Product Marketing Manager

WANTED: Retail Warrior

Productive, organized and grounded, you are the go-to retail category manager in a company that gets things done. A superb strategist and goal setter, you know what it takes to establish an effective strategy and manage product lifecycles from cradle to grave. Your mission? Explore, manage and conquer the world of product categories.

As our retail category point person, you are responsible for communicating a product’s value proposition and competitive set to ensure consistent execution in all areas of marketing. Whether leading a team or working in the trenches, you keep your steely gaze focused on sales, e-commerce and direct marketing.

You’ve earned your stripes building and maintaining vendor relationships in close partnership with purchasing. Be skilled in new product development, line extensions and SKU optimization. Secure the front lines of competitive retail pricing, private label opportunities, cost reduction, and end-of-product-life management. In the battle for retail market share, your instinctive drive to conquer is a constant.

You enjoy the spoils of brand victory and can weather the storms of adversity without yielding to them. Field intelligence reports that you possess the ability to marshal a diverse portfolio of specialty brands, and the rigor to disarm the competition. Are you brand-tested? Category smart? Retail ready? Prepared to pull rank on vertical customer segments? Congratulations, Retail Warrior! You are commissioned to join our ranks.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Work with Purchasing to ensure the Customer Service Experience aligns with the Brand Promise (LOTIF)

Develop, execute and measure product programs to reach goals for vertical customer segments

Attend trade shows and conferences as needed

Periodic travel is required

Determine both required and new categories to serve customers

Determine product strategy to meet customer needs

Identify product breadth and price points

Set retail pricing strategies for products in all brands -- predicated on achieving gross margin objectives balanced with our competitive market

Identify new product and vendor sourcing opportunities and communicate them to Purchasing and Business Development for review

Collaborate with Purchasing and Business Development to identify and recommend products to be placed on clearance for inventory liquidation

Set discount pricing for clearance products according to brand strategy

Define and execute entire product life cycle, including rationalization

Work within a matrix organizational structure

Decision-making required for this position includes:

• Retail pricing strategies
• New product and vendor sourcing opportunities

Impact this position has on the organization:

• Customer satisfaction
• Sales 
• Margin

Externally, this position partners with:

• Key customers
• Key vendors

Internally, this position partners with:

• Content
• Purchasing
• Distribution Center/Returns

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

BA/BS or equivalent preferred

3-5 years of experience in related field preferred

Candidates with a depth of experience in Retail Category Management

Why Ariens?

• Exceptional culture rooted in our Core Values of Honesty, Fairness, Keeping our Commitments, Respecting the Individual and Encouraging Intellectual Curiosity. These are not treated as window dressing but rather a manifesto we live by 
• The opportunity to be a key member of our team that is transforming our brand (Gemplers, AW Direct, Ben Meadows) 
• We embrace professionals who take their jobs more seriously than their job position summaries

We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.