Arcade is building the world's first AI-powered physical product creation platform, where imagination becomes reality. We bring together leading AI researchers and a global supply chain to give brands and manufacturers an unfair advantage at the two moments that matter most: when a product is born, and when a customer decides to buy it.
Arcade is headquartered in San Francisco's Presidio and led by serial entrepreneur Mariam Naficy (Founder of Minted) alongside a world-class team from Google, Apple, Stability AI, Sierra AI, Amazon, NVIDIA, LinkedIn, Stanford, MIT, Berkeley, Williams, and more. Our AI leadership includes pioneers behind DreamBooth, Stable Diffusion, and some of the industry's most advanced agentic AI systems.
We've raised $42M from an exceptional group of investors, including Reid Hoffman, Forerunner Ventures, Canaan Partners, Adverb Ventures, Factorial Funds, Offline Ventures, Sound Ventures, Inspired Capital, and Torch Capital.
The RoleWe're looking for a Product Development & Sourcing Lead to help bring new physical products from concept through development and production.
You'll identify and develop relationships with high-quality manufacturers and suppliers and help bring products from concept through development to production.
What you'll doTurn concepts into products
Translate product concepts and requirements into clear specifications and production documentation.
Coordinate with suppliers and manufacturers through all pre-production steps: concepting, sampling, iteration, and production preparation.
Review prototypes and samples for quality, functionality, materials, construction, and overall execution.
Recommend improvements to designs, materials, processes, and production plans to support quality, cost, and delivery goals.
Lead pre-production and product development
Bring strong experience in product design and development
Be comfortable evaluating new and different product types and learning new manufacturing techniques.
Provide actionable and specific feedback to makers regarding prototypes, samples, and design iterations to move development forward.
Establish clear product specifications and quality expectations.
Own cost, quality, and manufacturability
Source materials and production methods that meet product quality, cost, and timeline requirements.
Coordinate with suppliers on pricing, order quantities, samples, terms, and delivery.
5+ years of experience in product development, sourcing, design, manufacturing, or a related field.
Experience managing physical products from concept through development, sampling, to production.
Experience working directly with suppliers, manufacturers, or production partners.
Strong understanding of materials, construction, manufacturing processes, and product quality.
Able to evaluate physical products and identify opportunities for improvement.
Comfortable working with product specifications, technical documentation, measurements, and production requirements.
Strong understanding of product costing, supplier negotiations, and vendor relationships.
Strong aesthetic judgment and attention to detail.
Curious, resourceful, and interested in learning about new materials, processes, and production methods.
Comfortable working in a fast-moving environment and balancing strategic thinking with hands-on execution.
Comfortable working in an environment with a high level of ambiguity.
Product development for physical consumer products
Design-led consumer products or related categories
Private-label or custom product development
Industrial design with hands-on production experience
Manufacturing, sourcing, or product-development experience
Experience working directly with manufacturers and supplier networks
A portfolio of products you've helped develop is a strong plus, particularly examples that demonstrate your involvement in product development, sourcing, materials, manufacturing, or production.
Why ArcadeHands-on experience at the intersection of AI, creativity, design, and commerce.
Work alongside world-class AI researchers, engineers, designers, and entrepreneurs.
Learn directly from an experienced startup leadership team.
Work in a highly collaborative, fast-paced startup environment.
Competitive compensation
Catered lunch daily by our private chef
Company events
Arcade is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.
Skills Required
- 5+ years of experience in product development, sourcing, design, manufacturing, or a related field
- Experience managing physical products from concept through development, sampling, and production
- Experience working directly with suppliers, manufacturers, or production partners
- Strong understanding of materials, construction, manufacturing processes, and product quality
- Ability to evaluate physical products and identify opportunities for improvement
- Comfort working with product specifications, technical documentation, measurements, and production requirements
- Strong understanding of product costing, supplier negotiations, and vendor relationships
- Strong aesthetic judgment and attention to detail
- Curiosity, resourcefulness, and interest in learning new materials, processes, and production methods
- Ability to work in a fast-moving, ambiguous environment while balancing strategic thinking with hands-on execution
- Portfolio of products developed, particularly demonstrating product development, sourcing, materials, manufacturing, or production involvement
What We Do
Arcade is the world’s first AI product creation platform, enabling anyone to design, purchase, and sell custom, manufacturable products with a simple text or image prompt. Co-founded by Mariam Naficy, Arcade brings together the power of generative AI with a global network of top artisans to turn user ideas into personalized, physical products in a quantity of one. Arcade aims to redefine commerce by offering unprecedented personal choice, expression, and meaning in product creation.
