Major responsibility for design, specifically for residential decorative lighting. In combination with design, the position must have ability to: multi-task, be able to move from different responsibilities and collaborate with different teams in a day. Be able to move to different areas daily, while maintaining a high level of efficiency and focus. This position consists of two main responsibilities, lighting product design and production management.Product Development solely focussed on home lighting design. Consisting of compiling trend research in an actionable format, competition analysis, new design proposals, and reviewing a plethora of catalogs, magazines, new product releases (from Maison & America’s Mart) and other assets available to help the design team.Production Management starts when a new product has been ordered, walking it through all departments in Lights.com, ending when the product is in stock and ready for sale. Responsible for orchestrating all requirements for a new product. Starting with the purchasing team, to packaging and manual design, to creative and listings, to marketing, all leading to the last stop and customer sales and support. Responsible for the listing of each product, from both a photography, styling, design perspective and the technical specifications.

Recommended edits to the clear, differentiated, global brand positioning and revisions to the consumer target consistent with the global positioning. Drove key brand, category or portfolio initiatives that effectively reach and connect with target consumers. Ensured all brand communications are consistent with global brand positioning.Articulated concept statements for innovation and used experience and market and consumer knowledge to prioritize ideas. Worked collaboratively with R&D and Consumer & Market Insights (CMI) to develop and recommend a brand &/or category innovation strategy, including role of sustaining and breakthrough innovation, new categories, and new market spaces. Innovation in brand communication, business model or strategic partnership. Effectively created and presented a robust business case through the gate-keeping process aligning executive leadership to a brand’s innovation strategy. Participated in life cycle management across the portfolio balancing rhythm of entering or exiting product classes or SKUs and extending life cycles. Optimized strategic plans for specific regions and channels.Executed against clear objectives for brand communication and a vision for short and long-term success.Participated in annual brand planning process to set a fully integrated marketing plan and programming utilizing the full marketing mix of advertising, promotions, and trade, working with the Brand Activation and Trade Marketing and Design teams.

Responsible for consumer & shopper insight driven Home Accents (accessories) product development, design & execution including business plans, product objectives, cross-functional collaboration, consumer validation, refinement and execution. Drive sales growth via incremental new products that fit with both Yankee Candle strategies and consumer needs. Responsible for development across business units (Retail, Wholesale, Consumer Direct, International).Design direction and management of home accent design and trend development for NPD. Managing internal and freelance industrial designers in the Greater New York area.

Primarily responsible for implementing overall visual merchandising and store experience providing visual direction to 500+ stores and 35+ District Visual Managers. Responsible for managing and creating visually appealing and innovative product merchandise displays for the seasonal store set each quarter supporting brand integrity for the Wholesale business unit. Made decisions with North American as well as International Retail Marketing and Procurement Planning to support key initiatives of the corporate marketing calendar. Delivered seasonal floor set designs that meet budget guidelines and aggressive timelines. Fixture development and design, wholesale showroom design and set up, national and international merchandising strategy and catalog display direction. Created a visual training program for the wholesale and retail sales teams.

Visual/Operations Store Manager: 55,000 sq. foot Flagship Store -Designed floor plans -Design and bought props-Display direction and trained associates for the visual team-Customized Furniture and Rug Consultation and Sales-Interior Design Personal Shopping -All In-store Marketing and Events.

90,000 sq foot Flagship Store Visual Merchandising Team Member. Created Season Displays: Home Store, Country Store, Car Museum, Toy Shop, Castle themed rooms in edition to the largest candle store in the world.

Internship while attending The Art Insititute. Assisted designers as needed, in the field as well as the showroom.