Production Associate

Purpose of this position: 

Packed Party is looking for a rockstar production associate to jump in the middle of our rapidly growing team here in Austin, TX at the ground level. The individual will be responsible for supporting all pre-production development tasks; including developing technical packages for manufacturers, tracking and reviewing samples, market & trend research, technical file preparation and maintenance and much more. You’ll work closely with the Director of Operations and the design team. This person is ideally:

 

Essential roles and duties: 

  • Extremely detailed and process oriented, helping to refine all pre-production processes 
  • Highly motivated with high a sense of urgency and initiative. Always taking responsibility 
  • Organization freak keeping timelines and schedules of production and processes 
  • Able to work effectively under pressure and always looking for the next challenge 
  • Strong attention to details and craftsmanship, ensuring that all product provided to third parties has been fully vetted 
  • Strong ability to manage multiple projects and timelines 
  • An over-communicator, as you will be need to ensure our design and operations team meet all deadlines. This individual must be comfortable communicating timing to the larger team 
  • Self-starter, you see an issue with a product or packaging and you immediately fix the error and alert the Director of Operations about the issue 
  • Proven ability to analyze and research the market and trends for a full understanding of product category and competitive offerings 
  • Excellent problem-solving skills and an ability to work independently with limited instruction 
  • Proficiency in MS Word, Excel and PowerPoint is a must 
  • Experience with Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, InDesign & Photoshop) is preferred

 

This role would be responsible for:

Pre-Production Development Creative 

o Assist with product development brainstorming and ideation 

o Work directly with the design team assisting with all open product development projects, including the all tasks required to bring the product to market

o Assist with the development and organization of all basic technical file packages. 

This role is the subject matter expert at keeping product specifications up to date and accurate for communication with our manufacturing base 

o Oversee the technical specification documentation and handle internal communication on behalf of design team to cross-functional partners 

o Establish standards for technical specification documents and technical packets 

 

Pre-Production Development - Operational 

o Oversee the production work stream from start to finish

o Prepare weekly reports to keep the team well informed of the status of all upcoming programs 

o Assist with the management, organization, and tracking of all sampling

o Assist with the development and enforcement of approval processes using an excel based tracking system 

o Closely monitor the development process and ensure schedule adherence to launch through all vendor and internal channels

o Provide appropriate reports and updates to internal teams on progress and production of new products 

o Ensure all supplier quotations and samples are completed on a timely basis for appropriate decision making to meet objectives

 

Market and Product Trend Analysis 

o Assist with market and trend research, constantly monitoring the competitive landscape, finding new materials, manufacturing processes and design trends that may be of use to the design and operations teams 

o Lead analysis determining if Packed Party’s prices are competitive on comparable products vs. competitors 

o Develop products to achieve unmet consumer needs 

 

Product and SKU Management 

o Own Packed Party’s Master Item list and the creation of SKU numbers, UPC designation, and SKU classification process and catalog o Assist the Director of Operations in pulling all import / tariff coding to ensure the landed cost for each product is correctly reflected 

o Maintain Assortment sheets in Excel that capture all collection sets with detail information (SKU, landed costs, etc.) 

 

Supplier Oversight 

o Manage order execution and resolve product and production issues on a timely and proactive manner 

o Monitor supplier performance to ensure it meets or exceeds Company KPIs 

o Assist in research to expand Packed Party’s manufacturing base 

 

Quality Control Management 

o Visiting our distribution center and leading all quality control on incoming product 

o Acting proactively to communicate with our internal team and manufacturers on any discrepancies of final product vs. final samples 

Prepare weekly reports to keep team well informed of status of all upcoming programs

 

Think you're THE person for the job? Submit your cover letter + resume to careers@packedparty.com