Home Goods Product Developer - Kitchenware

Job Description

Home Goods Product Developer – Kitchenware

Phantom Brands | New York, NY

Job Type: Full-Time | In-House (On-Site)

Experience Required: 3–7+ Years

About Phantom Brands

Phantom Brands is a dynamic and growing home goods company specializing in trend-forward, high-quality products across kitchenware, tabletop, home décor, bath, storage, and lifestyle categories. We are passionate about developing innovative, design-driven collections that combine elevated aesthetics, everyday functionality, and exceptional value for today's retail market.

We are seeking an experienced, highly creative, and commercially driven Home Goods Product Developer specializing in Kitchenware to join our team in New York City.

The ideal candidate has proven experience developing successful kitchenware products and collections for major brands and national retailers, with a strong understanding of materials, manufacturing, emerging trends, and commercial product development. Experience developing products for off-price retailers such as HomeGoods, TJ Maxx, Marshalls, Ross, and Burlington is highly valued.

This is a fast-paced, highly creative environment where speed, strong visual aesthetics, and commercial execution go hand in hand. We are looking for someone who can identify trends, develop compelling products quickly, and consistently deliver innovative, retail-ready collections without compromising quality or design integrity.

Key Responsibilities

• Product Development: Lead the development of innovative, trend-forward kitchenware products from initial concept and design through sampling and production.
• Kitchenware Expertise: Develop products across a wide range of categories, including cookware, bakeware, food storage, kitchen tools and gadgets, cooking utensils, cutting boards, mixing bowls, kitchen organization, and related kitchen accessories.
• Collection Development: Create cohesive, commercially relevant collections incorporating coordinated colors, patterns, materials, shapes, finishes, and functional features.
• Trend Research & Forecasting: Identify and interpret current and emerging trends in kitchenware, cooking, color, materials, patterns, textures, finishes, and consumer preferences.
• AI-Assisted Product Development: Utilize AI-powered creative tools to accelerate product ideation, generate realistic product visualizations, explore design variations, and streamline the overall development process.
• Material & Manufacturing Knowledge: Apply a strong understanding of materials, finishes, manufacturing processes, and product construction to develop aesthetically compelling, functional, and production-feasible kitchenware.
• Retail & Market Research: Analyze competitive products, pricing, assortments, and design trends across major retailers to identify opportunities for new product development.
• Cost-Effective Product Development: Collaborate with sourcing and production teams to develop products that meet competitive target costs and retail price points while maintaining strong aesthetics, functionality, and quality.
• Product Specifications: Prepare detailed product development packages, including dimensions, materials, colors, Pantone references, patterns, finishes, artwork placement, and manufacturing specifications.
• Sampling & Product Refinement: Review product samples, communicate revisions, refine design details, and ensure finished products accurately reflect approved concepts.
• Factory Collaboration: Work closely with overseas manufacturers and internal production teams to ensure designs are technically feasible, cost-effective, and aligned with manufacturing capabilities.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with design, merchandising, sales, sourcing, and production teams to develop collections that align with retailer needs and business objectives.
• Fast-Paced Execution: Manage multiple kitchenware collections and development projects simultaneously while meeting tight deadlines and responding quickly to evolving market demands.

