Product Development Designer-Level 1 Position Available In Middlesex, Massachusetts

Product Development Designer-Level 1 3.3 3.3 out of 5 stars 20 Main Street, Acton, MA 01720 TPS Group Holdings, a family of brands including The Paper Store and Uncharted, is dedicated to creating destinations that inspire, delight, and surprise. Our mission is to connect with every customer through carefully chosen products, immersive shopping experiences, and service that goes the extra mile. Product Development Designer-Level 1 The Product Development Designer is responsible for the concept and design of a wide variety of hard and soft goods across various gift, décor and apparel categories for the company’s proprietary brands and exclusive partnerships. Key to this role is working closely with the Merchant/Buying Team and translating their concepts into marketable, on-trend designs. You will develop strong working relationships with internal and external strategic partners to produce product designs, patterns, labeling, and packaging, focusing on aesthetics, quality and value. Portfolio required for consideration. The Product Development Designer reports directly to the Director of Private Label Product Development with regular input from the Chief Merchandise Officer.

COMPETENCIES

Accountability:

Demonstrates a sense of corporate responsibility. Takes personal ownership and responsibility for the quality and timeliness of work. Ensures that actions are consistent with words.

Communication:

Communicates information with consistency and clarity; uses active listening to effectively understand and provide feedback. Adjusts communication style to suit the audience to promote engagement and increase understanding.

Creativity and Initiative:

Forward-thinking, recognizes opportunities and finds new ways of doing things and implements improvements whenever possible. Encourages creativity and innovation.

Professionalism:

Maintains a professional and positive manner even under changing or uncertain conditions. Works well with a wide range of individuals to provide support, encouragement and direction. Engages others to accomplish organizational and departmental goals. Is seen as a role model.

Personal Development:

Displays self-awareness, a high level of energy, persistence and a positive outlook. Continuously seeks ways to improve and learn from mistakes and constructive feedback.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Be a TPS brand ambassador Ability to create one-of-a kind artwork by hand using traditional methods and digitally Design consistently branded, high-quality designs across a variety of hard and soft goods categories for existing and new proprietary brands for The Paper Store Interpret Buyers’ design concepts and develop them into new product collections, securing buy-in via presentations to appropriate parties using concept boards, sketch libraries, photography vignettes, text treatments, and trend and color services Design on-trend custom patterns via sketches, paintings and Illustrator work. Source and edit purchased patterns to achieve design goals while staying on budget Utilize trend services, social media, and competitive shopping to ensure designs and patterns are always on trend Look for opportunities to standardize templates for factories to streamline workflows Contribute to elevating the overall brand aesthetic by communicating design projects to the Marketing Team to ensure a cohesive brand push for proprietary brand projects. Meet with with members of The Paper Store Marketing team, Design team, Photo Studio and Buying Department to work collaboratively on cross department projects Learn the design function within a Retail Buying environment to understand the daily responsibilities of the buyer function as it relates to buying, product development, sourcing and allocation.

JOB REQUIREMENTS

Portfolio required for consideration 4+ years of experience in a Graphic Design role with a key focus on product development, custom patterns and packaging design BA with a key focus on Graphic or BFA Fine Arts/Graphic Design/Illustration Must be comfortable designing for both Hardlines and Softline product Experience with a variety of product design categories within the Giftware, Home Décor or Fashion industries Experience working with suppliers overseas, knowledge of apparel and gift manufacturing a plus Ability to juggle multiple priorities in a fast-paced, teamwork-based environment-manage the quick turn buyer requests in real time Strong communication skills to present concepts and secure buy-in Strong technical skills, CS5 or above – Expert in Photoshop, InDesign and Illustrator Working knowledge of dielines and building production ready files Manage Canto webdam to leverage TPS proprietary patterns across departments Attend weekly buyer meetings to: review art, pull artwork pantone chips, print artwork for design and scale review, communicate buyer notes in Monday.com, review new product reference samples for upcoming design projects Sample review to confirm color and art compliance and to troubleshoot sample problems through art edits Assist as needed in photoshoots in studio and work collaboratively in real time A self-starter able to effectively manage their time with little direction Positive, collaborative, flexible and energetic attitude a must Ability to work 4 days/week at the Corporate Office in Acton, MA Ability to travel to TPS stores for in person product review Professional presentation in attire, demeanor, and appearance The Paper Store is an equal-opportunity employer and considers all qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, disability, age, veteran status, or any other classification protected by state, local or federal law. This is a 40-hour, hourly non-exempt temporary position with the potential to become permanent, based in our Acton, MA office.