Associate Product Manager - Hybrid

Klein Tools•Lincolnshire, IL

22h•Hybrid

About The Position

The Associate Product Manager develops and executes product strategies and plans, including three-year product life-cycle plans aligned with the company’s selling tactics, distribution channels, strategy, and financial goals for large-volume, strategically important product categories. The role ensures timely execution of marketing plans, communicates critical information, and supplies market and product data, analysis, and recommendations. It requires expertise in competitive product lines and the ability to explain product features and benefits through compelling selling stories, while using tactical business drivers to achieve financial objectives. The position develops short- and long-term plans to deliver growth and profit performance, prepares and achieves annual plans for major product lines, and recommends targeted growth opportunities based on the competitive environment and organizational capabilities. It manages product-line portfolio strategy across a three-year life cycle, including launches, modifications, promotions, and discontinuations. The Associate Product Manager collaborates across teams, supports effective communication, and mentors less experienced Product Management personnel. The role maintains market and end-user expertise through interaction with salespeople, distributors, and customers; collects market information; and conducts research as needed. It spends 10% of its time in the field, documenting where and how that time is spent to understand customer needs. The position serves as a product expert on performance, functionality, pricing, packaging, merchandising, and value propositions; provides product-related assistance across the company; and prepares monthly performance narratives for major product lines, including corrective actions for lines significantly above or below plan. International travel is required as needed.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in business or a related technical field and five years of relevant consumer goods product management experience, or at least three years of product management combined with five years of other relevant business experience. The posting inconsistently writes the experience figures as “five (3)” and “three (3).”
Knowledge of managing budgets, forecasts, and business plans to achieve financial objectives.
Knowledge of identifying and justifying growth opportunities, launching new product lines, and working with a stage-gate development process.
Strong verbal and written communication skills.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office, including Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, and Word.
Ability to understand basic financial calculations and simple market research techniques.
Ability to implement basic marketing activities, including PR, advertising, promotions, POP, and packaging.
Ability to develop strategic plans involving pricing strategy, brand positioning, and competitive analysis with limited assistance.
Exposure to various manufacturing and sourcing supply chains.
Basic project management proficiency.
Ability to be an effective team player who takes initiative and ownership while influencing cross-functional teams.
Willingness and ability to travel internationally as needed.

Responsibilities

Develop and execute product strategy plans, including three-year product life-cycle plans aligned with company strategy, selling tactics, distribution channels, and financial goals.
Develop short- and long-term product plans to deliver growth and profit performance aligned with organizational goals.
Prepare annual plans for major product lines and be responsible for achieving them.
Provide strategic, specific, and targeted recommendations for growth based on competitive conditions, internal capabilities, and potential new capabilities.
Evaluate and prioritize opportunities for product improvements, product-line additions, new markets, improved merchandising, promotions, and other growth prospects.
Maintain product-line portfolio strategies covering launches, modifications, promotions, and end-of-life discontinuations over a three-year life cycle.
Direct and ensure timely execution of marketing plans, including product launches, product modifications, and promotions.
Lead through cross-functional collaboration and foster effective communication and working relationships across the organization.
Mentor less experienced Product Management personnel.
Build market and end-user expertise through interactions with salespeople, distributors, and end users.
Collect and maintain market information and conduct market research as needed.
Spend 10% of time in the field and document how and where that time is spent to learn about customer needs.
Serve as the product expert on performance, functionality, pricing, packaging, merchandising, and value propositions for internal and external customers.
Provide product-related assistance to other company areas as needed.
Provide monthly narratives on major product-line performance versus plan, focusing on significant variances and corrective actions.
Provide recommendations for delivering growth.
Perform other duties as assigned.
Travel internationally as needed.