Product Development and Operations Lead

greenwich play; Greenwich (CT); On-site; USD 130,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Play Foundry is seeking a highly resourceful Product Development & Operations Lead to help bring our products from concept to customer in an early-stage, cross-functional environment.

You will oversee product development, sourcing, production, inventory, freight, and launch readiness, building systems and vendor relationships to scale our physical products.

Qualifications

• Experience in product development, sourcing, supply chain, operations, logistics, inventory, or a mix thereof.
• Strong vendor management and cross‑functional collaboration skills.
• Ability to manage multiple timelines, vendors, and data-driven decisions.

Responsibilities

• Oversee product development from concept through production.
• Coordinate prototypes, specs, timelines, and production-ready docs.
• Identify manufacturers and suppliers, evaluate quotes, lead times, tooling costs, and terms.
• Lead production scheduling, freight, and 3PL coordination; ensure on-time delivery.
• Build and improve systems for SKUs, inventory, and vendor data.
• Create launch-readiness checklists and align packaging, pricing, and fulfillment.

Skills

Product development

Sourcing

Supply chain

Operations

Logistics

Inventory management

Vendor management

Project management

Google Sheets/Excel

Tools

Shopify

ERP

WMS

3PL integrations

Job description

Play Foundry is the e-commerce and editorial platform from Greenwich Play. It is a design-forward brand defining the modern playroom. We create and curate products that support meaningful play while meeting the aesthetic standards of the rest of the home.

About Play Foundry

Play Foundry is the e-commerce and editorial platform from Greenwich Play. It is a design-forward brand defining the modern playroom. We create and curate products that support meaningful play while meeting the aesthetic standards of the rest of the home.

The Role

Play Foundry is looking for a highly resourceful Product Development & Operations Lead to help bring our products from concept to customer. This is a hands‑on, cross-functional role for someone who enjoys both the creative and operational sides of building a physical product business. You may spend one morning reviewing a prototype, the afternoon resolving a freight issue, and the next day improving an inventory report or coordinating with our 3PL.

You will oversee the many moving pieces behind product development, sourcing, production, inventory, freight, fulfillment, and launch readiness. You will also help establish the systems, processes, and vendor relationships Play Foundry needs as we grow.

The right person is organized but adaptable, commercially minded but product‑obsessed, and comfortable working in an early‑stage environment where not every process has been built yet.

Product Development and Sourcing

• Manage the product development process from initial concept through production.
• Translate product ideas and design direction into clear briefs, specifications, timelines, and deliverables.
• Coordinate prototypes, samples, revisions, approvals, and production-ready documentation.
• Identify and evaluate manufacturers, suppliers, material vendors, and development partners.
• Request and compare quotes, samples, minimum order quantities, lead times, tooling costs, and payment terms.
• Maintain product specifications, bills of materials, cost sheets, sample records, and revision histories.
• Partner closely with the founder and design team to ensure products meet Play Foundry’s standards for function, durability, safety, and aesthetics.
• Support the development of packaging, assembly instructions, care information, and other customer‑facing product materials.
• Help manage product testing, documentation, and applicable regulatory or compliance requirements.

Production and Vendor Management

• Serve as the primary operational contact for manufacturers and suppliers.
• Create, issue, and track purchase orders.
• Monitor production schedules, approvals, deposits, balances, and delivery dates.
• Identify potential delays or cost increases early and develop solutions before they affect a launch.
• Confirm that finished products meet approved specifications and quality standards.
• Coordinate inspections, quality control processes, and corrective action when issues arise.
• Build strong, accountable relationships with domestic and international partners.

Freight and Logistics

• Coordinate inbound freight from factories and suppliers to warehouses, 3PL partners, showrooms, or customers.
• Request and compare freight quotes across appropriate shipping methods.
• Manage shipment documentation, pickup schedules, delivery appointments, tracking, and receiving.
• Coordinate with freight forwarders, customs brokers, carriers, warehouses, and other logistics partners.
• Track landed costs, including product cost, freight, duties, handling, storage, and related fees.
• Troubleshoot delays, damages, shortages, accessorial charges, and delivery discrepancies.
• File and manage freight claims when necessary.
• Continuously look for opportunities to improve reliability and reduce unnecessary logistics costs.

