Associate Product Developer

Funko Overview 

Welcome to the Funko-verse, a world built on pure imagination, a land governed by the philosophy that stories matter, a universe comprised of characters from countless fandoms, a galaxy of once upon a times and happily ever afters. 

But what does Funko do? 

Funko is a purveyor of pop culture, making and selling license-focused collectibles. We’re based in Everett, WA where we have a store that delights kids of all ages (kids at heart included). We currently hold hundreds of licenses for franchises ranging from Marvel to Harry Potter, giving us the rights to create tens of thousands of characters—one of the largest portfolios in the pop culture and collectibles industry. We take your favorite characters and turn them into adorable, or sometimes scary, collectible figures. Our most famous line, Pop! Vinyl, has millions of fans around the world.  

The Associate Product Developer is responsible for making sure that concepts turn into cool Funko products on retail shelves. The Associate Product Developer will manage projects from initial conception through our art team and into production in our factories. During this process, the Associate Product Developer will additionally collaborate with our external licensors (Lucas Arts, Marvel, Netflix, are a few examples), factories, and sales teams to make sure that products are made with the required specifications. This position ensures key milestones and manufacturing/delivery dates are met.  

Your Superpowers in Action 

• Assists Product Developer(s) with all aspects of product development, from initial product concepts, throughout development to when the final goods leave our factories
• Responsible for progress on product timelines for assigned development and ensures that set ship dates are met for assigned SKU count under the guidance of a Product Developer or Supervisor or Manager (maintains on average approximately 10 new items per month)
• Creates initial production schedule for assigned items and presents planned development to internal teams, licensors, and factories and communicates any changes which occur in development to item specifications or timelines to stakeholders as necessary
• Review and regularly maintain all project management tracking documents including product data and integrity in the Product Development tracking system including the management of data in the product development system as development progresses to ensure data accuracy
• Assist with coordinating product approvals with assigned licensors and/or internal stakeholders throughout the development process
• Ensure product meets costing targets and contribution margins
• Creates tech packs with detailed specifications for assigned development product categories. Deliveries tech packs to factories and updates as needed on sample feedback and licensor changes
• Communicates directly with the factory on any questions regarding the technical specs they create
• Responsible for updating and maintaining planned development line lists to ensure licensors receive updated line lists regularly as needed
• Review and approve all product samples including packaging for assigned product categories along with Supervisor, Sr. Product Developer or PD Manager and provides detailed feedback or comments to the factory and other stakeholders to ensure accuracy on all items is maintained such as production quality, intended and approved design, product name, descriptions, images, stickers, legal lines, etc.
• Reviews testing documents to ensure product is compliant. Works with PD Manager, Supervisor or Sr. Product Developer and coordinate with QA & Testing team to resolve any issues

Must-Have Superhero Gadgetry 

• Bachelor's degree in Product Development, Merchandising, Engineering preferred (or similar); or 2 year’s related experience in product development/creation in the consumer goods industry (toys, apparel, footwear, etc.) – fast fashion; or equivalent combination of education and experience
• Understanding of and experience with managing product timelines and product creation
• Experience with product tracking tools and software is a plus
• Relevant experience with costing, bill of materials (BOM) creation, spec sheet (tech pack) creation, design translation, product and material experience is preferred, but not required
• Understanding of product creation and product lifecycle is preferred
• Strong attention to detail and organization to keep up with product changes through the development and production process
• Strong communication skills (both verbal and written) and ability to communicate within all levels of the organization (including C-Level) as well as with external partners, vendors and licensors
• Proficient in Microsoft Office produc