Product Design Associate

About TESO Group
Founded in 2017 and headquartered in New York, TESO Group is a rapidly growing Asian lifestyle retail group in the United States. Its portfolio includes TESO Life, its flagship general merchandise retail brand; TESO X, a collectible toy retail concept; TESO Mini, an Asian convenience store concept; and proprietary brands including MONKIMON and O’HOMNI.

The Group currently operates 35 stores across 14 states, with another 67 locations under construction or in development, and aims to open more than 300 stores by 2030. Its product categories include beauty, snacks, collectible toys, home goods, stationery, and pet products, serving more than 450,000 customers per month.

Position Overview

This position is responsible for design execution, production coordination, and quality control for physical products within the product design system. The goal is to support efficient expansion of the company’s physical product lines and ensure consistent, stable, high-quality execution. Working with the Product Design Manager, the Product Designer helps define packaging structures, visual architecture, and grid systems, then accurately translates approved concepts into packaging design files that meet product positioning, compliance requirements, and production conditions. The role also coordinates with external manufacturers and contract factories to clarify product specifications, design requirements, and production processes; tracks and reviews samples; and promptly reports deviations, conflicts, and risks during production.

The Product Designer primarily executes and translates packaging visual concepts into production-ready deliverables. Internally, the role works with the Product Design Manager to define packaging formats, information hierarchy, and visual effects, and works with the Product Information & Compliance Specialist to accurately place required legal information, product instructions, and other necessary content. Externally, the role provides manufacturers with clear, accurate, actionable requirements, design drawings, and process specifications; objectively evaluates samples against approved standards; and coordinates or escalates issues as needed.

At the team level, the role also assists the Product Design Manager in coordinating basic execution tasks assigned to Product Design Assistants, clarifying task requirements and delivery standards, and overseeing file organization, design adaptation, and document archiving to keep physical product development and design execution efficient, standardized, and orderly.

Job Responsibilities

1. Core Visual Adaptation and SKU Execution
2. 1. Use established internal layout systems proficiently to independently and efficiently lay out and adapt high volumes of derivative SKUs each month.
   2. Translate approved core design concepts accurately into standardized foundational 3D physical-structure models and 2D outer-packaging visual files, ensuring aesthetic consistency and standardization across large-volume output.
3. Cross-functional Coordination and Compliance Content Layout
4. 1. For packaging intended for the product’s target sales markets, take the verified copy supplied by the Product Information & Compliance Specialist and reorganize and lay it out in a clear, attractive manner without compromising the product’s overall design or brand identity.
5. Production Handover and Objective Sample Verification
6. 1. Provide external factories with complete and accurate design files, product requirements, and specifications needed for mass production.
   2. Track factory progress on first samples and production samples. Use standardized lighting to objectively compare color accuracy and verify the structural suitability and dimensional precision of physical white-box samples.
7. Execution Workflow Coordination
8. 1. Responsible for appropriately breaking down and assigning routine, basic tasks to Product Design Specialists.
   2. Responsible for conducting preliminary compliance and quality checks on basic work submitted by assistants, catching common errors, and ensuring that all deliverables meet professional standards.

Qualifications

• Education: A bachelor’s degree or higher in visual communication, graphic design, packaging design, or a related field from an art or design institution is preferred.
• Professional Experience: 0-2 years of experience in physical product or packaging development, with proven experience delivering portfolio projects. Familiarity with contract manufacturing processes and cross-time-zone collaboration is required.
• Knowledge & Skills: Strong command of Adobe Creative Suite and knowledge of Pantone color standards and color accuracy.
• Core Competencies: Strong ability to work under pressure and exceptional attention to detail. Clear technical reasoning and the ability to turn production conflicts into structured analysis reports for efficient escalation and resolution.

Compensation

• $22-$25 per hour
• Quarterly Performance Bonus: This position is eligible for a quarterly performance-based bonus, subject to the eligibility requirements, performance criteria, and terms of the Company's bonus program.

Benefits

• 401(k) & 401(k) matching - subject to the eligibility requirements
• Paid Sick Leave
• Employee discount
• Health insurance
• Paid Time Off

Job Type: Full-Time (On-Site)