Description

Dansk was founded in 1954 by Martha and Ted Nierenberg, a young New York couple who became smitten with the clean lines of Danish design while visiting Copenhagen. The couple hired Danish sculptor and designer Jens Quistgaard, who would develop many of the more than 2,000 designs the company created, including Kobenstyle cookware, which remains a best seller to this day. Dansk's collaborations with other celebrated designers, like Arne Jacobsen, Niels Refsgaard, and Vivianna Torun Bülow-Hübe, helped it cement its reputation for making exceptional design accessible to Americans. It was also one of the first lifestyle brands offering a full range of items for the kitchen and table -- even furniture and textiles. Over the years, the company commissioned Irving Penn to photograph its wares and a not-yet-discovered Andy Warhol to design a marketing booklet. 

Dansk is a brand that stays with you. The original shapes, the clean lines, the materials that age beautifully and feel timeless. Its products are sought after in vintage stores and passed down through generations. Our plan is to preserve Dansk’s heritage, to revive many of the iconic designs from its archives, and to collaborate with leading designers around the world to create new products that we hope will someday become heirlooms. Our plan is to make Dansk a mainstay of modern living that is known around the world.

Dansk is part of a family of brands that includes Schoolhouse, the lighting and lifestyle goods company based in Portland, Oregon, and Food52, the curated cooking and home destination, based in Brooklyn New York. 

About the Role 

As Director of Product Management for Dansk, you will play a crucial role in leading the brand’s end-to-end product development and sourcing for all categories in the Dansk product line. This is a unique opportunity to collaborate with accomplished designers and bring product to life for a world-class brand. Working with our Executive Leadership, your primary responsibility will be to lead the process of developing new products from ideation to execution, ensuring that Dansk’s products align with the brand strategy, design and quality standards, while simultaneously delivering successful financial results. 

Key Responsibilities 

• Lead the development process for both the reproduction of Dansk original designs and innovative new products that adhere to the brands aesthetic identity, stringent quality standards, and rigorous timelines 
• Define, create and share product development calendar for each design project and collaboration
• Understand and benchmark market trends (sourcing and pricing) through your established supplier network and the competitive landscape. Leverage this data to inform and drive product sourcing decisions
• Own the product quality standards for the brand – establish brand standards and rigorous testing protocols
• Develop sourcing strategies for existing and new products that adhere to pricing targets and profitability goals
• Negotiate costing and buy quantities with vendors and suppliers to achieve product and brand financial targets
• Manage the end-to-end product development process from concept to launch
• Collaborate with vendors, suppliers and cross-functional partners to manage production and on-time delivery to ensure successful product launches 
• Analyze and monitor product performance and make necessary improvements where needed to support financial targets and business strategy 
• Lead day to day communication and coordination with cross-functional partners, vendors, and suppliers 

Qualifications & Requirements 

• Minimum 8-10 years of professional retail Design, Product Development, Sourcing, or Merchandising work experience preferably in the home industry sector.
• Ideally the candidate has 2 years experience in merchandising function or start-up/ small company experience.
• Experience conceptualizing and developing product directly with vendors and suppliers; thorough understanding of Design, Product Development, Sourcing, and Merchandising from concept through commercialization 
• Ability to leverage industry knowledge and professional network of quality suppliers and manufacturers within the home furnishings industry'
• Outstanding taste level and creative talent with a strong ability to identify, forecast, and translate home industry trends 
• Critical thinker with strong ability to work independently and collaboratively, extreme sense of curiosity, and a deep understanding of product quality 
• Ability to prioritize, multi-task and adapt to change within an evolving environment 
• Excellent communication skills
• Extremely well organized and detail-oriented – excellent calendar adherence and ownership 
• Domestic and international travel required for sourcing, visiting vendors and suppliers, and attending industry trade shows to research trends, identify potential new product partners, and foster existing relationships.

COMPENSATION

This is an exempt role. The target pay for this role is $150k to $175k.

EEO STATEMENT

Food52 is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace, providing equal employment and advancement opportunities to all team members. To achieve our mission of teaching the world to grow, we are building an environment where every employee can thrive, feel a sense of belonging, and do the best work of their careers. We value diversity and recruit, hire, and promote individuals solely based on talent, qualifications, competence, and merit. We evaluate candidates without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, or other protected characteristics as required by law and as a matter of our company values. 

WORKING AT FOOD52

Food52 is committed to providing our team with a competitive benefits package. Some of our benefits for 2024 include: 

• Food52 funded health benefits (medical, dental, and vision), starting at zero cost to employees
• Unlimited paid time off
• Monthly fitness reimbursement
• Citibike (NYC) or BikeTown (PDX) company-sponsored annual membership
• Generous employee discount across our brand portfolio
• 401K 
• FSA / HSA

OUR VALUES

We save everyone a seat.

• We forge connections with our community through kindness, empathy, and personal touch.
• We view everyone as a whole person, and we celebrate what makes us unique.
• We aspire to leave things better than we found them.

We reset the table.

• We actively create opportunities for change and believe in challenging industry norms.
• We clearly communicate our DEI vision and welcome discussion.
• We make room for new and existing members of our community and commit to supporting their needs.

We go off recipe.

• We don’t follow the pack, we lead it.
• We strive to build a great company that continues to grow and develop, with original ideas and unique implementation.

We light the fire.

• Instead of waiting for work to be identified or assigned, we take the initiative and seek it out, embracing action and accountability.
• Put simply: we get stuff done.

We pass the butter.

• We engage in respectful interactions under all circumstances, operating with a “we” not an “I” mentality.
• We lead with positive intent and charitable assumption, and we understand that we are all working towards the same goals.
• We lift each other up by generously bringing what we have to offer to the table.

VISA SPONSORSHIP

Currently, Food52 does not provide Visa sponsorship. All applicants must be able to provide legal proof of their eligibility to work in the U.S.