Product Development & Creative Associate (Mid-Level)

About Us

Gigi Seasons is a Chicago-based holiday décor and lifestyle company with big dreams and a vibrant passion for doing good. We develop classical seasonal décor collections with a modern touch, along with lifestyle goods inspired by our in-house research and insights. We sell wholesale to retailers nationwide and directly to consumers at www.gigiseasons.com.

Our company also owns Puffer Hug, a kindness-driven lifestyle brand known for its cozy scarves, blankets, and travel accessories designed to bring comfort and connection to everyday life. While this role will support both brands, a majority of the role’s focus will be dedicated to Gigi Seasons, particularly its product development, production coordination, and seasonal execution.

We are seeking a motivated, detail-oriented Product Development & Creative Associate (Mid-Level) to join our team. This role is best suited for someone with 3–5 years of experience who has moved beyond entry-level coordination and is ready to take on greater ownership, problem-solving responsibility, and independent execution. The Associate will work closely with the Creative Director while managing day-to-day tasks, priorities, and deadlines with minimal oversight.

This is a full-time salaried position with health insurance benefits. The role requires an average of three days per week in our Chicago office, with flexibility to work remotely up to two days per week depending on project schedules and seasonal demands.

About the Role

This role blends product development coordination, production oversight, and creative support within a small, fast-paced team. The ideal candidate is a strong critical thinker who is highly organized, detail-driven, and comfortable working independently. You should be confident communicating with internal partners and global vendors, able to identify issues early, and proactive in proposing solutions.

You will support the Creative Director across multiple stages of the product lifecycle—from ongoing trend research and sample review to production coordination and creative execution—while maintaining strong organization, accuracy, and follow-through.

You will support the Creative Director across multiple stages of the product lifecycle—from early trend research to sample management to marketing execution—while delivering polished creative work and maintaining strong operational structure.

Portfolio Required: Please include a link to your portfolio with your application. Applications submitted without a portfolio link will not be considered.

Key Responsibilities

Product Development

• Research and stay current on trends, materials, and competitive landscape to inform upcoming collections
• Develop, design, and support ongoing initiatives for both brands, with a primary focus on holiday decor
• Contribute to and prepare seasonal inspiration boards, color palettes, and product concepts
• Create clear and accurate tech packs, artwork files, and specification documents.
• Participate in product presentations and collection reviews with clients.
• Apply a working knowledge of fabrication, materials, trims, and construction to support design and development process

Sample Management & Quality Review

• Manage all incoming samples, ensuring proper tracking, organization, and documentation using existing systems
• Conduct detailed quality control reviews on samples, noting discrepancies related to color, construction, sizing, material accuracy, and finishing
• Compare samples against reference samples, tech packs, and development notes.
• Organize and prepare samples for internal meetings, client presentations, and photo shoots

Production & Vendor Coordination

• Communicate professionally and clearly with global factory partners regarding tech packs, revisions, timelines, and expectations
• Follow up on sample requests, costing, quotes, and production changes
• Review, document, and coordinate approvals for pre-production samples
• Troubleshoot production issues (color, fabrication, construction, material substitutions), escalating when appropriate and proposing solutions
• Update and maintain production timelines; ensure all stakeholders remain aligned with deadlines set by the Creative Director
• Connect factories with the shipping manager to coordinate shipping logistics and documentation

Creative & Marketing Support

• Assist with seasonal and ongoing e-commerce marketing, including social media, email marketing, website updates, and product storytelling
• Create marketing artwork, graphics, product catalogs, and presentation decks
• Proofread and review marketing collateral with strong attention to detail
• Organize and maintain digital assets, photography, and marketing files

Cross-Functional Support

• Independently manage personal deadlines and set micro-milestones to stay on track with the annual development and production calendars
• Prepare display setups for internal meetings, partner presentations, and showings
• Communicate updates clearly to internal team members and vendor partners
• Maintain organization across shared digital systems, product files, spec sheets, and sample archives

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in design, product development, marketing, or related field or equivalent work experience
• 3–5 years of experience in creative project coordination, product development coordination, or a related role
• Excellent graphic design skills with proficiency in Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop, (Lightroom and InDesign proficiency are a plus)
• Thorough understanding of Microsoft Office Suite (Word, PowerPoint, Excel, SharePoint, Outlook)

Bonus Skills

• Mandarin Chinese proficiency (reading and writing) is a strong plus
• Photography, content creation, or visual storytelling experience
• Experience supporting or coordinating social media content and campaigns, such i.e., content creator/influencer collaborations
• Basic video editing skills for digital content
• Experience working with overseas factories or global vendors.

Pay: $50,000.00 - $65,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Paid time off

Application Question(s):

• Please include a link to your portfolio (required). Applications without a portfolio link will not be reviewed.

Experience:

• Product development: 3 years (Preferred)
• Design: 3 years (Required)
• overseas vendor relations and project coordination: 3 years (Preferred)

Language:

• Mandarin (Preferred)

Ability to Commute:

• Chicago, IL 60641 (Required)

Work Location: Hybrid remote in Chicago, IL 60641