Product Manager

PRODUCT MANAGER

UNION, MO

ABOUT THE ROLE:

Do you love bringing real, hands-on products to life - from the first sketch to the finished item in a classroom or playroom? As a Product Manager at Children's Factory, you'll lead the development of innovative, high-quality physical products that inspire learning, creativity, and fun. From early education furniture to imaginative play equipment, you'll oversee every stage of the process... transforming ideas into products that enrich children's environments.

You'll thrive here if you're passionate about materials, design, and manufacturing, and enjoy collaborating with creative teams to make great ideas manufacturable, safe, and market-ready.

WHAT YOU'LL DO:

As our Product Manager, you will:

• Lead Product Development: Manage the entire lifecycle of physical products, from concept through design, prototyping, testing, and launch.
• Collaborate Cross-Functionally: Partner with Design, Engineering, Sourcing, Marketing, and Manufacturing to bring innovative, child-centered products to market.
• Research & Analyze: Conduct market and consumer research to identify trends, opportunities, and unmet needs in the early education and children's product space.
• Evaluate & Innovate: Assess competitor products and industry benchmarks to guide product design and differentiation.
• Ensure Manufacturability: Work closely with engineering and production teams to align design intent with cost, quality, and manufacturing capabilities.
• Plan & Execute Launches: Develop go-to-market strategies, timelines, and positioning plans for new product introductions.
• Optimize Product Portfolio: Support product lifecycle management, SKU rationalization, and continuous improvement efforts.

Every day, you'll have the opportunity to turn creative concepts into meaningful, tangible products that make a difference for teachers, parents, and children alike.

ABOUT YOU:

You're the right candidate if you:

• Have hands-on product experience: You've worked with physical products (furniture, toys, learning tools, or consumer goods), not just digital or software-based offerings.
• Understand design and production: You know how materials, construction, safety, and compliance influence great product design.
• Collaborate seamlessly: You enjoy partnering across teams - from creative to technical - to make ideas manufacturable and market-ready.
• Think like a creator and a strategist: You balance creativity and market insight with sound business judgment and practical execution.
• Are highly organized and proactive: You manage multiple projects, deadlines, and details while keeping the big picture in focus.
• Have a passion for products that make a difference: You care about designing items that inspire learning, play, and development in real-world settings.

REQUIRED SKILLS AND QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Design, Product Development, or a related field.
• Proven experience managing physical product development - ideally in furniture, educational products, or consumer goods.
• Demonstrated success leading cross-functional teams through concept, design, sourcing, and launch.
• Strong proficiency in Microsoft Office 365 (Teams, Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
• Experience with project management tools such as Monday.com or Smartsheet is a plus.
• Excellent writing, editing, and presentation skills.
• Highly organized with strong attention to detail and the ability to manage multiple priorities.

WHY JOIN US:

• Be Part of a Dynamic, Supportive Team: We value collaboration and celebrate success together.
• Grow Your Career: We support professional development and offer opportunities to expand your skills.
• Make an Impact: Your work will contribute to making a difference in the lives of children, educators, and parents around the world by supporting the financial health of a company that creates innovative and educational products that inspire learning and creativity.
• Enjoy Competitive Benefits, Including:
  
  
  
  • 12 Paid Holidays: Including Christmas Eve and the Day After Thanksgiving so you can enjoy more time with family.
  • Generous PTO Accrual: Because work-life balance matters.
  • Paid Parental Leave: Support for growing families.
  • Volunteer Time Off: Give back to the community while getting paid.
  • Generous 401(k) Company Match: Helping you plan for your future.
  • Educational Assistance: Invest in your career growth with tuition reimbursement.
  • Comprehensive Benefits: Medical, dental, and vision coverage starting the first of the month following your date of hire.
  
  
  
  

WHO WE ARE

At Children's Factory, we create inspired spaces for imagination and learning. For over 40 years, we've been a leading manufacturer and distributor of high-quality products for child development centers, preschools, and elementary education.

Simply put- We provide GROWN UPS with the products and resources KIDS need to inspire imagination, build confidence, and develop lifelong learning skills. We do more than just make great products. We make a positive impact on the lives of the children and educators who use them.

Each and every member of our team plays a pivotal role in helping children all over the world thrive and discover their full potential. We are looking for problem solvers, difference makers, and challenge takers. People who share our passion for education, and who want to make a difference in the world.

Children's Factory is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer

Children's Factory is an Excelligence Company. Excelligence is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Employer. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all employees, employment applicants and other covered persons without regard to unlawful considerations of race, color, religion or creed, gender, sex, pregnancy, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin or ancestry, ethnicity, citizenship status, genetic information, military or veteran status, age, physical or mental disability, or any other classification protected by applicable local, state, or federal laws.