Position:Product Manager will have responsibility for developing new product roads, leading the innovation process, and driving new product initiatives through the product development process from ideation to commercialization. Success will ultimately be measured by product vitality (the amount of new product sold each year as a percentage of overall sales) and contribution margin improvement. This role is the cornerstone of the growth plans for the company. Product Manager work closely with many departments as well as outside sources: Sales to gather market and customer information, as well as pricing and program developmentOverseas factories and the overseas office to ensure products are developed and launched on time and on budgetMarketing to assist in collateral and other sales tool developmentOutside contractors for industrial design and developmentSpecific Responsibilities & Duties:Follows the established Product Development novation & IdeationEvaluate product submissions from inventorsPrioritization of New ProjectsStage gate progression from concept through commercializationCoordinates packaging, testing, certifications, and merchandising deploymentWorks with attorneys regarding patents and infringementOwner and driver of market and competitive information for assign product category. Keeps data and insights in repository for the organization to use in its new product growth project plansManages and drives communication with suppliers, Asian suppliers, and agenciesProfitability - Product Managers will be responsible for profitability to Contribution Margin for their respective product categoryForecasting involvement with Sales and Operations. Support upgrades in S&OP forecasting modelsLead communication of respective product lines to Sales, Customers, Suppliers, and internally to the organization.Quality Control and Assurance development, monitoring and coordination with operations to find corrective actions for identified issues.Support Operations in identifying, developing and maintaining a strong supplier base for both components and potentially finished goodsResponsible for all general pricing for products within assigned product categories with the Sales Team and other department as well as insuring that duties tariffs are accurate and up to date - all pricing is finalized by the Product Analyst.Reviews all new government legislation that will impact product and product development. Maintains a library of all certifications required to meet government regulations.Oversees all product testing and testing requirements necessary to insure the performance and safety of products that fall within the assign product categoryRequirements and Qualifications: Organizational Skills Communication Skills - both written and oral must be excellent. Presentation and presentation skills must also be strong enough to effectively communicate, negotiate, andor persuade key stakeholders on product development actionsComputer Literate - Strong in Excel, Word, PowerPoint, MS Project, etc.Technical Orientation - a strong interest for exploring technical solutions for innovation, quality improvement, or cost reduction. Must have basic understanding of materials and manufacturing processes, especially metal.Excellent problem solving and critical thinking skillsHands On! Likes to get hands dirty. Not afraid to get onto jobsites and talk to contractors regarding product application feedback.Results oriented - Candidate should well versed in the analysis process, using measurements and gets excited to find countermeasures around roadblocks which keep them from delivering the committed objective.Highly Ethical - honesty and Integrity are the cornerstone of the company. The successful candidate will exemplify a working style of honesty, integrity, candor, and respect for all others in his or her work environment.Entrepreneurial Spirit. Candidate gets excited thinking about forging new business opportunities which may need lots of nurturing to get them started. Strong goal orientation - ability to identify an objective and work hard to make it an accomplishment.Ability to travel. Must be able to travel 25% plus, with quarterly visits to Asia. Must have a strong working knowledge of global sourcing especially within Asia.Regular trade show involvement, as well as assistance in sales callsQualifications - The Person Bachelor's degree required, and MBA is a plusMinimum 2+ years of relevant product development experienceCapability to travel approximately 25% of the time. Some travel will include international travel to Asia.Essential Skills:Very detail orientedExperience in working with overseas manufacturersFamiliarity with formal product development processes, i.e. "stage gate"Strong project management skills, with a bias for actionMicrosoft Project experience or other related process management software is a plusExperience in managing consumer products, specifically hardwaretool storage and outdoor living product would be a plus
Job Title
Product Development Manager