Product Line Manager II – Running Accessories

Description

Our client is seeking a driven Product Line Manager II to join their team in Torrance, California. As a Product Line Manager within the Running Accessories category, you will serve as the consumer product expert for your key assigned categories. You will create and translate valuable consumer insights and opportunities from all channels in order to build out a range plan to support seasonal revenue, margin, and inventory goals.

As the Product Line Manager II, you will be responsible for maintaining necessary and timely product, competitor, and market information in a manner that enables the entire Product team to effectively manage the collection and business on a day-to-day basis.

What You’ll Do:

• Become the global expert in assigned categories, developing a deep understanding of North American and international markets, including the consumer, competition, and retail landscape.
• Drive product strategy through 1–3 year strategic plans that include global market analysis, key business drivers by region, historical analysis, retail opportunities and challenges, new business opportunities, technologies, and the competitive landscape.
• Create seasonal product briefs that define new product positioning, pricing, product and packaging attributes, consumer information, competitor analysis, regional relevance, brand relevance, and margin goals.
• Create advanced development and design briefs that lead to new innovation projects.
• Analyze and develop market segmentation with the objective of offering unique and relevant products that meet the needs of each segment while achieving company revenue and margin goals.
• Work within product calendar timelines for on-time completion of all major dates and gates.
• Provide ongoing communication to and work closely with cross-functional teams including Design, Development, Operations, Finance, and Sales.
• Conduct ongoing consumer, athlete, and trade research to identify product and technology trends and gain deeper knowledge of the target consumer.
• Actively participate in planning and delivering presentations for key customers, brand partners, senior management, sales meetings, and tradeshows.
• Drive product awareness and optimize sell-through by developing marketing and packaging briefs, catalogs, showroom merchandising standards, and in-store displays.
• Develop training tools for the Sales team that highlight product strengths, including tech sheets, videos, and other materials.
• Own forecasting for new and current product assortments, including 24-month forecasting at the category, style, and SKU level by region and key customer base.
• Drive cross-functional coordination with Finance, Sales, and Operations Planning teams.
• Provide regular, accurate, and rigorous reporting on existing business to drive incremental sales and business growth.
• Other duties as assigned.

What to Bring:

• 6+ years of consumer product, product brand marketing, and/or sporting goods industry experience preferred, combined with a proven track record of delivering results in a less structured, fast-paced, high-performance, and entrepreneurial environment.
• Bachelor’s degree in Marketing or related field.
• Strong leadership skills and ability to lead cross-functional teams.
• Excellent written, verbal, interpersonal, customer relations, and presentation skills.
• Strong analytical skills.
• Understanding of product lifecycle management.
• Knowledge of the global consumer and retail landscape.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, results-driven organization.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple diverse projects with different deadlines and priorities.
• Sense of urgency and independent initiative toward accomplishing objectives.
• Ability to work with and provide insight to the management team.
• Proficiency in MS Office, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

Additionally:

• Ability to travel up to 20% of the time.
• Detail-oriented, self-driven, and highly motivated.
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to use tact and diplomacy when communicating across all levels.
• Excellent time-management skills and ability to work effectively within a team environment.
• This position operates in a brand-driven, consumer- and customer-focused environment within the sporting goods industry. The Product Line Manager II must understand the needs and wants of consumers and align with category business plans to fulfill the needs of the athlete.

What We Offer:

• Competitive salary + benefits (medical, dental, vision, 401k match, life insurance, pet insurance)
• Company gym with access to a personal trainer
• On-site kitchen
• Paid Parental Leave
• Summer hours (Memorial Day through Labor Day)
• Responsible Time Off (aka Unlimited Vacation)
• 13 company holidays
• Professional development workshops
• Employee product discounts on selected brands