Technical Product Developer - Upholstery Furniture (DTC Brand)

Technical Product Developer - Upholstery Furniture (DTC Brand)
Location: Ho Chi Minh City / Binh Duong / Dong Nai, Vietnam
Department: Product Development / Engineering
Reports To: Country Manager
About the Role
Poly & Bark is a direct-to-consumer furniture brand - we design, develop, and sell our own products directly to customers, not through wholesale or private-label manufacturing for other brands. We're looking for a Technical Product Developer who has actually worked inside a DTC or brand-owned product organization, not just supplied one.
Key Responsibilities
Technical Product Development
Develop and review technical drawings, specifications, and assembly instructions for our own branded product line. Evaluate furniture structure, joinery, hardware, materials, and finishing methods. Ensure products are manufacturable while maintaining design intent and target cost - balancing brand identity with production reality, the way only someone who's worked brand-side understands.
Prototype & Sample Management
Coordinate prototype development with suppliers to ensure timelines are met. Review development, engineering, and pre-production samples. Identify technical risks, quality issues, and manufacturing constraints. Lead corrective actions and product improvements prior to mass production.
Supplier Coordination
Work closely with OEM/ODM factories across Vietnam to resolve construction and production issues - this time representing the brand's interests, not the factory's. Conduct factory visits for sample review, production audits, and troubleshooting.
Engineering & Value Optimization
Recommend value engineering solutions to improve product quality, manufacturability, packaging efficiency, assembly performance, and production cost, always with the end customer and brand positioning in mind.
Cross-Functional Collaboration
Partner with buying, sourcing, and quality assurance teams. Track development timelines and communicate project status updates across stakeholders.
Qualifications
Experience
10+ years in furniture technical development, with direct experience working in-house at a DTC or consumer-facing furniture brand - not solely at an OEM/ODM factory or supplier serving other brands. High-level technical knowledge centered on specialized sofa production and complex frame construction. Proven experience with factory-side development - specifically handling sample reviews, pilot runs, and formal sample sign-offs at the factory floor level in Vietnam. Ability to generate detailed, independent sample and pre-production (PPS) reports to ensure products reach mass production with the right quality standards.
Technical Skills
Proficient in AutoCAD, Adobe Illustrator, and Microsoft Office / Google Workspace. Deep working knowledge of furniture construction methods, wood species and veneers, upholstery systems, metal fabrication, packaging engineering, and product testing standards.
Soft Skills
Strong technical problem-solving and project management abilities. High attention to detail with capacity to manage multiple concurrent projects. Fluency in English to correspond directly with buyers and leadership, with the ability to communicate proactively and push factories on timelines and process improvements. Comfortable representing a brand's interests directly to its suppliers, not just executing supplier-side work.
Education
Bachelor's degree in Furniture Design, Industrial Design, Mechanical Engineering, Wood Technology, Product Engineering, or a related field.