Product Development Manager II - The Bradford Exchange

Impassioned…Emboldened…Infinitely Curious: The Bradford Exchange, part of The Bradford Hammacher Group family of brands, is a world leader in new product development. We have been selling joy for the last 50 years! Our global organization consists of 8 business divisions ranging from jewelry, apparel, collectible coins, jewelry to holiday and so much more. We concept, create, design and market our creative products directly to our customers, and leverage licenses with the biggest names in entertainment and sports to bring unique and curated products to our customers across the globe.

We’re currently seeking a Product Development Manager II who will be responsible for assisting the Coins team in the research, presentation, and development of new coin concepts. Gaining a complete understanding of the unique development cycle – from concept to fulfillment- for solo and continuity programs. Contribute to new concept brainstorming and related products that will appeal to the coin buyer.  Manage administrative functions including, scheduling, and updating reports, and tracking key development milestones to ensure timely fulfillment of product. Offering of creative solutions to issues and problems related to design, scheduling, costs, and timely manufacturing. Introduction to frequent inter-actions with Creative, Licensing Marketing, Sourcing, and Production Scheduling groups.

How you will contribute:

• Learning about internal program histories and external coin research on an ongoing basis to gain an understanding of the motivating factors associated with coin collecting. Become sensitive to new trends and industry opportunities.
• Create high-quality and compelling product designs to optimize success for approved concepts.
• Provide detailed critiques of products in all stages of development, pre-production samples and production samples including minted product, in-house advertising, name plaques, printed artwork, and certificates as to product claim accuracy the vendors.
• Participate in new concepting and brainstorming with Product Development and Marketing team. Develops concept decks and presents ideas for new products to upper management in “VIP” meeting. This includes the concept, research, mockup/sketches, worksheet/statements, and data on trends, competitive and related industries, prior test/rollout results, preliminary costs/margin estimates, and related materials  to support concepts.
• Learns and prepares product specification packages for our sourcing manager to reach out to vendors for costs on products in development.
• Follow-up on existing and outstanding program issues in a timely fashion.
• Update and maintain product development databases (File Maker, Google Docs Excel) related to product specifications, operations support, and product critical milestones. Complete fact sheets, Design Studio worksheets, photo rental and licensing contract requests with a high degree of accuracy and timeliness.
• Communicate and keep smooth workflow across the various service divisions which support the Coins Division such as Advertising, Design, Sourcing, Production, Marketing, and Licensing.
• Become proficient with review of digital photography samples and products; review and approve invoices and send to Accounting for processing.
• Work with outside resources such as designers, artists, licensors, and assembly vendors on new concepts and information and material required to complete the job.  

What you will bring and skills that excite us: 

• BA or BFA degree in Art, Art History, Fine/Studio Arts, Illustration, Product Design, Sculpture, Graphic Design or an art related field.
• 0-3 years work experience
• Excellent organizational, project time management, and communication skills – both verbal and written.
• Must be organized and must be very detail oriented
• Knowledge of PC including Excel, Word, and Adobe Creative Suite, primarily Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign.
• Ability to work and troubleshoot in an extremely fast paced environment.
• Strong internship experience or a minimum of two years work experience is preferred.
• Experience in a clerical and/or art and craft environment is a major plus.
• Artistic skills
• Knowledge and Passion for Coins and/or History is a plus

BHG at a glance:

• Our scale: We have over 400 employees based out of our global headquarters right outside of Chicago, we have marketing operations in over 10 countries worldwide, and have over 32 million customers served.
• Compensation and benefits: We offer a competitive compensation plan and great benefits, with some benefits starting from day 1!
• We own the company: BHG is Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) which allows you to not only derive the benefits of working as an employee at The Bradford Hammacher Group, but also gain the benefits of being an owner.
• Professional Development: There is always room to learn! We offer a Professional Development Program, a Mentor Program, and LinkedIn Learning to our teams as well as additional hands-on training and development. Our teams utilize a continuous performance management and development structure for feedback, no dreaded annual reviews. We meet quarterly to focus on the future!
• Our values: Honesty. Innovation. Respect. Teamwork. Giving back. These are just some of the core values that drive our team members. Our team strives to build a culture of continuous feedback where anyone can share and create our “next big idea,” among diverse and inclusive teams.
• Flexibility and wellness: Whether it’s offering hybrid environment (onsite/remote) for our corporate staff, to a generous, front-loaded PTO and holiday package to all staff and corporate wellness initiatives like WW, an annual health fair and an onsite gym, we are committed to our team members well-being. New hires start with 16 days of PTO and 8 paid holidays per year.
• Perks and more: We have a Business Casual Work Environment, Health and Dental Insurance, Life Insurance, Disability Insurance, Paid Time Off (PTO) Program, Direct Deposit, Credit Union, Flexible Spending Accounts, Employee Assistance Program, Employee Referral Bonus Program, 401(k), Profit Sharing, Tuition Reimbursement, and Toastmaster’s memberships, a Peer Recognition Program, Product Discounts and more! 

The Bradford Exchange is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

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