Associate Product Development – Soft Home

Idea Nuova Inc.; New York (NY); On-site; USD 75,000 - 115,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Dynamic work environment

Growth opportunities

Exposure to major retailers and brands

Job summary

Idea Nuova is seeking a Product Developer — Softlines to own development across decorative pillows and throws, from concept to production. This hands‑on role partners with Design, Sales, Sourcing, and overseas factories to develop new products, manage samples and costing, and maintain development timelines.

You will drive fabric and construction development, review samples for specs, maintain sample libraries, and prepare assortments for major retailers.

Qualifications

• 3–5+ years of experience in product development, merchandising, or sourcing within home textiles or related consumer products category
• Direct experience with decorative pillows, throws, bedding, or other soft home categories strongly preferred
• Strong understanding of textiles, fabrics, constructions, materials, and manufacturing processes
• Experience working directly with overseas factories and vendors
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to independently manage multiple projects and deadlines
• Detail‑oriented with strong follow‑up and problem‑solving skills
• Comfortable owning costing, product specifications, samples, and development calendars
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook; PLM experience preferred
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Self‑directed with the ability to drive projects with limited oversight

Responsibilities

• Own product development from concept through production across decorative pillows, throws, and related soft home categories
• Partner with Design, Sales, Sourcing, and overseas factories throughout the development process
• Manage development timelines, samples, approvals, costing, and production milestones
• Communicate directly with factories and vendors regarding samples, materials, constructions, specifications, and pricing
• Drive fabric, yarn, trim, fill, embellishment, and construction development
• Review incoming samples for accuracy against specifications and customer requirements
• Maintain organized sample libraries and accurate product development records
• Own costing, specifications, sample status, and development trackers end to end
• Conduct competitive shopping, trend research, and marketplace research to identify new product opportunities
• Develop customer-specific assortments based on retailer price points and requirements
• Prepare samples, product information, and presentations for customer meetings and seasonal line reviews
• Track outstanding development items and drive projects to completion on schedule
• Partner cross-functionally to resolve sample, costing, quality, and production issues

Skills

Product development

Merchandising

Sourcing

Textiles knowledge

Overseas factories

Excel

PowerPoint

Outlook

PLM experience

Communication skills

Tools

PLM software

Microsoft Office

Job description

Role Overview

Idea Nuova is seeking a Product Developer — Softlines to own product development across our decorative pillow and throw categories. This is a hands‑on individual contributor role responsible for driving development from initial concept through production. You'll partner closely with Design, Sales, Sourcing, and overseas factories to develop new product, manage samples and costing, own development timelines, and prepare new assortments for major retail customers. This role is ideal for an experienced product developer who wants to own a category within a fast-moving home textiles business.

Key Responsibilities

• Own product development from concept through production across decorative pillows, throws, and related soft home categories


• Partner with Design, Sales, Sourcing, and overseas factories throughout the development process


• Manage development timelines, samples, approvals, costing, and production milestones


• Communicate directly with factories and vendors regarding samples, materials, constructions, specifications, and pricing


• Drive fabric, yarn, trim, fill, embellishment, and construction development


• Review incoming samples for accuracy against specifications and customer requirements


• Maintain organized sample libraries and accurate product development records


• Own costing, specifications, sample status, and development trackers end to end


• Conduct competitive shopping, trend research, and marketplace research to identify new product opportunities


• Develop customer‑specific assortments based on retailer price points and requirements


• Prepare samples, product information, and presentations for customer meetings and seasonal line reviews


• Track outstanding development items and drive projects to completion on schedule


• Partner cross‑functionally to resolve sample, costing, quality, and production issues

Qualifications

• 3–5+ years of experience in product development, merchandising, or sourcing within home textiles or a related consumer products category


• Direct experience with decorative pillows, throws, bedding, or other soft home categories strongly preferred


• Strong understanding of textiles, fabrics, constructions, materials, and manufacturing processes


• Experience working directly with overseas factories and vendors required


• Strong organizational skills with the ability to independently manage multiple projects and deadlines


• Detail‑oriented with strong follow‑up and problem‑solving skills


• Comfortable owning costing, product specifications, samples, and development calendars


• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook; PLM experience preferred


• Strong written and verbal communication skills


• Self‑directed with the ability to drive projects with limited oversight

What Success Looks Like

• Development programs run smoothly with samples, costing, specifications, and trackers accurate and up to date


• Development milestones are hit on schedule with proactive risk flagging


• Customer meetings and line reviews are supported with organized, accurate, presentation‑ready samples and information


• Strong working relationships are built across Product Development, Design, Sales, Sourcing, and overseas vendors


• Development issues are identified early, root‑caused, and resolved without unnecessary escalation


• Owns increasing scope across product programs, with a clear path to broader category ownership

Additional Requirements

• Occasional domestic and international travel as needed for vendor meetings, market weeks, trade shows, and retailer presentations

Benefits

• Competitive salary and benefits package


• Opportunities for career growth and advancement


• Dynamic, collaborative, and entrepreneurial work environment


• Exposure to major retailers, nationally recognized brands, and trend‑driven home categories


• Fast‑paced culture where your ideas, creativity, and contributions make an impact

Why This Role

This is an opportunity to own product development for one of Idea Nuova's most creative, fast‑moving categories. You'll take products from concept to shelf across decorative pillows and throws, work hands‑on with overseas suppliers and internal design partners, and have real influence over what shows up at major retailers each season. Strong visibility across the business, with a clear path to grow into broader category or leadership ownership over time.