Associate Product Manager ( {{city}})

Associate Product Manager - 1-3 years experience is Product Management

*Note: Relocation Assistance is not available for this role.

*Note: The Product Manager role is associated with industrial supplies and safety supplies / B2B and D2C / Consumer Products

Job Purpose / Summary:

The Product Manager will lead the identification, portfolio management, new product development, and execution for each of these elements within the company's product offering & Supply Chain. This position will report to the VP of Product Management and be responsible for top line sales growth, profit, inventory management, vendor management, and product launch strategies. This position is essential to the success of long-term vision as it strives to enhance supplier engagement, improve operational efficiencies, and provide best-in-class customer experience.

3 Critical Success Factors:

• Product Portfolio - Manage, procure, rationalize existing products, and continually revise product offering through a structured New Product Development process to ensure alignment with industry leading suppliers and has a best-in-class product portfolio that serves the needs of customers

• Supplier Management Negotiate contracts and pricing while building and maintaining strong supplier partnerships to position the company as an industry leader of safety and industrial supplies to multiple end user markets

• Field Training & Support Collect, curate, and launch key training materials from suppliers and industry organizations to educate our sales teams and customers on core products and the latest innovation

Top 5 Competencies:

• Drives Results: Consistently achieve or exceed targets related to sales growth, profit, and inventory optimization by using data-driven insights to identify performance trends and make strategic business decisions

• Ensure Accountability: Set clear expectations and hold self and team members responsible for delivering on commitments and continuously monitor and track success of key initiatives

• Action Oriented: Demonstrates a strong sense of urgency and takes action. Proactively addresses business challenges, drives tasks to completion, and maximizes opportunities

• Customer Focus: Gain insight into customer needs; Identify opportunities that benefit the customer; Build and deliver solutions that meet customer expectations; Establish and maintain effective customer relationships.

• Effective Communication: Clearly articulate product trends, customer needs, and technical details to internal and external stakeholders. Facilitate alignment through transparent updates, active listening, and tailored communication

Essential Duties & Responsibilities:

The Product Manager will be responsible for items including but not limited to the following:

• Manages assigned product categories while partnering with the sales and marketing functions to ensure we have the products that solve customer needs, facilitates a seamless customer experience, and creates an industry-leading value proposition
• Maintains product life-cycle management to ensure the product portfolio is consistently refreshed and organized in a way that supports the organization's goals and supports the Commercial team.
• Manages communication, provide external customer & internal company feedback, and maintain the ongoing relationships between our company and its supplier base to ensure needs of the business are met and create a defining value proposition for all customer constituents
• Sets and maintains market appropriate retail pricing that maximizes product margins while retaining market competitiveness
• In conjunction with the Marketing & Sales functions, successfully manages and allocates supplier Co-Op Marketing funds in order to generate a positive return on investment for our company and the supplier base
• Partners with our Supply Chain team to negotiate terms, conditions, and purchase pricing with new and existing suppliers.
• Acts as a supplier & product knowledge resource/expert on our product portfolio for internal & external customers
• Coordinates regular supplier trainings in conjunction with the Sales Training team for new and existing products to ensure our Commercial resources are trained and knowledgeable on core product lines
• Negotiates, manages, and tracks supplier rebates and partnership programs
• Operates within a defined New Product Development process and clearly communicates with internal and external teams
• Supports acquisitions and supplier integrations
• Supports Marketing & Sales in key events - Market planning, buying groups, and trade shows

Education and Experience

• Minimum 3+ years experience in related fields of product, supply chain, or sales
• Bachelors degree in business, supply chain management or a related field
• Strong analytical skills
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Strong work ethic and sense of urgency
• Ability to prioritize and manage time efficiently and effectively
• Persistence with the ability to schedule and follow up

Job Requirements:

• Excellent organizational skills and capacity to develop strategy.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Strong analytical and critical thinking skills
• Strong attention to detail and relentless focus on product lines and their commercialization within industrial distribution
• Strong work ethic and sense of urgency
• Ability to prioritize and manage time efficiently and effectively.
• Excellent computer proficiency (Word, Excel, etc.)
• Valid Drivers license with a clean driving record.