Sr. Product Manager

ProDriven Brands is a privately owned, fully integrated, global manufacturer and distributor of access products, storage systems, fall protection and light duty construction equipment.

The Company generates more than $1B of sales in over 100 countries.

The Company has a history of organic growth while also acquiring adjacent brands/businesses. In recent years ProDriven Brands has also started expanding by acquisition outside of the U.S., particularly in Europe (France (CDH), UK (Youngman), and most recently in Germany (Zarges). The portfolio of industry leading brands includes Werner, KNAACK, WEATHER GUARD, Youngman, BoSS, Centaure, Duarib, Bailey and Zarges. ProDriven Brands products are primarily sold through DIY and professional channels and the majority of customers/ end users are professionals, including contractors, builders, painters, and similar tradespeople.

ProDriven Brands products own #1 market share in North America across many categories. Werner is #1 in ladders, WEATHER GUARD is #1 in truck storage, and KNAACK is #1 in jobsite storage. Our brands and products are the preferred choice of professional end users.

With over 4,000 employees on four continents, ProDriven Brands has a global manufacturing footprint with warehousing, sales, distribution and office facilities in the U.S., Australia, Canada, China, France, Hungary, Mexico, Philippines, Germany and the United Kingdom. ProDriven Brands' global headquarters is in Itasca, Illinois-a northwest suburb of Chicago.

WHY PRODRIVEN GLOBAL BRANDS? BECAUSE WE ARE THE PROFESSIONAL'S CHOICE! You will find our market leading products and brands on job sites all over the world.

Focusing on end users' needs and delivering exceptional customer experience drives our success. Our entire process-from research to engineering to manufacturing to commercialization-creates products that ensure ease of use, productivity, durability, and safety for the end user. On jobsites across the world, ProDriven brands are most preferred.

Key Responsibilities:

The Senior Product Marketing Manager-Retail Climbing Products drives development and delivery of new products for their categories within the Werner Climbing business unit, growing market share, and expanding our portfolio as the #1 brand in Pro Ladders. Looking for a candidate with strong product management background, excelling in user engagement, deep category knowledge, and brand advocacy. The Senior Product Manager is the cross-functional team leader and resident category expert, establishing portfolio management inclusive of cradle to grave product lifecycle, strategic innovation, brand-focused marketing, and commercial viability.

Develop, communicate, and implement product strategy for their categories; deliver brand strategy/tactics, product category management, integrated marketing planning, branding briefs, and pricing strategies.
• Resident product expert maintaining a constant pulse of the market landscape including user visits/product demos, competitive product reviews/comparison, UX user reviews/field research, post launch star rating analysis, market size of prize estimates, and category marketing and launch review. Ability to create, train, and coach category and field expertise cross-functionally.
• Responsible for full P&L objectives for the assigned product categories, driving profitability, volume growth and market share, as well as execution of product and services. Strong financial acumen required - ability to build P&Ls/financial proformas, present recommendations, and adjust based on feedback from stakeholders and leaders.
• Contribute to marketing plans and product roadmaps for their categories; track financial performance; ensure alignment of product category priorities and goals, drive margin accretive growth.
• Develop and implement the strategy for their product offering, brand, and channels; partner with channel, branding/marketing and sales develop go-to-market strategies to win at retail. Lead brand strategy and marketing execution, responsible for timeline management for commercialization.
• Go-to-market champion for new product launches, partnering with the team and presenting to customers and key stakeholders inclusive of product line reviews, innovation forums, tradeshows, Leadership meetings, and presentations to the Board of Directors.
• Driving project execution establishing user experience requirements, preliminary marketing claims, creating business cases and winning value propositions, and leading cross-functional development teams.
• Collaborate with Finance, Operations, Sourcing, Supply Chain and Sales to identify margin enhancement opportunities; Continuously evaluate key levers such as new product pricing, portfolio line-logic and price optimization, Supply Chain optimization, SKU rationalization and end of life planning.
• Lead cross-functional teams through stage-gate NPD process ensuring programs deliver on quality, cost, and time; identify areas for improvement through postmortem sessions and provide recommendations and assessments that drive continuous improvement. Drive accountability and team achievement of goals and milestones.

• Bachelor's degree in business, marketing, engineering or related, plus a minimum of six years of experience in product management distributed via retail; durables and tools, as well as DIY retail experience preferred.
• Proven track record in effectively collaborating cross-functionally leading projects through a stage gate new product development process, motivate different people, and establish a growth mindset.
• Storytelling ability and presentation/selling skills with experience in field/user research - comfortable both seeking information and delivering information.
• Creative problem solving, analytical, naturally curios, and data driven decision making - well-rounded financial acumen.
• Sound personal organization and time management skills with very high attention to detail.
• Strong professional presence, ability to communicate across the organization (team, stakeholders, and C-suite), and capable of presenting to key accounts (retail buyers).
• Ability to travel as required, estimated 20% of the time (Domestic and International)

Advanced level MS Office (PowerPoint, Excel, Word, etc.)

Salary Range:

$124,000 - $171,000

The pay range listed is for Illinois based roles. It is not typical for a candidate to be hired at or near the top of the pay range. Specific compensation offered to a candidate may be influenced by a variety of factors including skill sets, qualifications, experience, education, certifications, training, and location.

Benefits:

• 401(k) company match
• Medical insurance
• Dental insurance
• Vision insurance
• Life and disability insurance
• Paid time off

ProDriven Brands is committed to fostering, cultivating, and preserving a culture of diversity, equity and inclusion. ProDriven Brands is an equal opportunity employer and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any kind. All qualified applicants to ProDriven Brands are considered for employment without regard to age, color, disability, ethnicity, family or marital status, gender identity or expression, language, national origin, physical and mental ability, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, veteran status or any other protected characteristic. ProDriven Brands will not tolerate discrimination or harassment of any kind based on these characteristics.

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