Associate Product Developer

at  MillerKnoll

Why join us?
Our purpose is to design for the good of humankind. It’s the ideal we strive toward each day in everything we do. Being a part of MillerKnoll means being a part of something larger than your work team, or even your brand. We are redefining modern for the 21st century. And our success allows MillerKnoll to support causes that align with our values, so we can build a more sustainable, equitable, and beautiful future for everyone.

QUALIFICATIONS

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor’s Degree in Industrial Design, Business, or a related field.
• 2+ years of experience in development-related functions and disciplines.

SKILLS AND ABILITIES

• Successfully demonstrated experience of a new product commercialization, including full development and launch cycle.
• Excellent program/project management skills, as demonstrated through the successful achievement of assigned objectives.
• A developmental, entrepreneurial mind set with abstract analysis skills and a logical, but flexible, approach.
• Willing to take initiative and accept accountability with a strong sense of ownership over work.
• A demonstrated high level of personal integrity and business ethics.
• Demonstrated expert written/verbal communication skills and a proven capability to present complex concepts in a concise and understandable way to a variety of audiences.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, particularly communicating with team members across cultures and functions.
• Must be financially literate with the ability to perform retail math.
• 3D CAD and Adobe Creative Suite preferred.
• MS Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint) required.
• Willingness to travel globally as required.
• Knowledge of furniture construction and furniture market landscape preferred.
• Luxury/high end experience preferred.

GENERAL PURPOSE

In this role, you will lead the product development process across the designated product portfolio. You’ll will utilize strong project management skills by building and maintaining project schedules, monitoring potential delays, and working with cross-functional teams to ensure new products are commercialized on time and within budget. You will manage multiple programs simultaneously and ensure each program’s adherence to the company’s design and quality standards.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Manage project schedules of assigned projects to meet critical company milestones.
• Generate Request for Quote (RFQ) bid packages for new developments and manage review/selection process.
• Assist with all new developments meet target costs and margin requirements.
• Collaborate with Engineering to review designer and supplier drawings to ensure adherence to design intent and product performance/quality.
• Facilitate prototyping with Engineering and/or Suppliers.
• Conduct in-depth review of prototypes to ensure products meet or exceed all standards for build quality, ease of assembly, packaging, comfort, value, etc.
• Collaborate with Engineering and Compliance to facilitate all performance and packaging testing.
• Communicate key issues (i.e., schedules, resource constraints, launch plans) in a clear and timely manner to category leadership.
• Collaborate with Supply Chain/Sourcing and Compliance to ensure all regulatory, sustainability, and performance documentation are obtained from the suppliers.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams in Fulfillment and Supply Chain/Sourcing to award programs to suppliers and establish the most effective value stream/supply chain.
• Create quality criteria for all new programs and maintain/develop Quality Assurance Protocol with Suppliers.
• Performs additional responsibilities as requested to achieve business objectives.