Summary

The Manager of Innovation and Category Management is responsible for leading the development and execution of the category management programs in collaboration with the channel marketing team and GPMO. The Manager also leads local/regional new product development and launch process. This includes capturing new product ideas, innovation opportunities, leading discussions around portfolio segmentation and lifecycle, and commercial launches. Span of responsibility includes supporting the capture and dissemination of customer/vertical insights that help drive portfolio strategy and new product pipeline. This role will engage with a variety of internal and external stakeholders.

RESPONSIBILITIES & SPECIFIC ACCOUNTABILITIES

• Coordinate activities and lead discussions on portfolio strategy with key internal stakeholders.
• Lead category management activities with select distributors in coordination with GPMO and channel marketing.
• Capture insights that lead to new product ideas, identify portfolio gaps, develop product concepts and execution concept validation, informing business cases.
• Lead the commercial elements of the new product launch process. Coordinate activities with key commercial leaders and regional category managers to ensure all regional inputs are captured in business cases during the stage gate process.
• Plan and attend key meeting with distributors. Assist in pulling together training materials utilized for new product training.
• Design and execute research projects that lead to new product ideas.
• Supports ad-hoc projects associated with the roles and responsibilities of this position, or the Marketing organization as needed.

KEY POSITION REQUIREMENTS

Education
• Bachelor's degree or equivalent in education and experience.

Job Experience
• 5+ years of Marketing, Category and/or Product Management experience.
• Knowledge and experience with digital marketing required.
• Sales experience preferred, but not required.

Knowledge and Skills
• Knowledge of how to effectively manage the relationship between manufacturer, distributor, and end-users to influence results.
• Strong project and agency management skills.
• Experience designing and managing research projects.
• Proven ability to prioritize, and influence teams/others to deliver results that are important.
• Excellent verbal communication, written communication, and presentation skills.
• Ability to manage through organizational complexity.
• Ability to mine insights and translate into actions.

Desirable Job Competencies
• Learning Agility: The Manager will be expected to develop a strong understanding of the Safety Industry, the company’s Global Marketing strategies and product portfolios, the industrial landscape, as well as the business strategy and performance of all Distributors within their scope of responsibility.
• Strategic Agility: The Manager will be expected to identify commercial opportunities based on observation and analysis.
• Leadership Agility: Taking the initiative to collaborate with Sales, developing direct relationships with Distributor marketing teams, orchestrating the implementation of multiple priorities, and having strong communication skills are mission critical for success in this role.

Additional Requirements (travel, etc.)
• Approximately 20% travel required for travel to meet with customers and to attend/ host trade shows and customer events.