Sr. Director, Smartphone Product & Category Management

Samsung•Plano, TX

About The Position

Headquartered in Englewood Cliffs, N.J., Samsung Electronics America, Inc. (SEA), the U.S. Sales and Marketing subsidiary, is a leader in mobile technologies, consumer electronics, home appliances, enterprise solutions and networks systems. For more than four decades, Samsung has driven innovation, economic growth and workforce opportunity across the United States—investing over $100 billion and employing more than 20,000 people nationwide. By integrating our large portfolio of products, services and AI technology, we’re creating smarter, sustainable and more connected experiences that empower people to live better. SEA is a wholly owned subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. This role will report to the VP, Hand Held Products and Mobile Enhancements, to drive product and category planning, go-to-market (GTM) strategy, and lifecycle management for Galaxy Smartphones in the US market. The individual will join the Plano, Texas-based SEA Product Management org directly supporting SEA leadership, Carrier & Retail account teams, cross-functional GTM teams, and the Headquarters-based product planning and product management organizations. A successful individual will strive to become an expert in the market, our products, our competitors, our consumer, and our customers (Carriers & Retailers). This role will function as an overall market expert and will lead the planning & GTM strategy for all Galaxy smartphones – from definition through execution. Lastly, this role will support the technology roadmap, uniting opportunities for Samsung with partner requirements for the US smartphone product lineup.

Requirements

14-16 years of experience in a strategic role coupled with a strong focus on execution of strategic ideas
Passion for technology is a must
Candidate should be a proven people manager
Strong written, visual, and verbal presentation skills are required, as the role involves both internal and external presentations. The role will require direct communication with Samsung executive leadership (local and global), executive customer leadership, & media.
Ability to influence strategic decisions and product decisions is expected
As this role will serve as a key communication interface across a number of cross-functional teams, advanced Project Management skills are necessary (eg, on-time delivery of key working deliverables, managing cross-functional teams towards proposal & launch dates, tracking of launch information – specs, pricing, etc)

Nice To Haves

A background in Mobile is a major plus
MBA is preferred with 12+ years of relevant experience
Previous experience in consumer wants and needs identification, growth and product innovation, data and pricing analysis, technology trend analysis, consumer insights and consumer preference analysis, trade-off and cost optimization analysis are highly sought after

Responsibilities

Lead a team of Product Managers (S Series, Z Series, & A Series) focused on driving market share growth across key segments
As a people leader, prioritize team member growth & development to efficiently manage the variety of simultaneous work streams
Partner with the Headquarters to ensure US consumer & carrier requirements are represented in future roadmap planning
Collaborate with Carrier & Retail account teams for new product introductions & customer RFPs secure a positive portfolio ranging result
Lead a cross-functional effort to author & drive GTM strategy for new product launches, including data-based rationale for key objectives, business goals for volume & revenue, and KPIs to measure progress
Own product positioning & value proposition for the US Market – based on a deep understanding of US market trends, competitor strategies, consumer insights, and other market research
Partner with Mobile Marketing to define target consumer, create guiding documentation (key feature prioritization, messaging, focused RTB pillars, etc), and product claims (eg, “fastest”, “brightest”, etc)
Serve as lead product stakeholder in reviewing & approve training documentation, press materials, etc based on defined product positioning
Own SEA pricing strategy and maintain history, aligning with account teams on final terms at product ranging
Lead top-down device forecasting to judge unique portfolio scenarios and provide input to Headquarters, aligning with Carrier & Retail account teams and other business planning teams
Serve as product line spokesperson, evangelizing the product value proposition to internal stakeholders, customers, & media
Partner with other cross-functional teams on post-launch analyses, leading the review from a product/VoC perspective and contributing analysis and recommendations based on performance
Own portfolio strategy for each defined market segment, following competitive movement and market share adjustments to identify opportunities for Samsung and make strategic recommendations on a regular cadence
Advocate for technology roadmap for future smartphones, validating against US Carrier requirements as well as Samsung-driven initiatives to drive product and business innovation