Sr. Product Development Engineer

Since its launch in 1993 with a collection of six essential handbags, Kate Spade New York has always been colorful, bold, and optimistic. Today, it is a global lifestyle brand that designs extraordinary things for the everyday, delivering seasonal collections of handbags, ready-to-wear, jewelry, footwear, home décor, and more. Known for its rich heritage and unique brand DNA, Kate Spade New York offers a distinctive point of view and celebrates communities of women around the globe who live their perfectly imperfect lifestyles. 

Kate Spade New York is part of the Tapestry portfolio – a global house of brands committed to stretching what’s possible.

A member of the Tapestry family, we are part of a global house of brands that has unwavering optimism and is committed to being innovative and wholly inclusive. Visit Our People page to learn more about Tapestry's commitment to equity, inclusion, and diversity.

To provide daily support to the Sr. Product Development Manager and team in an effort to deliver quality products on time.

Responsibilities:

CALENDAR:  To adhere to milestone dates.

●     To follow through calendar milestone dates on turnover of development, receipt of pass/market samples.

●     Collaborate with design, merchandising, QC, customs specialist and production to ensure all teams adhere to schedule.

DEVELOPMENT: To provide support to the Product Development Manager.

●     Maintain trackers with up to date information on all sample status, costing, comments and communication information.

●     Review all specs at turnover time to ensure designs are in line with price/cost model. Provide suggestions as needed to meet cost and quality. 

●     Ensure all specs are sent to vendors adhering to schedule.

●     Manage the sampling process – track and expedite on all pass/market samples.

●     Participate in all meetings pertaining to sample reviews and resolve costing issues as needed.

●     Review and communicate all design changes and QC comments to vendors on all pass/market samples.

●     Proof read and confirm all product profile sheets along with all packaging and special call-outs information.

●     Maintain an accurate library of pass/market samples and approval samples.

COSTING: 

●     Negotiate costs to hit target margin goals while maintaining design and quality integrity.

●     Update and maintain corporate systems to ensure cost integrity.

QUALITY:   Partner with QC team to ensure standards are met and adhered to the below.

●     Provide support to Sr. Product Development Manager through reviews of design specs, document any issues on trackers and relate all details to QC team.

●     Quality control on all pass/market samples for form, fit and functionality.

●     Follow up with all re-sub samples within a given timeline.

Qualifications

• Knowledge of the Retail/wholesale industry – specifically Jewelry process preferred
• Experience working with overseas suppliers from China, Vietnam, India, etc.
• Knowledge of international tariffs and duty rates
• Knowledge of Costing Model (Retail vs. Wholesale, Markups, Margins, etc.)
• University degree or equivalent
• Familiarity with Design Specs
• 5+ Years’ Experience in Product Development in Jewelry manufacturing
• High level proficiency with MS Excel
• Good verbal and written communications skills
• Strong interpersonal skills
• Comfortable and effective in dealing with challenging situations

Required Skills

• Must be results oriented and VERY detail conscious
• Very effective time management in order to prioritize multiple projects and meet deadlines
• Flexible, adaptable, reliable and with ability to handle multiple tasks simultaneously
• Team player

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Our Competencies for All Employees
Courage: Doesn’t hold back anything that needs to be said; provides current, direct, complete, and “actionable” positive and corrective feedback to others; lets people know where they stand; faces up to people problems on any person or situation (not including direct reports) quickly and directly; is not afraid to take negative action when necessary.
Creativity: Comes up with a lot of new and unique ideas; easily makes connections among previously unrelated notions; tends to be seen as original and value-added in brainstorming settings.
Customer Focus: Is dedicated to meeting the expectations and requirements of internal and external customers; gets first-hand customer information and uses it for improvements in products and services; acts with customers in mind; establishes and maintains effective relationships with customers and gains their trust and respect.
Dealing with Ambiguity: Can effectively cope with change; can shift gears comfortably; can decide and act without having the total picture; isn’t upset when things are up in the air; doesn’t have to finish things before moving on; can comfortably handle risk and uncertainty.
Drive for Results: Can be counted on to exceed goals successfully; is constantly and consistently one of the top performers; very bottom-line oriented; steadfastly pushes self and others for results.
Interpersonal Savvy: Relates well to all kinds of people, up, down, and sideways, inside and outside the organization; builds appropriate rapport; builds constructive and effective relationships; uses diplomacy and tact; can diffuse even high-tension situations comfortably.
Learning on the Fly: Learns quickly when facing new problems; a relentless and versatile learner; open to change; analyzes both successes and failures for clues to improvement; experiments and will try anything to find solutions; enjoys the challenge of unfamiliar tasks; quickly grasps the essence and the underlying structure of anything.
 
Our Competencies for All People Managers
Strategic Agility: Sees ahead clearly; can anticipate future consequences and trends accurately; has broad knowledge and perspective; is future oriented; can articulately paint credible pictures and visions of possibilities and likelihoods; can create competitive and breakthrough strategies and plans.
Developing Direct Reports and Others: Provides challenging and stretching tasks and assignments; holds frequent development discussions; is aware of each person's career goals; constructs compelling development plans and executes them; pushes people to accept developmental moves; will take on those who need help and further development; cooperates with the developmental system in the organization; is a people builder.
Building Effective Teams: Blends people into teams when needed; creates strong morale and spirit in their team; shares wins and successes; fosters open dialogue; lets people finish and be responsible for their work; defines success in terms of the whole team; creates a feeling of belonging in the team.                                                                                                    
 

Kate Spade. is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer and we pride ourselves on hiring and developing the best people. All employment decisions (including recruitment, hiring, promotion, compensation, transfer, training, discipline and termination) are based on the applicant’s or employee’s qualifications as they relate to the requirements of the position under consideration. These decisions are made without regard to age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic characteristics, race, color, creed, religion, ethnicity, national origin, alienage, citizenship, disability, marital status, military status, pregnancy, or any other legally-recognized protected basis prohibited by applicable law.

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

Tapestry, Inc. will provide applicants and employees with reasonable accommodation for disabilities or religious beliefs. If you require reasonable accommodation to complete the application process, please contact Tapestry People Services at 1-855-566-9264.

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Base Pay Range

Here are some of the benefits that we offer: Medical insurance, Dental insurance, Vision insurance, 401 (K), Paid Paternity and Maternity leave, Commuter Benefits, Disability insurance and Tuition assistance. Please click here for a complete list of U.S Corporate Compensation & Benefits.