing raw materials like foam, fibers & fabrics, etc. for cost analysis and vendor performance analysis.
• Cost negotiations with vendors and analyzing cost for improvements and reductions.
• Raw material vendor sourcing & cross sourcing existing products and bringing new vendors on board.

PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT AND PRODUCTION

• Manage sample development process including the generation of BOM’s, Tech packs (for your categories) and updating them throughout the approval process.
• Responsible for communication of Tech packs to vendors and collaborating with cross-functional teams to determine the ability to produce according to technical specifications.
• Overseeing all sample submissions based on T&A and reviewing with Merch for ALL Approvals without letting the Delivery / Target Dates slide.
• Verify prototypes throughout the development process to conduct technical corrections based on fit, aesthetics, performance, and comfort.
• Responsible to follow up on timely submission of lab dips/strike-off’s/knits/trims/packaging, etc. and reviewing with Merchandising for ALL approvals without affecting delivery.
• Captures team feedback during innovation and fit meetings and informs vendors and internal teams of all updates and corrections.
• Assist in additional projects as requested.

SAMPLING

• Sample review against tech packs
• Overseeing all sample approvals; responsible for pre-production samples; arranging components & products from factories for review
• Responsible for all color approvals; lab dips, strike-offs, etc.
• Determining and owning of BOMs for new products and reviewing pre-production samples/communicating to the factory approved BOMs via approval tags.

TESTING

• Responsible for testing to ensure all products have been tested for quality; domestic and global.
• Working diligently with Bedgear’s Quality & Compliance department to ensure new product & existing product meet all standards.
• Travel to local retailers to fit samples to ensure new products fit non-Bedgear mattresses on the market.
• Facilitating new product testing with vendors/internal Compliance to ensure all products have been tested for quality.

ADMINISTRATIVE

• Act as gatekeeper for the Time and Action Calendar; adding new projects, updating it with timeline and deadlines and ensuring the projects gets executed.
• Sending Key Calendar Dates to internal teams / all vendors and follow-up diligently
• Responsibility to launch products on planned dates.
• Managing new and existing product lines from inception to completion
• Managing daily communications with global vendors
• Innovation process – researching and helping bring new technologies and raw materials for assigned product lines.
• Data entry
• Maintain cost analysis spreadsheet for raw materials.
• Additional duties and responsibilities as requested by management.

Minimum Requirements:

• Must be 18 years of age or older.
• HS Diploma or GED
• Must be legally authorized to work in the United States and have IDs needed to verify.
• English proficient (reading, writing, speaking, comprehension)
• Computer savvy; proficient with Microsoft Office
• Must be extremely detail oriented and organized.
• Exceptional communication and intrapersonal skills
• Must have a strong aesthetic sense and great eye for design.
• Should understand styles, and design trends in home furnishings and fashion.

Education/Experience/License Requirements:

• Degree earned from accredited college in textiles, merchandising, fashion, or closely related field highly preferred.
• 5-7 years’ experience in product development, research and development, or production/manufacturing *consumer durable goods highly preferred*
• 5+ years of materials sourcing and vendor research (international and domestic)
• 5+ years of proven successful project management
• Experience within an active lifestyle brand highly preferred

This job description is intended as a general guideline and should not be considered an exhaustive list of responsibilities. The Product Development & Sourcing Specialist may be required to perform additional duties as needed to support the product development department, as well as be tasked with special projects as needed.

MUST HAVE:

Ability to prioritize effectively and operate efficiently; use sound judgment to make rational decisions; ability to recognize opportunities and evoke change where applicable; must be objective v. subjective; strong follow up skills; intrapersonal skills; excellent communication skills; attention to detail and process orientation; problem solving skills; coaching and mentoring skills; must have thorough understanding of company’s confidentiality agreement

BEDGEAR® is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer that participates in the E-Verify program!