Qualifications & Requirements

• Minimum 3 years of professional experience, ideally 3–7+ years, specifically in kitchenware and hard goods product development.
• Proven experience creating and developing successful kitchenware products or collections for major brands, national retailers, or established home goods companies.
• Strong portfolio demonstrating original product development, successful collections, commercial relevance, and exceptional visual aesthetics.
• Demonstrated design range , with the ability to develop products across multiple aesthetics, styles, seasonal themes, consumer demographics, and retail price points.
• Strong understanding of current and emerging trends in kitchenware, cooking, kitchen organization, color, materials, patterns, shapes, and finishes.
• In-depth knowledge of kitchenware materials, including stainless steel, aluminum, cast iron, ceramic, glass, silicone, wood, bamboo, plastics, and other relevant materials.
• Understanding of manufacturing techniques such as injection molding, die casting, stamping, coating, glazing, embossing, printing, and various surface treatments and finishes.
• Knowledge of product functionality, durability, food-contact material considerations, manufacturing limitations, and applicable safety and quality requirements.
• Experience developing coordinated kitchenware collections, including the ability to translate prints, patterns, colors, and design concepts across multiple product forms.
• Experience taking products from initial concept through design development, sampling, costing, and mass production.
• Comfortable using AI tools as part of the creative product development process to support concept generation, product visualization, design exploration, and faster execution.
• Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite, particularly Photoshop and Illustrator, along with relevant design and visualization tools.
• Ability to create compelling product renderings, presentations, mood boards, and detailed product specifications.
• Strong commercial awareness, including competitive retail pricing, product positioning, perceived value, and consumer purchasing behavior.
• Experience developing products for major off-price retailers, including TJ Maxx, Marshalls, HomeGoods, Ross, and Burlington, is a strong plus.
• Excellent organizational skills, attention to detail, and the ability to manage multiple projects under demanding deadlines.
• Strong communication skills and the ability to collaborate effectively with internal teams and overseas manufacturing partners.
• Existing relationships with factories and manufacturers in China are a plus, but not required .

Ideal Candidate

We are looking for a product developer who combines exceptional creative instincts with strong technical knowledge and commercial awareness.

The ideal candidate has a refined visual aesthetic, a strong understanding of kitchenware manufacturing, and the ability to translate emerging trends into unique, functional, and commercially successful products. They should understand how to develop cohesive collections while recognizing the importance of individual product details, including shape, proportion, color, material, texture, finish, ergonomics, and functionality.

This individual must be versatile in their design approach, comfortable working across a broad range of kitchenware categories, and knowledgeable about how different materials and manufacturing processes affect the appearance, quality, performance, cost, and feasibility of a product.

We value developers who understand what makes a product visually compelling, what makes it functional, what makes it commercially successful, and how to bring it to market efficiently.

Speed and creativity are equally important in this role. The right candidate thrives in a fast-moving environment, is comfortable incorporating AI and modern design tools into their workflow, adapts quickly to changing creative direction, and consistently produces high-quality work within tight timelines.

Above all, we are looking for someone who is proactive, resourceful, highly motivated, and passionate about developing beautiful, innovative kitchenware collections that stand out in the retail marketplace.

Position Details

Location: New York City, NY

Schedule: Full-Time, Monday–Friday

Work Arrangement: 100% In-House / On-Site (Not Remote or Hybrid)

Experience: Minimum 3 Years; 3–7+ Years Preferred

Specialization: Kitchenware Product Design & Development

Join Our Team

At Phantom Brands, you will have the opportunity to help shape exciting, trend-forward kitchenware collections developed for major retail markets. We offer a creative, collaborative, and fast-paced environment where innovative thinking, strong design instincts, technical expertise, and the ability to execute quickly are valued.

We are looking for an experienced product developer who brings fresh ideas, a sophisticated visual perspective, and the expertise needed to turn creative concepts into successful, functional, and retail-ready products.

How to Apply

Interested candidates should email their resume and portfolio directly to the Creative Director at View email address on ziprecruiter.com to be considered for this position.

Please include examples of kitchenware products or collections you have personally designed or developed.

Applications should demonstrate:

• Successful kitchenware products or collections developed for major brands or retailers.
• Strong design range across multiple kitchenware categories, materials, and aesthetics.
• Experience developing cohesive collections with coordinated colors, patterns, shapes, and finishes.
• Understanding of product functionality, construction, materials, manufacturing processes, and commercial costing.
• Ability to identify and translate emerging trends into market-ready products.
• Experience incorporating AI and modern creative tools into the product development process.

A portfolio or documented examples of successfully developed products are required to be considered for this position.