Sr. Product Developer, Soft Goods, PowerA

ACCO Brands Corporation; Lake Zurich (IL); On-site; USD 120,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision coverage

401(k) match

Paid time off

Parental leave

Life and disability insurance

Employee assistance program

Job summary

PowerA, a division of ACCO Brands Corporation, seeks a Sr. Product Developer for Soft Goods to lead category strategy from concept through commercialization.

You will own roadmaps, influence product direction, mentor teams, and partner with suppliers and licensors to deliver innovative, profitable products aligned with long‑term growth. You will develop 3–5 year roadmaps, translate insights into concepts, and present to senior leadership while maintaining cost targets and quality standards.

Qualifications

• Associate's or bachelor’s degree in Product Development, Industrial Design, Engineering, Business, or a related field preferred, equivalent experience will be considered.
• 7-10+ years of product development experience with demonstrated success leading complex consumer product initiatives, preferably in soft goods, bags, cases, consumer electronics accessories, or related categories.

Responsibilities

• Own the soft goods of PowerA gaming product category strategy and development roadmap, identifying growth opportunities, portfolio gaps, and long‑term innovation initiatives aligned with business objectives.
• Develop 3-5 year product innovation roadmaps.
• Create new product concepts and guide products from ideation through commercialization.
• Evaluate emerging market opportunities and new business concepts.
• Translate consumer insights, market trends, and business goals into compelling product solutions.
• Present product strategy and recommendations to senior leadership.
• Develop and communicate key product benefits, value propositions, and market positioning.
• Develop category‑level financial analyses and business cases to support product portfolio decisions.
• Partner with leadership to establish and achieve margin, cost and profitability objectives.
• Drive portfolio prioritization recommendations and identify opportunities for expansion, rationalization and lifecycle management.

Skills

Product development

Cross-functional leadership

Supplier partnerships

Microsoft 365

Adobe Creative Suite

Gaming industry knowledge

Travel 20%

Education

Associate's or bachelor's degree in related field

Tools

Excel

PowerPoint

Word

Product visualization tools

Job description

Sr. Product Developer, Soft Goods, PowerA

PowerA , a division of ACCO Brands, USA LLC., is a leading third-party gaming accessory brand, and one of the fasting growing companies in the industry. We’re made up of many unique individuals who come together for one purpose: to build the most innovative accessories for the world’s most popular interactive entertainment platforms. We partner with industry giants such as Microsoft, Sony, Nintendo, Activision, Pokémon, and more. You can find our products at most major retailers in North America, Europe, Australia, and Latin America.

Job Summary

The Sr. Product Developer, Soft Goods serves as the strategic leader and subject matter expert for the Soft Goods product category, driving innovation from concept through commercialization. This role owns category roadmaps, influences product strategy, leads complex cross‑functional initiatives, mentors development team members, and partners closely with suppliers, licensors, and business leaders to delivery innovative, profitable products that support long term business growth. This includes meeting consumer needs, business objectives, quality standards, and cost targets. The position combines creativity, technical understanding, market awareness, and strong cross‑functional communication to support successful product launches.

Responsibilities

• Own the soft goods of PowerA gaming product category strategy and development roadmap, identifying growth opportunities, portfolio gaps, and long‑term innovation initiatives aligned with business objections.
• Develop 3-5 year product innovation roadmaps.
• Create new product concepts and guide products from ideation through commercialization.
• Evaluate emerging market opportunities and new business concepts.
• Translate consumer insights, market trends, and business goals into compelling product solutions.
• Present product strategy and recommendations to senior leadership.
• Develop and communicate key product benefits, value propositions, and market positioning.
• Develop category‑level financial analyses and business cases to support product portfolio decisions.
• Partner with leadership to establish and achieve margin, cost and profitability objectives.
• Drive portfolio prioritization recommendations and identify opportunities for expansion, rationalization and lifecycle management.

Strategic Planning & Concept Development

• Serve as the company’s subject matter expert for soft goods design, materials, construction techniques, manufacturing processes and consumer trends.
• Serve as the primary decision‑maker for soft goods product development tradeoffs involving materials, functionality, manufacturability, cost and user experience.
• Lead highly complex projects with significant technical, operational or commercial ambiguity.
• Create and present product concepts using sketches, renderings, digital illustrations, and prototypes.
• Lead complex cross‑functional initiatives involving Product, Engineering, Licensing, Supply Chain, Quality and Commercial teams to resolve business‑critical issues and achieve strategic objectives.
• Influence cross‑functional leaders without direct authority to achieve strategic product objectives.
• Build clear, persuasive presentations that communicate product vision, benefits, and development strategy.
• Maintain awareness of industry trends, competitive products, materials, and emerging technologies.
• Apply analytical thinking and proactive issue resolution to keep projects moving toward launch.

