Team: Product
Classification: Exempt 
Job Type: Salary, Full-time
Location: Hybrid - Raleigh-Durham, NC or Atlanta, GA
Annual Salary: $$220,900-$245,500*

OVERVIEW:

Nugget® is looking for an innovator with an artful touch and structured approach to lead and grow our Product Design and Development team as the new VP of Product Design and Development. This role will refine and drive the product design and development process to achieve Nugget’s Product Vision and Strategy. You’ll be the primary guide for our products from inception to launch, leading our Product Design and Development team to invent products in new categories and iterate on our existing ones.

The VP of PDD will serve as the representative of the Product Design and Development Function on the Executive Leadership Team and be a partner to the C-Suite, helping set the strategy for achieving (and providing input into) Nugget’s vision and values. If you are passionate about and capable of delivering products that are the building blocks for Growing Imaginations, then this role may be for you. If you’re ready to play a key role in an industry-defining, values-driven company - we encourage you to apply today!  

What is Nugget? We are an industry-leading, fun-loving, direct-to-consumer Play company (est. 2014) that brings homes to life with bold play and big imaginations. We design, develop, manufacture, sell, and ship our part-toy, part-furniture products (The Nugget® - The Original Play Couch® - and Chunk™ - The World’s First Play Ottoman) with a team of ~100 Nuggeteers in Butner, North Carolina (just outside of Durham) and Atlanta, GA. And we’re just getting started — in both 2020 and 2021, Inc. Magazine named us the fastest-growing manufacturing company in the United States, and we have new stuff up our sleeves. We’re proud to continue the industrial legacy of North Carolina, and to make fun furniture for future astronauts, artists, architects, athletes, and – especially – active community members.

ABOUT THIS ROLE:

Product Innovation and Design

• You’ll present bold ideas and then take them from concept to reality
• You’ll be accountable for Nugget’s product innovation: delivering new inventions and updated product designs that are consistent with Nugget’s Product Vision and Strategy
• You'll partner with Marketing on all product related consumer insights initiatives, providing input on how to maximize research to inform product design
• You will define, document, and adhere to Nugget’s Product/Visual Design language, ensuring that it is consistent with our marketing and brand language and aesthetics
• You will effectively communicate across the company the “why” behind product designs: why they are special, appropriate for the consumer, and fitting with our brand

Product Roadmap and Development

• You’ll translate innovative concepts into market-ready products by optimizing resource allocation and setting clear product design and development goals and budgets 
• You will own our 3 year Product Roadmap that delivers on Nugget’s Product Strategy and Marketing’s insights, interests, and timeline requests, and also considers business goals, values, and the resources of Operations and Creative Services
• You’ll guide and ensure that an 18 month Product Delivery Plan is in place and updated quarterly to execute on product development timelines transparently and consistently
• You’ll clearly synthesize information from internal and external stakeholders, effectively communicating cross-functionally about development stages and timelines
• You’ll guide your department to collaborate with suppliers, researchers, Legal, and other stakeholders to develop formulations, analyze risk, and establish certifications, safety and regulatory testing procedures, etc.
• In partnership with Marketing, you will lead the Stage Gate process of cross-functional product and campaign alignment and progress
• Your purview will primarily focus on the following: 
  • Iterations of existing products
  • New core products
  • Designed product cost and quality management
  • Packaging functional design
• You will balance in-house product development with contracted research and development, using design/engineering firms to support our team, explore concepts, move the needle, and extend your Function’s output within timelines

Executive Leadership and Management

• You’ll provide ongoing leadership support; performance management; regular Check-ins, 1:1’s, and semiannual Reviews for your direct reports; and guidance for your team to develop and grow in their roles in a high-care + high performance environment
• You will continue to build the Product Design and Development Function at Nugget, hiring and honing product design, product development, and product management talent
• You will organize and inspire a Product Design and Development team to deliver products with thoughtful prioritization and planning - instilling a culture that is equal parts rigorous and playful, careful and productive
• You'll act as a liaison between Nugget and relevant external partners and consultants, managing related expenditures and budgets and negotiating favorable terms to optimize resource allocation and ensure financial efficiency
• You will have budget development and oversight responsibilities for the Product Design and Development Function, monitoring and considering revisions in line with company priorities on an ongoing basis
• As a fiduciary to the company, you will act in good faith, due care, and in the best interest of the business, while upholding and embodying our values
• You will collaborate with members of the Executive Leadership Team to set the strategy for achieving (and provide your perspective, advice, and input into) Nugget’s vision, values, policies and culture, considering the needs of the whole organization, with an eye towards Product Design and Development
• You will provide strategic oversight to and develop clear priorities and performance measures for the Product Design and Development department(s), and utilize the OKR and KPI framework, to ensure departmental and interdepartmental initiatives are meeting Function goals and driving results toward company-wide business objectives
• As part of ELT, you will ensure that cross-functional systems and companywide efforts consider, address, and leverage your Function’s needs, strengths, calendar, responsibilities, and goals
• As part of ELT, you will enable your team’s role in cross functional collaboration
• As part of ELT, you will coordinate, guide, and lead by example the Department Leadership Team and Management Team
• You will be a representative of ELT and a positive role model for all Nugget employees

ABOUT YOU:

• You have 15+ years of experience in product management, product development, and product design, including 5+ years in senior leadership/management roles working with consumer goods
  
  • Bonus: You have experience managing product design and development in furniture and/or – especially – play
  • Bonus: You have specific experience in the Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) space
• You have contributed as a member and manager of a team that owned the full product development cycle, going from ideation to released product
• You have a history of successfully scaling a product portfolio from few to many, while seriously maintaining the core brand promise and ensuring high customer satisfaction
  • Bonus: You have managed a product portfolio that has successfully shifted from one trend to another – maintaining brand consistency and consumer confidence while developing products for evolving audiences
• You are a demonstrated tastemaker with conviction; and you have experience catering to the unique design tastes and preferences of millennial and/or Gen Z demographics
• You are skilled at identifying key and clear value propositions for potential products and then designing solutions specifically for those jobs to be done; and you understand what consumer insights and customer segment information is needed to land them; and you can very clearly and specifically ask for that information and advise how to get it
• You have demonstrated the capacity to invent and develop innovative functionality, clever solutions, and aesthetically pleasing design that is packed with possibilities
• Your approach to product design mixes art and process; balancing aesthetic taste with careful analysis to deliver what consumers want (even if they haven’t “asked” for it)
• You set objectives to align with broader organizational goals and stage activities with relevant milestones and schedules to meet those objectives
• You have experience applying your knowledge of internal structures, processes, and culture to deploy resources effectively – consistently overcoming challenges and guiding your team to exceed goals and deliver impactful results
• You build and foster strong-identity, high-performing teams that apply their diverse skills and perspectives to achieve common goals
• You are a highly creative problem solver that is passionate about coming up with innovative ideas and ways of thinking that are new, better, or unique – then taking those creative ideas and bringing them to life!
• You can anticipate and balance the needs of multiple stakeholders, incorporating both business needs and our consumer needs when presenting solutions and making decisions
• You approach work with a “no job is too small” attitude, and have a curious mind - always willing to learn and grow your imagination