Product Manager

Job Description

Job Title:Product Manager

Department:Product Development

Reports to:Head of Product Development

Salary:£30,000 per annum (negotiable)

Staff Responsibilities:Product Assistant

About HTI Toys:

Founded in 1952, HTI is one of the UKs largest independently owned designer and manufacturer of childrens toys, with extensive experience supplying the worlds major retailers.

With offices and showrooms in the UK (Fleetwood), Hong Kong, Germany, Holland and China, we are a truly global business with a vision to be the first choice for innovative quality toys worldwide. Our products are designed to give children across the world the opportunity to have fun and grow, through creative and imaginative play.

At HTI we value and respect all of our amazing team. There is genuine scope for progression in a supportive and fun working environment.

Purpose:

The Product Manager will be responsible for managing all aspects of new product development on selected brands, from initial concept through to final production. They will provide continued support on all previously developed products once in production and maintain and develop strong relationships with factories, external licensors, and internal teams.

Responsibilities:

It is envisaged that the Main duties of the role will encompass the following:

Market Research

• Maintain up to date knowledge of competitor brands, products and pricing in the UK and international marketplaces through regular competitor reviews, online desk research and instore visits.
• Actively highlighting concepts from other brands for potential development.
• Analyse and report on the sales performance of HTI product ranges.

Product Development

• Develop and maintain buyer cards for each brand/category by season throughout the development process.
• Bring fresh ideas and concepts for development into appropriate brands.
• Maintaining relationships with existing suppliers, while seeking new ones.
• Brief internal Design team and external factories with new product development, as necessary.
• Collaborate with factories on sourced new product development opportunities.
• Providing full product specification and briefs for all new development to the wider teams.
• Negotiate unit costs and tooling costs with factories
• Drive and track development of new products through weekly development meetings. Ensuring meeting notes are updated and circulated to the wider team.
• Drive and track CEO approval on new products at each stage of development.
• Ensure all products have been risk assessed and documented.
• Ensure all new/refresh lines are set up on the internal system and completed accurately.
• Ensure all approvals and communications with Licensors are tracked and completed in a timely and accurate manner.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with licensors throughout the development process, ensuring they are informed of all developments in a timely manner.
• Attend retailer meetings and present the product range to customers alongside NAMs when required.

Packaging

• Brief all new packaging artwork to UK and HK Design office, as necessary.
• Coordinate and develop new product packaging style guides where required.
• Develop and finalise packaging dimensions and pack layouts for new products ensuring these are fully approved by the CEO and licensors (where necessary).
• Ensuring packaging artwork is produced in the required style guide, reviewing, and refining the artwork ensuring this is fully approval by licensors/CEO and meets critical path dates.
• Co-ordinate packaging mock ups required for showrooms and key customer meetings.

Domestic Stock

• Line list proposal for domestic stock.
• Investigate margins to ensure products landing cost is viable.
• Ensure all domestic lines are set up on the internal system with correct pricing.
• Run regular stock checks to be aware of stock levels.
• Prepare and raise purchase orders and order schedules, based on low stock and sales history.
• Liaise directly with factory to ensure products are delivered on time.

Showroom

• Taking full responsibility for the delivery of accurate product displays.
• Planning and merchandising range layouts and space, including briefing in and refining showroom graphics in conjunction with Design.
• Continually ensuring the latest packaging and product samples are on display.
• Availability to travel to, and merchandise, overseas showrooms.

General

• Understand all Marketing and PR activity on relevant areas
• Planning retailer merchandising layouts and briefing in POS and stand graphics for each new season/trade shows.
• Compile and complete the product catalogues for the Sales teams.
• Co-ordinate sales sample requirements in conjunction with sales directors.
• Review and approve catalogue text for all new products.
• Ensure availability to attend any appropriate trade fairs, which may involve overnight stays and foreign travel.
• Availability to travel to HK office at key stages of schedule to concentrate development and speed up process.
• Availability to travel to factories to develop relationships, assist in product development and negotiate on pricing.

Staff Responsibilities

• Line manager to Product Assistant/Junior product manager role.
• Mentor and train Product Assistant/junior product manager on all areas of product development.
• Manage work streams and prioritise workload when required.

In the absence of an assistant, additional requirements include:

• Providing accurate briefs for all demo video and product photography and attending shoots where necessary.
• Ensure the latest demo videos and final product and packaging photography is saved and available on the system in a timely manner.
• Arrange product and packaging photography for customer exclusives and NSPs on request (e.g. Argos catalogue, Asda PL).
• Running the price list checking CAT text, images, titles, and all information is on.
• Write catalogue text for new lines and update for refreshed lines.

Skills and Requirements

• Must enjoy toys and be able to help conceptualise gameplay based on the characteristics of a brand or character.
• Well organised, diligent, and capable of multi-tasking in a dynamic environment.
• Ability to work proactively with high attention to detail.
• Ability to proactively monitor own workload and that of others, where necessary.
• Show excellence at working under pressure and within tight deadlines.
• Ability to quickly assess situations, take initiative and act accordingly to get the job done.
• Passionate about creative excellence.
• Understand both UK and international marketplaces.
• Ability to thrive in a high energy, entrepreneurial high growth environment.
• Excellent communication skills written, verbal, presentation and interpersonal, and ability to build and maintain strong working relationships with a variety of stakeholders.
• Competency in Microsoft applications including Word, Excel, and Outlook.
• Desire to succeed and make a difference.

If you dont hear from us within 5 days, please assume you havent been successful on this occasion.

Good Luck, and we hope to hear from you soon!