Bachelor's degree or equivalent education required.
5 years of experience in category management or product development, preferably with private brands.
Experience in retail or manufacturing preferred.
Proficient in utilizing marketing metrics and consumer insights for decision-making.
Demonstrated problem-solving capabilities.
Strong written and verbal communication skills with attention to detail.
Effective time-management skills in a fast-paced environment.
Responsibilities
Support Private Brand Team's vision by advancing innovation and continuous improvement projects.
Monitor financial indicators to achieve performance targets such as sales and gross margins.
Lead product development processes including opportunity identification and consumer testing.
Collaborate with the Sr. Category Manager to align strategies and execute high-impact market initiatives.
Manage the product lifecycle and pricing strategies for assigned categories in coordination with other stakeholders.
Provide market insights and forecasts related to product positioning and revenue.
Influence cross-functional teams to align on objectives and drive business success.
Benefits
Opportunities for professional growth and development within the business unit.
Collaborative working environment with a focus on cross-functional teamwork.
Involvement in innovative product development that directly impacts market presence.
Access to consumer insights and data to inform product strategies.
Chance to foster strong supplier relationships and contribute to their accountability.
Full Job Description
Product Development Manager will help support the development of new products and packaging for the business unit. Will cultivate consumer insights, market data and trends that help their business unit identify opportunities to grow Private Brands, while also owning overall category performance through ongoing sales evaluation, promotion planning, and cross-functional partnership. As a key member of their business unit, this person will work within their team to understand customer needs, create innovative products, and lead a significant portion of the development process.
Responsibilities:
Support the Private Brand Team's vision and strategy into a pipeline of innovation and continuous improvement initiatives.
Analyze and monitor key financial indicators weekly, monthly, quarterly to achieve portfolio performance targets vs budget; sales, units, gross margins, and profit goals.
Lead the product development process for a sub set of categories to include; opportunity identification, consumer testing, establishment of success criteria, packaging development and post-launch performance verification.
Partner with the Sr. Category Manager to develop a strategy that supports their business unit, serving as the key executional contact point with the supplier partner and internal stakeholders to gain alignment and bring high-impact platforms to market.
Develops, implements and manages full product lifecycle of new and existing products, establish retail and promotional pricing strategy for the Private Brand assigned categories by collaborating with Sr, Product Development Manager, Category Managers and other internal stakeholders.
Manages the product development process, providing data related to the opportunity, the marketplace, product positioni ng, revenue and unit forecasting.
Partner and influence cross-functional teams to gain alignment on objectives and targets to achieve business results.
Work collaboratively with the Category Team and Category Support Team to provide all critical information to facilitate product execution instore.
Provide input regarding the management of existing private brands assortments, including opportunities for expansion, promotion and rationalization of items.
Coordinate with Supply Chain on supplier setup, route to market, and inventory management to meet established goals.
Lead the execution of product sampling / tasting panels with potential consumers as well as in-house product reviews.
Provides Operations Team, Franchisees and stores with consumer and product information that enhances product knowledge to make informed decisions on new platforms, programs, in-store placement and how to maximize profitability in Private Brands.
Develop and maintain strong supplier relationships; hold suppliers accountable to performance agreements and implement course corrections and mitigation strategies as needed.
Partner with user experience and customer research teams to drive insights into customer segments and shopping behaviors.
Assist in the development of the Associate Product Development Manager and ensure their activities align with the priorities of the business unit.
Qualifications:
Bachelors/4 Year Degree.
5 years category management or product development, with private brands experience preferred.
Retail and/or Manufacturing experience are strongly preferred.
Skilled using marketing metrics, consumer insights and data to drive business decisions.
Proven problem-solver.
Excellent written and verbal communication with attention to detail.
Time-management skills.
The ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment and to manage multiple, competing priorities.
