Product Developer/Industrial Designer — US Puppy Habit-Building Brand
Rainforest is Asia's leading e-commerce brand aggregator that focuses on brands and products for the modern parent. We buy consumer e-commerce brands and invest in the acquired brands to grow them globally. Our mission is to fulfill the potential ofmicrobrands, growing brands with great products to delight mums worldwide.
We're looking for a
Product Developer/Industrial Designer
to help build a new US puppy brand in our portfolio. This is a habit-building brand for first-time puppy parents, designed around puppy development, enrichment, routines, and the bond between puppies and their owners.
This role is less about running spec sheets off a checklist, and more about understanding what first-time puppy parents are truly struggling with
— their anxieties, their routines, the emotional bond they're building with a new puppy — and translating that human insight, together with our pet behaviour specialists, into products that genuinely solve a felt need. You'll then take that idea all the way through supplier sourcing, sampling, testing, production and launch.
The Role
Own product development end-to-end, from concept to mass production, for our puppy habit-building range. You'll work closely with the Senior Brand Manager, external pet behaviour specialists, suppliers and creative partners to turn behavioural and emotional insight into commercially viable, safe and well-executed products.
What you'll do
- Build the product pipeline with the Senior Brand Manager and pet behaviour specialists, starting from real behavioural and emotional insight — not just category data.
- Dig into how first-time puppy parents actually think and feel: their worries, routines, and what they're really trying to achieve with their puppy. Read between the lines of reviews, forums, and conversations to spot the felt needs that aren't obvious from data alone.
- Research the market and competitors to sense-check and sharpen opportunities identified through that insight work.
- Translate product ideas into clear, factory-ready specifications, including materials, dimensions, construction, testing, packaging and labelling.
- Source, evaluate and select suppliers based on capability, quality, cost, MOQ and lead time.
- Manage RFQs, samples, supplier feedback, revisions and production handover.
- Review samples against product specs, user feedback, specialist input and safety requirements.
- Own product QA and compliance, with a focus on pet product safety, durability and suitability for puppies.
- Manage timelines, stakeholders and launch readiness to keep projects moving on schedule.
- Brief marketing and creative partners so packaging, instructions and product claims are accurate, clear and on brand.
- Review product launches and use learnings — including what customers say and feel, not just what they buy — to improve future products.
What we're looking for
- A natural curiosity about consumer behaviour and emotional needs — someone who can read between the lines of reviews, conversations and behavioural insight to spot real opportunities, rather than someone who relies solely on data dashboards or keyword tools to determine market gaps.
- 4–6+ years' experience in product development, ideally across consumer products.
- Experience taking products from concept through to sourcing, sampling, QA and mass production.
- Strong understanding of materials, manufacturing processes and supplier capabilities.
- Experience creating product specs, tech packs, RFQs or production-ready briefs.
- Experience in pet products, toys, chews, accessories, juvenile products or care-led categories is a plus.
- Highly organised and comfortable managing multiple projects at the same time — process discipline matters, but it supports the insight work rather than replacing it.
- Proactive, self-directed and able to work with limited supervision.
- Strong communication skills with suppliers and internal stakeholders.
- Good understanding of Western consumers, especially the US market.
- Experience working with suppliers in China or other Asian markets.
Why this role is exciting
- You'll help build a new brand from an early stage.
- You'll work on products designed around real puppy and owner behaviour — not just what a spreadsheet says is trending.
- You'll have ownership across the full product development process, from human insight to finished product.
- You'll work with external specialists, suppliers and creative teams to create genuinely differentiated products for the US market.
