Senior Manager, Sourcing and Product Development

Senior Manager, Sourcing and Product Development (Furniture / Hard Goods), Design & Development Team, Reports to Haley Seidel, VP, Design & Development:

 

The Citizenry partners with thousands of artisans all over the world to bring their storied, time-tested craftsmanship to the modern home. Our goal? Create a new type of home decor shopping experience that delivers inspiring designs ‒ and the stories behind them ‒ with unprecedented standards of quality, transparency, and social responsibility.

 

We are seeking a Sourcing and Product Development Senior Manager to execute the vision of The Citizenry’s furniture, decor, and accent collections from product conception and artisan partner selection through final sample. 

 

In this role, you will lead the sourcing and development of new products by identifying and vetting artisan partners, overseeing sampling, and placing developments with the best partners to meet strategic goals focusing on long-term mutual growth. 

 

The ideal candidate has an expertise in fostering relationships with partners domestically and globally developing high quality furniture, decor, and accents with a focus on sustainability. An in-depth knowledge of supply chains and hard goods manufacturing is critical for this role. You must be a strong visual communicator, a meticulous, detail-oriented planner, and be able to pivot a project quickly and efficiently.

 

The Sourcing and Product Development Senior Manager role reports to the Vice President of Design & Development and works directly with the Hard Goods Design, Planning and Supply Chain teams. Please note, this role is based in Dallas, Texas. Relocation assistance is provided if needed.

 

The Job

• • Develop new furniture, decor, and accent products to meet design specs; problem-solving, testing, and perfecting every step of the way while building strong relationships geared towards mutual growth.
  • Research and network extensively to find and vet potential partners in furniture, decor, and accent categories both domestically and globally.
  • Track sampling via daily communication with our artisan partners ensuring that samples arrive correctly and on time for review by deadlines set in the development calendar.
  • Monitor sampling milestones to ensure developments, including quality, packaging, and pricing are approved prior to ordering and any outstanding approvals are escalated to leadership.
  • Lead status meetings with Design, Supply Chain, Planning teams, and Co-Founders.
  • Conduct competitive research for new product categories and pricing. 
  • Work closely with the Planning and Supply Chain teams to develop pricing strategies that support our fair trade wage commitment, long-term partnerships, and The Citizenry’s growth goals.
  • Develop and track yearly and monthly sampling budgets.
  • Contribute to the development of tools and processes which make our team and artisan partners more efficient (and effective).
  • Create beautiful and straightforward presentations (for internal teams and artisan partners).
  • Roll up your sleeves and help fill in gaps when needed (after all, we are a startup)

Qualifications

• • Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience
  • 6-8 years of sourcing or product development experience 
  • Experience fostering relationships with artisans, workshops, or factories developing high-quality furniture, decor, and accents with a focus on sustainability in the US, Mexico, India, and/or Indonesia.
  • A deep understanding of furniture manufacturing and processes.
  • Strong collaboration, written and verbal communication skills across time zones, languages, and cultures.
  • Exceptionally responsive across email, WhatsApp, or other means of communicating with our artisan partners.
  • Comfortable wit­h domestic and international travel.
  • Superior time and project management skills; able to shift gears seamlessly with multiple projects and deadlines.
  • Extremely organized and detail oriented.
  • Proficient in Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, Word, and Google WorkSpace.
  • Leader/doer mindset that thrives in a tight-knit community of colleagues bound by mutual respect and a shared mission, willing to work at all levels to support the team or push the business forward.
  • Desire to make a positive impact in the world and the day-to-day team culture. 
  • Fluency in a second language is valued but not required.
  • Passion for the job and The Citizenry’s brand and vision.