Job Description

The Category Manager is responsible for overseeing the development and execution of category management programs in partnership with the channel marketing team and relevant stakeholders. This role also leads local and regional new product development and launches, including identifying new product ideas, managing portfolio segmentation and lifecycle, and coordinating commercial launches. The position encompasses gathering and utilizing customer and vertical insights to shape portfolio strategy and build a robust new product pipeline. Collaboration with internal and external stakeholders is a key component of this role.

Responsibilities:

• Coordinate portfolio strategy discussions with internal stakeholders.
• Lead category management initiatives with selected distributors in alignment with channel marketing.
• Identify portfolio gaps, develop product concepts, and validate execution strategies to inform business cases.
• Oversee commercial elements of new product launches, ensuring regional inputs are captured during the stage gate process.
• Plan and participate in key distributor meetings and support the creation of new product training materials.
• Design and execute research projects to generate new product ideas.
• Support additional projects and tasks related to marketing and category management as needed.

Qualifications:

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in education and experience.

Experience:

• 5+ years in Marketing, Category Management, or Product Management.
• Familiarity with digital marketing is required.
• Sales experience is preferred but not mandatory.

Knowledge and Skills:

• Expertise in managing relationships between manufacturers, distributors, and end-users to influence outcomes.
• Strong project and agency management capabilities.
• Experience in designing and managing research projects.
• Ability to prioritize and influence teams to achieve results.
• Excellent verbal and written communication and presentation skills.
• Proficiency in navigating organizational complexity and translating insights into actionable strategies.

Desirable Competencies:

• Learning Agility: Quickly gain an understanding of industry trends, marketing strategies, product portfolios, and distributor business strategies.
• Strategic Agility: Identify and capitalize on commercial opportunities through analysis and observation.
• Leadership Agility: Collaborate with sales teams, engage distributor marketing teams, manage multiple priorities, and communicate effectively.

Additional Requirements:

• Travel approximately 20% to meet with customers, attend trade shows, and participate in customer events.

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