Production Design Assistant - Development & Production

Production Design Assistant

Production Design Assistant Development & Production plays a critical support role within the Global Lifestyle Merchandise team, partnering closely with the Development and Production Lead to execute product creation from concept through delivery. This role is highly operational, ensuring timelines, samples, vendor communications, and production workflows run efficiently and accurately. This individual will serve as the connective tissue across Design, Brand Marketing, Legal, Procurement, and external vendors—helping to bring lifestyle merchandise to market on time, within budget, and at the highest quality standards.

Responsibilities

Key Responsibilities – Project & Process Support

• Maintain and update Time & Action (T&A) calendars to track all development and production milestones
• Coordinate cross-functional approvals across Design, Brand, and Legal teams
• Track project status and proactively flag risks, delays, or resource gaps
• Prepare status reports, recaps, and documentation to support stakeholder visibility
• Support budget tracking, invoice processing, and financial reconciliation

Key Responsibilities – Product Development Support

• Assist in managing the end-to-end prototyping process, including sample tracking and revisions
• Maintain accurate records of product specs, costing updates, and design changes
• Coordinate sample requests, shipping, and internal distribution for reviews
• Support costing exercises, margin tracking, and vendor quote comparisons
• Help maintain and organize sample archives (development + final approvals)
• Partner with Design to ensure briefs are translated accurately into production-ready products

Key Responsibilities – Production & Operations

• Support order management processes including line lists, order files, and PO creation
• Track production timelines and ensure on-time delivery against key milestones
• Coordinate logistics, shipping documentation, and freight partners
• Assist in managing vendor communications related to production updates and issue resolution
• Support quality assurance processes, including documentation, testing coordination, and compliance tracking
• Help troubleshoot production issues and escalate to Lead as needed

Key Responsibilities – Vendor & Systems Management

• Maintain and update vendor database, factory profiles, and system records
• Assist in onboarding new suppliers and managing required documentation
• Track vendor performance, timelines, and quality metrics
• Support development of tools, trackers, and process improvements to enhance efficiency

Compensation and Benefits

• The expected compensation range for this position is between $80,700 - $135,100.

• Location, confirmed job-related skills, experience, and education will be considered in setting actual starting salary. Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary range during the hiring process.

• Bonus based on performance and eligibility target payout is 5% of annual salary paid out annually.

• Paid time off subject to eligibility, including paid parental leave, vacation, sick, and bereavement.

• In addition to salary, PepsiCo offers a comprehensive benefits package to support our employees and their families, subject to elections and eligibility: Medical, Dental, Vision, Disability, Health, and Dependent Care Reimbursement Accounts, Employee Assistance Program (EAP), Insurance (Accident, Group Legal, Life), Defined Contribution Retirement Plan.

Qualifications

• At least 3 years of experience in product development, production, merchandising, or supply chain

• Exposure to lifestyle categories such as apparel, footwear, or accessories preferred

• Strong organizational and project coordination skills with high attention to detail

• Familiarity with costing, production timelines, and supply chain fundamentals

• Experience with design tools including Adobe Illustrator

• Proficiency in Excel and project tracking tools Core Competencies

• Highly organized with strong follow-through and attention to detail

• Effective communicator across cross-functional teams and external partners

• Proactive problem-solver with ability to manage multiple priorities

• Comfortable working in a fast-paced, evolving environment

• Collaborative mindset with a strong sense of ownership and accountability