Associate Product Manager, Builder Closet

Job Description

Position Title: Associate Manager, Product Management

Reports to: Manager, Category Management Location: Huntersville, NC The Consumer & Commercial Solutions Division comprises several well-known brands such as Rubbermaid, Quickie, and Rubbermaid Commercial Products:
• For nearly 100 years, the Rubbermaid® brand has been known for innovative, high-quality products that help simplify and bring order to the lives of consumers. Rubbermaid products can be found both inside and outside the home and include a wide variety of cleaning and organization products.
• Quickie® makes expertly engineered and remarkably simple cleaning tools to help consumers achieve a real clean made easy. Since 1950, Quickie has been a leading innovator in mops, brooms, brushes, dusters, scrubbers and more.
• Rubbermaid Commercial Products is the leading provider of cleaning, refuse, washroom and material handling products specifically designed to withstand the unique and demanding conditions of commercial environments.
The category management function within the CCS division serves as a general manager for the product categories in which we operate – driving category strategy, execution, and results through a clear set of activities. Category Management team members have P&L ownership and are ultimately responsible for the health of the business. This position will be directly focused on the Builder Channel including professionally installed closet and garage storage systems.
Specific Responsibilities
Strategic Planning
• Provide analytical support during Category Strategy and Annual Planning process for the assigned category
Portfolio and Product Life Cycle Management
• Support efforts to manage the product portfolio including analysis related to adding, growing and exiting categories, sub-categories and SKUs.
• Collaborate with Supply Chain to execute and communicate category inventory targets and fill rate / lead time targets.
• Support supply / demand forecasting efforts to maintain inventory targets and minimize excess and obsoleted inventory.
• Lead cross-functional efforts to discover and execute cost reduction initiatives that do not negatively impact the consumer experience
• Develop and maintain a Go-to-Market deck outlining the selling story for the product categories in which we play
• Work with Sales, Channel and Supply Chain to manage the sku count of the total portfolio
P&L Ownership & Analysis
• Provide analytical support to assess growth and profitability of assigned category and product segments, recommend initiatives based on that analysis.
• Work cross-functionally to identify growth and operational efficiency opportunities for the category
• Develop and display an understanding of what drives category performance, execute a variety of activities that support category P&L improvement
• Analyze category P&L and recommend corrective actions to improve results against business commitments, support recommendations with strong business rationale
• Partner with sales team to drive partnerships with key distribution partners to achieve desired financial results
New Product Development
• Lead efforts to ideate, filter, scope, and initiate new product ideas.
• Program Manage new product development programs, driving the cross-functional team to on-time, on-cost and on-quality execution
• Translate marketplace trends and chooser insights into actionable recommendations for innovative growth and new product ideas.
• Gain executive leadership alignment via stage-gate process by building a robust business case to support innovation efforts, ensuring alignment to category strategy
• Identify and execute product funnel that is specific to the Builder channel and that will resonate with the target consumer within that market.
Understand and Translating Category Insights
• Build and maintain a robust assessment of current marketplace conditions
• Maintain a constant pulse on consumer trends, chooser/user needs, competitive offerings and brand positioning
• Participate in interactive consumer visits, scope primary research studies, and leverage secondary/syndicated data to maintain consumer and marketplace knowledge
• Educate others on the consumer and marketplace
• Understand the interworking and key differentiation points between the Builder Channel/Home Building Market and Retail Market
Brand Stewardship
• Partner with Brand Marketing and Marketing Communications to execute commercialization plans that support annual brand plan
• Collaborate with brand team to maintain accurate marketing content on an ongoing basis
• Serve as brand ambassador at trade shows, distributor meetings, and other external events
Qualifications
• Four-year College/University degree
• 18+ months relevant marketing experience
• Experience in Home Building channel preferred
• Up to 15% travel required
Experience
• Demonstrated success in innovation pipeline development and commercialization
• Proven success developing a marketing plan to drive consumer demand and distributor/retailer demand
• Prior experience in commercial and/or retail channels of distribution
• Strong decision-making background in ambiguous environments with a bias for action
• Analytical P&L management combined with critical thinking skills to deliver desired financial results and managing overall category everyday business decisions.
• Proven ability to work cross-functionally and lead a team.
• Possesses strong verbal and written communications skills and professional presence.
• Fluent in English

Newell Brands (NASDAQ: NWL) is a leading global consumer goods company with a strong portfolio of well-known brands, including Paper Mate, Sharpie, Dymo, EXPO, Parker, Elmers, Coleman, Marmot, Oster, Sunbeam, FoodSaver, Mr. Coffee, Graco, Baby Jogger, NUK, Calphalon, Rubbermaid, Contigo, First Alert and Yankee Candle. For hundreds of millions of consumers, Newell Brands makes life better every day, where they live, learn, work and play. Newell Brands and its subsidiaries are Equal Opportunity Employers and comply with applicable employment laws. EOE/M/F/Vet/Disabled are encouraged to apply.