As Product Line Manager I, you will serve as the consumer product expert for the Training and Hydration categories, managing both cut-and-sew accessories and hard-good equipment across our licensed business. You will gather and translate valuable consumer insights into measurable opportunities for a Global marketplace, managing your line plan and your team’s product creation against seasonal revenue, margin and productivity goals. You will lead a cross- functional Triad of peer Developers and Designers, and report into the Senior Manager for Training, Hydration, and Lifestyle Product.
What You’ll Do:
Become the global expert in the assigned categories: Lead your team’s understanding of both North America and International market dynamics, including consumer, competition, and retail landscape.
Contribute to three-year category plans: Identify key business drivers by region, analyze historical results, and define retail opportunities and challenges.
Own the research and insighting work for your business: Conduct focus groups and wear testing sessions and provide detailed analysis to the teams. Conduct ongoing consumer and competitor research.
Write both seasonal and innovation product briefs: Define new product positioning, pricing, product and packaging attributes, consumer profile, competitor analysis, regional relevance, brand relevance and margin goals.
Be the voice of your categories: Create and present broadcasting tools and represent your product range to both internal Sales teams and external accounts.
Forecast the new and carryover product assortment: 24 month forecasting at the category, style and color level by region and key customer base. Drive cross-functional coordination with Finance, Sales, and Operations Planning teams.
Manage data, tools, and samples: Create and maintain all product data information within internal (FlexPLM) and external (MMX) databases. Own line lists, VLPs, and sample arrivals/discrepancies/communications.
Lead the trade presentation and marketing needs for your categories: Drive a point-of-view for marketing, packaging, catalogs, showroom merchandising, and in-store displays, to optimize sell-through.
Work within the product calendar timelines for on-time completion of all major dates and gates.
Provide ongoing communication to, and work closely with, your cross-functional team including Design, Development, Operations, Finance and Sales.
Provide regular, accurate and rigorous reporting to drive incremental sales and business.
Travel both domestically and internationally: 10-15%.
Other duties as assigned.
What to Bring:
4+ years of experience in consumer product management, product marketing, product creation, and/or product merchandising. Preference for sportswear and/or mass-market retail experience.
Strong leadership skills and ability to influence and lead cross-functional teams.
Excellent written, verbal, interpersonal, customer relationship, and presentation skills.
Data analysis skills: financial results, retail math, margin and productivity reviews, and compiling of reports.
Understanding of product lifecycle management.
Knowledge of the global sportswear retail landscape.
Strong organizational skills, managing diverse projects with different deadlines and priorities.
Proven track record of delivering results in fast-paced, high-performance, and/or entrepreneurial environments.
Bachelor’s degree in product management, marketing, business, or related field.
MS Office: Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
Additional Characteristics for Success:
Detail oriented, self-driven and highly motivated.
Proactive and anticipatory problem-solver.
Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to use tact and diplomacy communicating at all levels.
Excels in time management and able to work effectively on a team.
Capable of operating in a fast paced, dynamic and evolving environment.
Comfortable navigating ambiguity.
Rejects bias and leads with objectivity.