Inventory and 3PL Management

• Manage the day‑to‑day relationship with Play Foundry’s 3PL and fulfillment partners.
• Maintain accurate SKU, inventory, warehouse, and order information across relevant systems.
• Monitor inventory levels, inbound units, committed inventory, sell‑through, and reorder needs.
• Help develop demand forecasts and purchasing recommendations.
• Coordinate receiving, storage, picking, packing, shipping, returns, and inventory reconciliation.
• Investigate discrepancies between purchase orders, warehouse receipts, system counts, and physical inventory.
• Review fulfillment performance, shipping costs, storage fees, error rates, and service‑level expectations.
• Establish clear procedures for damaged goods, returns, replacement parts, and warranty‑related inventory.

Systems and Process Building

• Build practical systems for managing SKUs, product information, samples, vendors, purchase orders, inventory, and logistics.
• Create dashboards and reporting tools that give the team a clear view of product development and operational performance.
• Document standard operating procedures for recurring workflows.
• Maintain organized files, timelines, calendars, and decision records.
• Recommend and help implement tools that improve accuracy, efficiency, and visibility.
• Create scalable processes without adding unnecessary complexity.
• Bring structure to fast‑moving projects while remaining flexible when priorities shift.

Product Launch and Cross‑Functional Support

• Create launch‑readiness checklists and confirm that inventory, packaging, product information, photography, pricing, and fulfillment plans are aligned.
• Coordinate operational details across design, marketing, sales, customer experience, manufacturing, and logistics.
• Ensure product dimensions, materials, care instructions, assembly requirements, lead times, and shipping details are accurate before launch.
• Help establish pricing by maintaining product costs, landed‑cost models, margin calculations, and vendor terms.
• Monitor returns, damages, customer feedback, and fulfillment issues to identify product or process improvements.
• Step into emerging operational needs as Play Foundry grows.

Who You Are

• You have experience in product development, sourcing, supply chain, operations, logistics, inventory management, or a combination of these areas.
• You understand the realities of developing and delivering physical products.
• You are comfortable working with manufacturers, freight providers, warehouses, and 3PL partners.
• You can manage multiple timelines and vendors without losing track of details.
• You are confident working with costs, quantities, margins, spreadsheets, and operational data.
• You communicate clearly and follow through consistently.
• You are proactive about surfacing problems and arrive with possible solutions.
• You know when a process needs to be built and when a simple checklist will do.
• You are comfortable operating independently, asking thoughtful questions, and making progress with imperfect information.
• You care about product quality and understand that the smallest operational details shape the customer experience.
• You are energized by an early‑stage environment where the scope is broad and the opportunity to make an impact is significant.

Experience Required

• Approximately 4 to 8 years of relevant experience in product development, production, sourcing, supply chain, logistics, inventory, or operations.
• Experience working for a furniture, home, lifestyle, consumer products, retail, or e‑commerce brand is strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated experience taking physical products from concept or sample stage through production and delivery.
• Experience managing purchase orders, production schedules, freight shipments, inventory, and third‑party fulfillment.
• Strong proficiency in Google Sheets or Excel.
• Familiarity with e‑commerce, inventory, ERP, warehouse management, or project management systems.
• Strong project management, documentation, negotiation, and vendor‑management skills.

Helpful Experience

• Furniture, upholstery, foam, textiles, cabinetry, or home‑goods manufacturing.
• Domestic and international sourcing.
• Freight forwarding, customs, duties, drayage, or container shipping.
• Packaging development and shipping optimization.
• Quality control, product testing, or consumer‑product compliance.
• Shopify, inventory‑management platforms, ERP systems, or 3PL integrations.
• Experience at a startup or growing consumer brand.
• Experience developing products designed for homes and families.

Why Join Play Foundry

This is an opportunity to play a foundational role in building a design‑led physical product company. You will have meaningful ownership, direct access to decision‑making, and the ability to shape how Play Foundry develops, sources, produces, and delivers its products.

The role is broad by design. It is ideal for someone who sees a blank operational canvas not as a problem, but as an invitation to build something excellent.