Furniture Product Developer: Concept to Market Launch

MillerKnoll; Stamford (CT); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Design Within Reach, part of MillerKnoll, seeks a Product Developer in Stamford, CT to guide new collections from concept through commercialization. You will manage development timelines, coordinate with suppliers and cross-functional teams, and ensure launches are on time, within budget, and meet quality and customer experience standards.

The ideal candidate has 4–6 years in product development, furniture industry experience, strong PM skills, and proficiency with CAD tools and Adobe Creative

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree required.
• 4–6 years of product development experience, furniture industry preferred.
• Strong project management skills with ability to manage multiple programs and deadlines.
• Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication.
• Knowledge of the furniture market, materials, manufacturing processes, and quality considerations.
• Proficiency in retail math, costing analysis, margin calculations, and spreadsheet-based reporting.
• Experience reviewing technical drawings and working with 3D CAD tools (SolidWorks, Creo, Fusion 360); familiarity with Adobe Creative Suite.

Responsibilities

• Manage the product development lifecycle for assigned projects, ensuring alignment with design intent, milestones, margins, and quality.
• Lead cross-functional status meetings and keep teams informed of progress, risks, and decisions.
• Prepare RFQ packages and partner with Sourcing to evaluate supplier capabilities, review bids, perform costing analysis, and support cost negotiations.
• Review designer and supplier drawings for adherence to design intent, construction requirements, and material specs.
• Facilitate prototyping and conduct detailed prototype reviews for build quality and user experience.
• Own development timelines from quoting to launch readiness; monitor budgets and resolve schedule/cost risks.
• Collaborate with Sourcing on vendor selection, onboarding, and program awards; balance requirements and cost targets.
• Coordinate testing and ensure required regulatory, sustainability, and packaging documentation.
• Build supplier relationships and manage day-to-day communication on active projects; ensure clear expectations and documentation.
• Develop quality criteria and support inspections to confirm readiness for market.
• Communicate status, decisions, risks, and recommendations to leadership and cross-functional partners.
• Mentor junior team members and support workload of Assistants/Associates.

Skills

Project management

Communication

Team collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

SolidWorks

Creo

Fusion 360

Illustrator

Photoshop

InDesign

Excel

PowerPoint

Job description

Design Within Reach, part of MillerKnoll, seeks a Product Developer in Stamford, CT to guide new collections from concept through commercialization. You will manage development timelines, coordinate with suppliers and cross-functional teams, and ensure launches are on time, within budget, and meet quality and customer experience standards.

The ideal candidate has 4–6 years in product development, furniture industry experience, strong PM skills, and proficiency with CAD tools and Adobe Creative