JOB SUMMARY:

Provides support to manager for end-to-end customer-led strategic owned brand new product development process inclusive of product knowledge, financial business case viability and category collaboration. Tracks and identifies product optimization based on consumer response and performance. This associate manager is expected to demonstrate strategic creative thinking, be able to thrive in the ambiguity of innovation while inspiring teams to deliver results through commercialization with an overall optimistic and “can do” attitude.

Job Responsibilities:

• Supports the Owned Brand Commercialization Manager in administering an assigned set of Owned Brands within a broad range of categories. Provides support to manager for end-to-end customer led strategic new product development process inclusive of innovation identification, product business viability and product specification creation.
• Works with cross functional team to help achieve product quality excellence, which meets or exceeds customer expectations, validating through testing and communication with key stakeholders.
• Tracks productivity targets and recommends product assortment optimization.
• Responsible for creating and maintaining detailed product specifications. Create detailed inputs for cross functional product briefing.
• Provides thorough inputs for integrated activity plan.
• Maintains category trend information to assist with new product development process.
• Familiarity with how to forecast demand for both short term and long term sales; basic understanding of logistics and the effect on store and warehouse fill rates, inventory, and shelf life, and the results these areas have on Company profitability.
• Collaborates with regulatory/legal department to ensure all products have appropriate claim substantiation.
• Follows brand guardrails in identifying appropriate product specifications.

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s Degree and at least 2 years of experience in buying, product development or purchasing in a retail/CPG environment OR High School diploma/GED and 4 years of experience in Merchandising, Product Development or Marketing.
• Experience in financial planning & analysis.
• Knowledge of logistics.
• Experience analyzing retail data such as Nielsen or IRI.
• Experience in forecasting long-term opportunities, including product development.
• Knowledge of retail business financial concepts, to include: penny profit market, mark-up percent’s, turns and ROI.
• Intermediate level skill in Microsoft Excel (for example: using SUM function, setting borders, setting column width, inserting charts, using text wrap, sorting, setting headers and footers and/or print scaling).
• Intermediate level skill in Microsoft PowerPoint (for example: applying a theme, formatting character spacing, inserting a picture, changing slide layout and theme colors, adding transitions, customizing slide numbers, changing chart style and/or formatting font).
• Willing to travel up to/at least 15% of the time for business purposes (domestically and/or internationally).

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• MBA or Master’s Degree
• Knowledge and experience in private brands, CPG, or retail.
• At least 1 year experience of cross functional team leadership.
  We will consider employment of qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records

• Supports the Owned Brand Commercialization Manager in administering an assigned set of Owned Brands within a broad range of categories. Provides support to manager for end-to-end customer led strategic new product development process inclusive of innovation identification, product business viability and product specification creation.
• Works with cross functional team to help achieve product quality excellence, which meets or exceeds customer expectations, validating through testing and communication with key stakeholders.
• Tracks productivity targets and recommends product assortment optimization.
• Responsible for creating and maintaining detailed product specifications. Create detailed inputs for cross functional product briefing.
• Provides thorough inputs for integrated activity plan.
• Maintains category trend information to assist with new product development process.
• Familiarity with how to forecast demand for both short term and long term sales; basic understanding of logistics and the effect on store and warehouse fill rates, inventory, and shelf life, and the results these areas have on Company profitability.
• Collaborates with regulatory/legal department to ensure all products have appropriate claim substantiation.
• Follows brand guardrails in identifying appropriate product specifications