Product Development Lead

Article

Hey, we’re Article. We’re a digital-first furniture brand that’s working to make everyday living better by providing an easy way for people to furnish their space, with beautiful, modern furniture. We are a direct to consumer brand, with a head office in Canada and warehouse locations across the Americas. We also have an office in Ho Chi Minh city that works closely with our vendors and has teams that are focused on Product, Sourcing and Quality. As we continue rapidly growing we’re now on the hunt for talented, enthusiastic team members to join us.

We’re looking for a Product Development Lead to develop beautiful, modern furniture that offers value, quality and best in class product, develop excellent internal cross functional relationships as well as external vendor partnerships to facilitate the successful execution of Article’s Design Vision.

With a deep understanding of the Article brand, the North American Furniture market and the Design team needs, you will share best practices and apply your expertise on product development processes, technical manufacturing capabilities, value product engineering and all prototype reviews.

What You'll Do

1. Leading

- Provide guidance and mentorship to the Product Developers in executing high quality OEM product prototypes.

- Work closely with your Product Development Manager to create and develop shared Development tools and best practices for Article.

- Lead the review, assessment and approval of Proto 1 & Proto 2 in-region, coordinating with the Vancouver Design team and cross-functional as required.

2. Development Framework

- Develop original product designs (OEM) to meet Article’s requirements.

- Communicate (OEM) design briefs and technical drawing packages to the manufacturing partner.

- Day to day communication with the manufacturers, product design, quality and sourcing teams, arranging prototypes of new products and reviewing first quotes, monitoring the progress of all new developments.

- Review prototypes and make recommendations, ensuring that the product meets the specifications of design briefs.

- Work closely with the Product Development and Quality team to ensure Articles product standards are met.

- Maintain accurate, up-to-date information in project management software and work towards specific launch goals.

- Continuously conduct product research to gain an understanding of new product innovations and construction advancements.

- Observe product trends and new offerings through market research, trade shows and factory visits.

- Cultivate an understanding of costs associated with raw materials and design detail choices.

- Cultivate an understanding of Article vendor manufacturing capabilities and proficiencies.

- Become Articles in-house expert on product development.

- Report to and execute direction from the Product Development Manager and work within the Product Engine Team.

3. Partnership

- Collaborate with cross-functional team members to ensure full transparency and awareness throughout the product commercialization timeline.

- Course correct projects that fall behind schedule. Create and communicate a plan for these situations that outlines the action plan of the specific project, partnering with the broader Product Design and Product Development teams as required.

- Collaborate with the product design, product development, PLM, sourcing and costing teams to ensure the product design is meeting cost objectives along the development timeline, problem-solving as required.

- Align with the Product Design Lead/Product Design Manager/Product Development Manager for all product reviews/selection meetings.

- A minimum of 3+ years of experience as a Senior Product Developer, Design Lead, Senior Product Designer or related leadership position with at least 2 years working directly on furniture products.

- Strong design and market sense with the creative ability to understand Article’s design aesthetic and recognize products that fit our brand. 

- A deep passion in furniture design, modern furniture, décor and interior design.

- A clear understanding of critical path or Go-To-Market methodology with the ability to support workflow and achieve deliverables.

- Familiar with key Design tools; Adobe Illustrator, Fusion, Solidworks, Inventor or similar design software. 

- Critical problem solving skills.

- Forward facing mind-set.

- Trust-building – you have the ability to build and maintain the trust of your cross-functional partners by communicating change clearly and timely with foresight into how a change may impact them.

- Relationship Building – you have a proactive positive approach in building and maintaining relationships with your cross-functional partners as well as the ability to influence effectively within a team-based work environment.

- Problem Solving – you are skilled at partnering with your cross-functional peers to a level that enables you to discuss problems and issues openly, bringing them to the surface earlier.

- Follow-through – you start initiatives/projects that you can see through to the end, despite the difficulty level. You track progress and performance and know how to report out to key stakeholders.

We want Article to be an amazing place to work, and we do our part to take care of our team. In addition to a competitive salary, we provide:

- A team-oriented work environment. Article is lucky to employ a wide range of experts, and seeks to facilitate a culture of mentorship and curiosity. We take on the job learning seriously, and we have a lot of fun doing it. 

- The tools you need to get your job done well! We supply state-of-the-art laptops and the software you need to succeed.

- Access to a benefits package with all the bells and whistles

- Discounts on our products so you can style your home how you like it

- Regular extra-curricular activities, such as socials, open-mics, picnics... even cross-country skiing! We’re open to suggestions for fun new activities so bring a few ideas along.

Ready to become a Particle? Apply today. We're excited to meet you.