Junior Consumer Product Innovation Specialist

Schroeder & Tremayne, Inc.; United States; In loco; USD 70.000 - 110.000; Tempo pieno

Vantaggi offerti da questo lavoro

401(K) with employer match

Medical insurance

Vision insurance

Dental insurance

Life insurance

LTD

FSA

Paid time off

Descrizione del lavoro

Schroeder & Tremayne, Inc. is seeking a creative product builder to translate consumer insights into real, physical products. You will use AI tools to brainstorm, visualize, and rapidly iterate concepts within home, lifestyle, and everyday-need categories.

You will sketch, render, and specify features, materials, and costs, then build quick prototypes and test with feedback. This on-site role in St. Louis emphasizes hands-on creation and practical manufacturing awareness.

Competenze

• Portfolio, class project, personal project, sketches, prototypes, or examples of physical products you have imagined, designed, modified, or made.
• Comfort with—or enthusiasm to learn—ChatGPT, image-generation tools, digital design software, and rapid concept visualization.
• An interest in real-world consumer products and how materials, functionality, packaging, and price affect a design. Advanced financial modeling is not required.
• Curiosity about what consumers buy, what frustrates them, and how competing products could be improved.
• Ability to work with colleagues across creative, product, marketing, and sourcing functions; previous manufacturer or overseas-supplier experience is not necessary.
• Clear communication, willingness to present ideas, openness to feedback, and ability to juggle several creative concepts.
• Ability to work on-site in the Greater St. Louis area. Occasional travel may be requested as the role develops.

Mansioni

• Generate fresh, practical ideas for physical consumer products in our existing categories, inspired by everyday problems, shopping trends, customer reviews, and unmet needs.
• Use AI-assisted ideation and visualization tools to brainstorm ideas, explore variations, create product visuals, and communicate concepts quickly.
• Turn rough ideas into clear product concepts through sketches, mockups, renderings, simple specifications, feature ideas, materials, colors, and potential uses.
• Build or help coordinate quick, hands-on prototypes and samples; test how products look, feel, and work, then improve them based on feedback.
• Collaborate with design, sourcing, marketing, and supplier partners to refine concepts and review samples; prior supplier-management experience is not required.
• Prepare concise visual concept boards and product briefs that help teammates understand the idea, intended customer, key features, and possible next steps.
• Bring multiple ideas to the table, welcome constructive criticism, revise quickly, and move promising concepts toward a prototype.
• Share concepts with the team in clear, engaging presentations that show what the product is, what problem it solves, and why someone would buy it.

Conoscenze

Portfolio samples

AI tools familiarity

Creative ideation

Communication skills

Team collaboration

On-site in St. Louis

Strumenti

ChatGPT

Image-generation tools

Digital design software

Descrizione del lavoro

THE MANDATE

Find the next meaningful product opportunities in our existing categories, turn them into compelling concepts quickly, and prove that they can win with consumers and make money.

Who We Are

We are a family-owned enterprise specializing in consumer products and innovative solutions for everyday challenges. The company designs, develops, markets, and distributes our product lines directly to consumers through social-commerce platforms, as well as to major global retailers. Our product collections focus on home and housewares, impulse items, pet supplies, health and beauty, and automotive appearance accessories.

The Opportunity

We are looking for a modern product builder—not a traditional product manager who primarily manages calendars, documentation, and stage gates. This person will bring an outside-in view of culture, retail, materials, aesthetics, and consumer behavior; translate those signals into fresh products for our existing categories; and use AI-enabled tools to move from insight to tangible concept at exceptional speed.

You will have room to explore, challenge assumptions, and create. You will also be accountable for the economics. A visually exciting idea is only valuable when it solves a real consumer problem, can be sourced and manufactured responsibly, earns the required margin, and has a credible path to meaningful sales.

What You Will Create

• Generate fresh, practical ideas for physical consumer products in our existing categories, inspired by everyday problems, shopping trends, customer reviews, and unmet needs.
• Use ChatGPT, image-generation tools, and other creative technology to brainstorm ideas, explore variations, create product visuals, and communicate concepts quickly.
• Turn rough ideas into clear product concepts through sketches, mockups, renderings, simple specifications, feature ideas, materials, colors, and potential uses.
• Build or help coordinate quick, hands-on prototypes and samples; test how products look, feel, and work, then improve them based on feedback.
• Experiment with shapes, materials, finishes, colors, functions, packaging, and unexpected uses to make everyday products more appealing and useful.
• Learn to design with a target price and manufacturing practicality in mind, partnering with experienced teammates to understand costs and tradeoffs.
• Explore products in stores, online marketplaces, and social media to spot consumer frustrations, emerging ideas, and opportunities for better physical products.
• Prepare concise visual concept boards and product briefs that help teammates understand the idea, intended customer, key features, and possible next steps.
• Collaborate with design, sourcing, marketing, and supplier partners to refine concepts and review samples; prior supplier-management experience is not required.
• Bring multiple ideas to the table, welcome constructive criticism, revise quickly, and move promising concepts toward a prototype.
• Share concepts with the team in clear, engaging presentations that show what the product is, what problem it solves, and why someone would buy it.

How You Will Work

• Creative and curious: You naturally notice everyday frustrations and imagine useful, appealing products that could solve them.
• Consumer-focused: You pay attention to stores, products, packaging, social trends, and how people actually use household and lifestyle items.
• Fast and iterative: You enjoy making a first version, gathering feedback, and improving it rather than waiting for a perfect idea.
• Visually minded: You have an eye for shape, color, materials, and presentation, and can communicate an idea through sketches, mockups, or digital tools.
• Practical and eager to learn: You are interested in how physical products are made and are willing to balance creativity with cost, quality, and usability.
• Hands-on and collaborative: You enjoy making things, experimenting with samples, and working with others to bring concepts to life.
• Comfortable with new tools: You are excited to use AI-assisted ideation and visualization tools, and willing to learn new software and techniques.

The Profile We Value

We value creative potential, initiative, and examples of ideas brought to life more than a specific job title or years of experience. Relevant backgrounds may include industrial or product design, consumer goods, creative development, merchandising, maker projects, or related coursework.

• A portfolio, class project, personal project, sketches, prototypes, or examples of physical products you have imagined, designed, modified, or made.
• Comfort with—or enthusiasm to learn—ChatGPT, image-generation tools, digital design software, and rapid concept visualization.
• An interest in real-world consumer products and how materials, functionality, packaging, and price affect a design. Advanced financial modeling is not required.
• Curiosity about what consumers buy, what frustrates them, and how competing products could be improved.
• Ability to work with colleagues across creative, product, marketing, and sourcing functions; previous manufacturer or overseas-supplier experience is not necessary.
• Clear communication, willingness to present ideas, openness to feedback, and ability to juggle several creative concepts.
• Ability to work on-site in the Greater St. Louis area. Occasional travel may be requested as the role develops.

What This Role Is Not

• A primarily administrative role focused on trackers, calendars, or meeting coordination.
• A software product management position or a role centered on digital apps and technology roadmaps.
• A senior role requiring ownership of supplier negotiations, financial models, or full product-line strategy.
• A role where ideas stop at inspiration boards; we want someone excited to make and refine real, physical products.

We offer a competitive benefits package including 401(K) with employer match, medical, vision, dental, life, LTD, FSA, and paid time off. This is an in-person position based in St. Louis, Missouri, with an office schedule of Monday through Friday. The office closes at 2 p.m. Central Time on Fridays. No relocation assistance is provided.

Schroeder & Tremayne, Inc. is committed to promoting a work environment in which differences are respected, employees are treated fairly, and individual contributions are valued and rewarded. We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer.