Associate Product Development Manager

About Hello World Group

Hello World Group is an AI-native operating partner specializing in revitalizing distressed, licensed, and newly incubated brands across fashion, home, gifting, office, and lifestyle sectors. Operating from Los Angeles, we manage a diverse portfolio of consumer brands with annual revenues between $5 million and over $50 million, generating upwards of $5 million in free cash flow yearly. Through strategic acquisition, partnerships, and licensing, we build, operate, and fund brand growth, working with globally recognized names to develop products encompassing luxury fashion, accessories, and premium lifestyle items.

Our approach is distinct from traditional consumer goods companies; we utilize proprietary AI-driven systems alongside lean operations to accelerate processes, minimize overhead, and maintain efficiency without bureaucratic layers.

Role Overview

We seek an Associate Product Development Manager to assist with product lifecycle management across various brands and categories. This hands-on role is ideal for professionals early in their career who want to gain comprehensive exposure to every phase of product development—conceptualization, sourcing, production, and launch—in a fast-paced environment.

Reporting to the Chief Brand Officer, you will collaborate closely with Creative Directors, designers, operations, logistics, e-commerce, and sales teams. Your responsibilities include ensuring accurate and timely development calendars, maintaining precise technical documentation, managing factory communications, and overseeing sample tracking. Proactivity in identifying discrepancies—such as delayed lab dips or specification mismatches—is essential.

This position requires prior experience; candidates must already possess the ability to independently create factory-ready tech packs, interpret Bills of Materials (BOM), and manage factory workflows with minimal supervision.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage product development timelines and track milestones across diverse brand portfolios.
• Maintain comprehensive product documents, including development calendars, line plans, and trackers to flag and mitigate schedule risks.
• Facilitate cross-functional collaboration to ensure product launches meet deadlines and quality standards.
• Support design teams internally and externally across apparel, home, gifting, toys, hard goods, and lifestyle product categories.
• Create and maintain CAD files, mood boards, presentations, packaging concepts, and product storytelling assets.
• Develop and update technical packs, detailed specifications, and BOMs ensuring documents remain factory-ready.
• Serve as the primary contact for factories and vendors, managing daily communications, issuing tech packs, resolving specification or construction concerns, and escalating critical issues as needed.
• Oversee development approvals including fabrics, strike-offs, lab dips, fit approvals, pre-production and top-of-production samples, as well as compliance testing.
• Organize sample tracking, costing sheets, and quality assurance documentation for domestic and international partners.
• Assist with Shopify product setup, merchandising, and creation of customer-facing product copy.
• Coordinate with multiple departments to ensure launch preparedness and smooth inventory transitions.
• Gather data to support leadership in evaluating vendor performance, cost structures, and growth opportunities.
• Contribute to building and maintaining operational workflows and AI-enabled tools supporting development, approvals, and production tracking.
• Learn and implement AI-native resources such as AI-generated imagery and agentic workflows to enhance operations and merchandising functions.

Required Qualifications

• 2 to 3 years of hands-on experience in product development, technical design, or production within the fashion, home, soft goods, or consumer product industries. This is mandatory.
• Proven ability to independently create comprehensive, factory-ready tech packs including specifications, construction details, measurements, trims, and BOMs without supervision.
• Ability to analyze Bills of Materials for cost implications.
• Direct experience managing factory communications, issuing tech packs, addressing queries, solving construction/specification issues, and ensuring sample approvals.
• Solid understanding of the full product lifecycle from concept to delivery.
• Familiarity with sourcing, costing, and production fundamentals.
• Strong design sensibility and product taste to influence development.
• Exceptional organizational skills and meticulous follow-through to manage multiple complex tasks without oversight.
• Clear, professional written communication skills, particularly when liaising with overseas vendors across different time zones.
• Comfort working closely with senior leadership within a small and rapidly evolving team.
• Proficiency in Canva, Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, Shopify, and common productivity software.
• Keen interest and coachability towards learning and applying AI-related tools and workflows.
• High accountability and proactive approach to identify and address issues early to meet deadlines.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with luxury fashion or premium home and lifestyle brands.
• Familiarity with managing communications with overseas factories.
• Background in startups or small brands involving multiple responsibilities.
• Exposure to working across multiple categories or brands.

Additional Requirements

• A portfolio demonstrating product development and/or design work is required.
• Ability to thrive in a high-paced, high-accountability workplace.
• Willingness to engage in both strategic initiatives and essential operational tasks.

Compensation and Culture

The role offers a competitive base salary, comprehensive benefits, and performance-based bonuses. Hello World Group is committed to building exceptional products fueled by creativity, operational excellence, innovation, and accountability. Our vision is to develop the next wave of consumer businesses leveraging cutting-edge AI-enabled operations, and we seek candidates motivated to grow into leadership roles within this environment.