Associate Product Manager in Fort Mill, South Carolina at Workhorse Shared Services

At The Workhorse Group, we help bring products from concept to shelf for many of today's leading retailers and consumer brands. Our team partners across Product Development, Design, Sourcing, Operations, Manufacturing, Quality, Compliance, and Sales to create innovative products across categories including home fragrance, candles, gift, seasonal, packaging, floral, and other consumer products.

We're looking for a highly organized, proactive, and detail-oriented Associate Product Manager who thrives in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment. This role is ideal for someone who enjoys both the creative and operational sides of product development and wants exposure to the complete product lifecycle.

Working closely with Product Management, Sales, Design, Sourcing, Operations, Quality, Compliance, and our overseas manufacturing partners, you'll help transform new product ideas into successful retail programs for major national retailers.

The successful candidate will do more than complete assigned tasks. We're looking for someone who anticipates next steps, proactively follows up, identifies potential issues before they become problems, communicates project status clearly, and consistently drives projects forward from concept through execution.

This position offers the opportunity to gain broad exposure to the complete product development lifecycle while developing the skills necessary to take increasing ownership of product categories, customer accounts, and development programs.

Key Responsibilities
Product Development & Project Management

* Support the Director throughout the full product development lifecycle, from initial concept, trend research, and product ideation through sampling, costing, buyer presentations, approvals, production handoff, and product launch.
• Manage multiple retail accounts, product categories, and development projects simultaneously while ensuring milestones and deadlines remain on track.
• Proactively follow up with factories, vendors, designers, and internal teams to obtain outstanding information, resolve issues, and keep projects moving without repeated direction.
• Monitor project timelines and identify potential delays, missing information, inconsistencies, or risks before they impact critical deadlines.
• Effectively manage changing priorities, overlapping deadlines, and last-minute customer requests while maintaining exceptional organization and accuracy.

Product Sampling & Development
• Coordinate and track all stages of product sampling, including development samples, revisions, buyer samples, approval samples, pre-production samples, and required customer submissions.
• Review product samples against approved concepts, specifications, materials, colors, construction, packaging, and customer requirements.
• Maintain organized sample records and ensure sample status is current and easily accessible.

Costing, Quotations & Product Information
• Prepare and review quotations and costing information for accuracy and completeness.
• Verify dimensions, materials, packaging, case packs, MOQs, pricing, retail targets, master carton information, and customer-specific requirements.
• Identify missing or inconsistent information before product details are shared internally or externally.

Factory & Vendor Communication
• Communicate regularly with overseas factories and vendors regarding product development, specifications, revisions, pricing, packaging, samples, approvals, and deadlines.
• Review factory information for completeness rather than simply forwarding information.
• Resolve discrepancies, missing information, and development issues in partnership with cross-functional teams.

Trend, Market & Competitive Research
• Conduct ongoing product, retailer, competitor, and market research.
• Identify new product opportunities, consumer trends, packaging ideas, merchandising concepts, and innovation opportunities.
Cross-Functional Coordination & Organization
• Partner with Sales, Design, Sourcing, Operations, Quality, Compliance, and overseas teams to ensure projects move efficiently from concept through production.
• Maintain organized digital files, specifications, quotations, images, presentations, approvals, and development documentation.
• Provide proactive project updates, highlighting progress, risks, upcoming deadlines, and decisions requiring management attention.

Key Competencies
Ownership & Accountability: Takes responsibility for projects from beginning to end, understanding project status, outstanding items, next steps, and upcoming deadlines.

Proactive Follow-Through: Independently tracks outstanding items, follows up consistently, and keeps projects moving without reminders.

Multitasking & Prioritization: Successfully manages multiple retailers, product categories, projects, samples, quotations, presentations, and deadlines simultaneously.

Attention to Detail: Ensures specifications, pricing, packaging, presentations, quotations, and documentation are complete and accurate.

Sense of Urgency: Recognizes the fast-paced nature of retail product development and responds quickly to changing priorities.

Problem Solving & Resourcefulness: Identifies issues early, investigates root causes, gathers information, and recommends practical solutions.

Communication: Provides timely updates, raises concerns early, documents decisions, and ensures alignment across teams.

Organization: Maintains accurate trackers, product information, samples, quotations, specifications, approvals, and project files.

Adaptability: Remains organized and productive while priorities shift and urgent customer needs arise.

Initiative: Looks ahead to identify future needs and takes action before being asked.

Collaboration: Works effectively with cross-functional teams and external manufacturing partners while maintaining accountability for deliverables.

Qualifications
• Bachelor's degree in Product Development, Business, Merchandising, Marketing, Design, Supply Chain, or a related field preferred; equivalent experience will also be considered.
• Approximately 2–4 years of experience in Product Development, Product Management, Merchandising, Sourcing, Retail, or a related field.
• Experience supporting major retailers and consumer products is strongly preferred.
• Experience within candles, home fragrance, seasonal, gift, packaging, home décor, textiles, general merchandise, or private-label products is highly desirable.
• Strong Microsoft Office skills, especially Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Word.
• Advanced Excel skills with the ability to manage trackers, costing, specifications, timelines, and product data.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Exceptional organizational, analytical, and problem-solving abilities.
• Ability to manage confidential business information professionally.
• Experience working with overseas factories or sourcing partners is highly desirable.

Why Join The Workhorse Group?
At The Workhorse Group, you'll gain exposure to every aspect of bringing consumer products to market. You'll work alongside experienced professionals in Product Development, Sales, Creative, Operations, Sourcing, Quality, Compliance, and Global Manufacturing while helping support products sold by many of the world's largest retailers.

We offer:
• Exposure to the complete product development lifecycle from concept through retail launch.
• Opportunities to work directly with global manufacturing partners and major national retailers.
• A collaborative, entrepreneurial culture where initiative and new ideas are encouraged.
• Diverse consumer product categories including candles, home fragrance, gift, seasonal, floral, packaging, and more.
• Career growth opportunities within Product Development and Product Management.
• A company that values innovation, accountability, teamwork, continuous improvement, and professional development.
• Competitive benefit package.

The Workhorse Group is proud to be an LGBTQ+ friendly employer committed to creating an inclusive workplace where everyone is respected, supported, and empowered to succeed.