What are the responsibilities and job description for the Product Manager position at Johnson Outdoors Inc.?
Product Manager
Develops innovative, strategic and complex product plans for a large or multiple smaller product lines based on advanced knowledge and experience. Performs in-depth and advanced market and consumer research to identify industry practices, trends and new innovative opportunities. Manages and leads multiple simultaneous and/or complex product and project plans for new and existing product projects to successfully conceptualize and launch the product successfully throughout the product lifecycle.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
- Performs advanced market/consumer research and competitive analysis to identify best practice, market trends, sales trends, potential implications to product categories and to develop pricing strategies. Recommends and implements new and innovative design approaches, new segments and new opportunities to obtain cost savings, increase efficiencies/effectiveness and improve product performance of existing products.
- Develops complex product plans and prepares necessary return on investment analysis to meet business objectives. Ensures the organization’s brand is reinforced in product design, plans and implementation. Leads product enhancement research and product redesign which includes product testing and analyzing markets to determine product success.
- Acts as the resident product expert to train sales force with the ability to make customer product presentations. Initiates and guides the development and creation of marketing materials assuring technical accuracy and proper product positioning.
- Manages and leads multiple moderately complex to complex product development projects consisting of cross functional teams from conception to launch and collaborates with various teams to ensure success. Ensures projects are executed on time, within quality guidelines and within budget.
- Collaborates with marketing and sales leadership to effectively target consumers and deliver the product to the market to maximize profits.
- Acts as a liaison between engineering and operations to advise and guide on technical capabilities, requirements or improvements.
- Ensures product plans align with the organization’s initiatives and positively contributes to developing innovative, quality and profitable products that support the market’s demand.
- Performs other duties as assigned.
EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS
Education: Bachelor’s Degree in engineering, marketing, business administration or equivalent.
Experience: Typically requires a minimum of 8 years product experience which includes managing/ various product plans and projects from conception to launch, performing product research/competitiveness analysis and positioning the product.
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES
- Skills and abilities to manage multiple complex projects simultaneously from product conception to launch which includes perform advanced market research to support the development of innovative, profitable products and successfully bringing the product to market.
- Demonstrated success and experience developing new and improving existing product plans which increase profitability and consumer attainment/engagement.
- Advanced consulting and leadership skills to effective lead product strategy and partner with various teams to implement products.
- Ability to synthesize market and customer insights and generate innovative concepts.
- Experience with profit and loss management and the ability to turn financial data into sound business decisions.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills to collaborate effectively with diverse individuals internally and externally.
- Knowledge of brand and business management basics, product positioning and packaging.
- Proficiency in use of Microsoft Office suite including MS Word, Excel and PowerPoint.