Additional Responsibilities

Product Lifecycle Management & Operations

• Provide technical leadership and guidance across functional teams.
• Lead the development best‑practice initiatives and improve the organizational product development capabilities.
• Manage products from concept through launch, ensuring timeline, quality, documentation, and cost objectives are met.
• Research technical requirements, resolve development issues, and support practical product solutions.
• Create, maintain, and review product specifications, development records, and related documentation.
• Make critical trade‑off decisions balancing consumer experience, product costs, quality, speed to market and commercial objectives.
• Coordinate samples, prototypes, and production readiness activities for line reviews, customer meetings, and trade shows.
• Conduct product testing, validation, gameplay evaluation, and certification activities as applicable.
• Manage licensor submissions, approval schedules, roadmaps, communication, and required follow‑up with cross‑functional teams.
• Support compliance activities including regulatory documentation, labels, declarations of conformity, and international market requirements.
• Partner with cross‑functional teams to maintain SOPs, improve development processes, and support business efficiency.
• Mentor Product Developers and Associate Product Developers, providing technical guidance, development coaching, and best‑practice leadership.
• Perform additional duties and special projects as assigned.

Qualifications

• Associate's or bachelor’s degree in Product Development, Industrial Design, Engineering, Business, or a related field preferred, equivalent experience will be considered.
• 7-10+ years of product development experience with demonstrated success leading complex consumer product initiatives, preferably in soft goods, bags, cases, consumer electronics accessories, or related categories.
• Demonstrated success managing products through the full product lifecycle, from concept through commercialization.
• Drive strategic supplier partnerships and influence manufacturing capabilities, material sourcing strategies, and cost optimization initiatives across the product portfolio.
• Familiarity with consumer soft goods compliance requirements preferred.
• Proficiency with Microsoft 365 applications including Excel, PowerPoint, Word, and related tools.
• Basic proficiency with Adobe Creative Suite and product visualization tools.
• Knowledge of the gaming industry, consumer electronics, licensed products, and major gaming platforms preferred.
• Travel 20% required, including international.
• Preferably hybrid to Camarillo, CA or Woodinville, WA.

Salary Range: $120,000 - $140,000

About Us:

You know our brands. You love our brands. You just may not know they are ours.

If you have touched a PowerA® gaming controller, a Five Star® notebook, a Swingline® stapler, a Quartet® dry erase board, or a Kensington® computer mouse, you have touched part of ACCO Brands Corporation. With annual revenues of more than $1.5 Billion, ACCO Brands (NYSE: ACCO) designs, markets, manufactures, and sells branded academic, consumer, and business products globally. The power of our brands, our unmatched global customer reach, and our strategic market strengths put us in a position to achieve global leadership and growth. We're proud of our long history of industry leadership and innovation and are focused on delivering exceptional value to our customers by providing unique, cutting‑edge, branded products.

What we offer:

• Comprehensive medical, prescription, dental, and vision plans
• 4% 401(k) match with immediate eligibility and vesting
• Competitive time off, available from the first day of employment
• Parental leave
• Company‑paid life and disability benefits
• Critical illness, accident, and long‑term care insurance options
• Employee and family assistance programs

Growing together is how we win.

With trusted brands, strong leadership, and a clear purpose, you’ll find opportunities to grow in your career, contribute to meaningful work, and be a part of a culture that values creativity and putting our consumers and customers first.

ACCO Brands has developed and maintains a written affirmative Action Program("AAP") for protected veterans and individuals with disabilities. A copy can be requested from Human Resources. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants.

Equal Opportunity Employer

ACCO Brands is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified candidates will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, national origin, physical or mental disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. The company strives to create a winning culture with a leadership promise to provide equal access and opportunity for all to grow, succeed, and contribute to their full potential.

AODA

Accommodation for applicants with disabilities will be provided in all parts of the recruiting process as required under the ACCO Brands Canada AODA policy. Applicants are asked to make their needs known in advance.