About the Role
About Educational Insights:
We are on a mission to bring learning to life! For 60 years, our team of teachers, scientists, artists, coders, and kids-at-heart has created award-winning toys and games designed to spark creativity, ignite curiosity, and provide opportunities for kiddos to discover their unique passions. Our team motto is, "Where work is play." We love to laugh, ride our bright-red scooter through the halls, and delight in testing out new games. Our love of play transfers into the toys and games we create, where we aim to build confidence, celebrate diversity, and ignite the spark in every child. We pride ourselves on being committed to our employee’s personal and professional development, a thriving culture and a diverse, creative atmosphere. Along with our culture and competitive benefits package, we offer opportunities for training and development by Harvard and UCLA professors as well as in-demand, motivating external speakers. We are looking for professionals who are truly just kids at heart! We hope you’ll come join our award-winning team today!
Team & Position Description:
This role is pivotal in driving revenue growth, enhancing customer satisfaction, and expanding market share through innovative toy and game design. The primary responsibilities include:
Concept Ideation & Communication: Engage in at least bi-weekly brainstorming sessions, sketching out and communicating concepts for product development.
Detailed Design Execution: Within 2 weeks of concept approval, translate initial sketches into comprehensive, detailed drawings for overseas vendors using 2D and 3D software.
Prototype Development: Develop foam or other material prototypes within 4-6 weeks post-design approval, ensuring design integrity and readiness for internal review.
Market & Trend Analysis: Conduct market and trend analysis bi-annually, staying ahead of industry trends, competition, and new technologies to identify opportunities for product application and innovation.
Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work closely with the Product Development Team and other functional teams, ensuring cohesive product design and timely delivery, meeting or exceeding project timelines and budget constraints. Review progress weekly, aiming to meet all project deadlines within agreed timelines.
Product Line Strategy & Management: Annually review and update line strategies. Conduct competitive research, manage vendor relationships, prepare RFQs, oversee content development, and coordinate with external resources to drive product innovation and continuous improvement.
Brand & Product Evaluation: Evaluate product and brand strengths and weaknesses on a quarterly basis, ensuring alignment with overall brand strategy and meeting customer and market needs.
New Product Concepting & Presentation: Lead the conceptualization and presentation of new products for line review, collaborating with key stakeholders to finalize presentations 2 weeks prior to review sessions.
Intellectual Property Management: Secure and manage intellectual property rights within 3 months of product launch, protecting and enhancing company assets.
Requirements
What we’re looking for (Key Performance Objectives): Product Design Leadership: Within the first 3 months, lead and execute comprehensive product design initiatives, including competitive analysis, concept brainstorming, detailed sketching, and 2D/3D rendering. Manage relationships with external design partners to support cross-functional product development, ensuring consistency and adherence to project timelines across multiple product lines. Product Development & Execution: Within 6 months, spearhead the end-to-end development process for new products and product revamps. This includes gathering and prioritizing requirements, driving ideation and prototyping, establishing and adhering to product guidelines, and coordinating with internal and external teams to execute development plans. Strategic Line Management: Ongoing throughout the first year, oversee assigned product lines, leveraging your expertise in consumer demographics and play patterns to develop and implement strategic plans. Conduct ongoing research to enhance existing products and identify opportunities for innovation, with quarterly reviews. Requirements/Ideal Attributes: Educational Background: Bachelor’s Degree in Industrial Design, Toy Design, or a related field. Experience: 3-6 years of experience in Industrial Design, Toy Design, or related areas. Technical Proficiency: Strong skills in Adobe Creative Suite, with knowledge of 3D CAD (Rhino and Keyshot) and 3D printing as a plus. Design & Project Management Skills: Demonstrate excellent sketching and rendering abilities, managing projects to meet deadlines, and adhering to budgets consistently. Material & Manufacturing Knowledge: Familiarity with plastic materials and manufacturing processes, particularly with overseas vendors. Mechanical Design Knowledge: Experience or knowledge in mechanical design is a plus. Portfolio: A portfolio showcasing innovative, on-trend design in consumer products, with a preference for toy design experience. Analytical & Strategic Skills: Ability to analyze financial data quarterly and make strategic recommendations to support brand/product goals. Collaborative Skills: Strong teamwork and collaboration skills, with the ability to thrive in a cross-functional environment. Creativity & Innovation: Demonstrated creativity, ingenuity, and resourcefulness. Communication & Interpersonal Skills: Excellent communication and interpersonal skills. Time Management & Strategic Thinking: Strong organizational and strategic thinking abilities, consistently meeting deadlines. Analytical & Problem-Solving Skills: Robust analytical and problem-solving capabilities. Receptiveness to Feedback: Openness to constructive criticism and a willingness to apply feedback effectively. Physical Demands: Standing: Up to 20% of the time. Sitting: Up to 80% of the time. Computer Usage: Up to 80% of the time. Travel: Less than 5% of the time. We are a drug-free workplace and an EEO employer. Please note: This role will be filled by our internal recruitment team, so no assistance is needed from any outside staffing agency at this time. |