New Product Development Associate - Topps - New York, NY

Headquartered in New York, NY, The Topps Company is a leading creator and marketer of sports and entertainment products and distinctive confections. Topps’ North America Sports and Entertainment division produces trading cards, sticker album collections, and collectible games related to iconic global brands such as Major League Baseball, National Football League, Major League Soccer, Star Wars, English Premiere League, Bundesliga, UEFA Champions League, and World Wrestling Entertainment. The company has also expanded its portfolio of products to include digital trading cards. Topps Digital Apps produces, develops and operates mobile applications that give you access to an exclusive digital card collection at your fingertips that are sold via the Apple and Google app stores under the brand names BUNT, HUDDLE, KICK, and Star Wars Card Trader. Topps’ confectionery brands, which are marketed under its Bazooka Candy Brands division, include Bazooka bubble gum, Ring Pop, Push Pop, Baby Bottle Pop, and Juicy Drop Pop confectionery items.

The Topps Company was founded in 1938 as Topps Chewing Gum, and in its early years produced a popular penny “Topps Gum” from a factory in Brooklyn, NY. After World War II, the company developed Bazooka Bubble Gum, and in 1950, added trading cards to its product line. Baseball cards appeared in 1951 and quickly became a vital part of pop culture, a tradition that continues to this day.

Topps was acquired in October of 2007 by Madison Dearborn Partners, a private equity group, and The Tornante Company, an investment company owned by Michael Eisner, former CEO of Disney. Although headquartered in New York City, Topps maintains offices in nine countries including the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, India, Brazil and Argentina. The new ownership of the company has made significant infrastructure, business and cultural advancements.

For additional information please visit: www.topps.com

Responsibilities:
We are currently seeking a New Product Development Assocaite (NPD) to join our North American Sports & Entertainment team!

As an NPD associate, you will be a vital player on the New Product Development Team of the company’s North America Sports & Entertainment business, which handles the ideation, development and production of all new product lines and brands.

The ideal candidate is an adventurous thinker with strong communication skills who enjoys working within a highly energetic and creative environment.

What You Will Do:
Operate within a small and dynamic creative team charged with brainstorming and dimensionalizing new product ideas, shepherding them through an internal approval process and preparing for production

Identify new product opportunities including, but not limited to, new licenses, new and original IP, new product formats and materials, refreshed/enhanced features to current line of products and relaunches of dormant brands

Actively contribute, participate and assist in leading ideation sessions

Prepare all internal and external concepts for review by the executive team, including the creation of conceptual visuals

Develop and execute specific styles and apply them across a broad range of subjects

Work as a collaborative team member who builds and maintains strong work relationships with internal and external teams

Build knowledge base of various manufacturing processes

Keep abreast of styles, trends and developments in the entertainment (pop culture) and sports worlds, as well as competition in the marketplace

Qualifications:
2-5 years product development/product design experience Proficient in Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator), Powerpoint, Excel Working knowledge of 3D modeling software a plus Solid drawing/rendering skills