Associate Product Development Manager at Smart LLC – Torrance, California

Chemical Guys (CG) is more than a brand. It's a lifestyle with a worldwide following driven by adventure, a passion for shine, and a love for the road ahead. We welcome Any and All who share this passion to become part of the CG Family.

When we started over two decades ago, we decided to wipe the slate clean and begin fresh with the simple idea to make the best quality auto-detailing chemicals manufactured right here in California to the highest standards. Over the years, we have grown into so much more: a huge library of detailing knowledge, a benchmark in the industry, and a group of friends with one common passion.

Today, Chemical Guys has become a true omnichannel leader in the automotive appearance industry with a massive social media following and product distribution around the world. But this is still just the beginning. We want to win in the long run, drive innovation, and refine the industry while having fun along the way. So, grab a wash mitt, some soap, put a smile on your face, and don’t look back… it’s going to be an unforgettable ride!

Position Requirement Overview

The ideal Associate Product Development Manager candidate will play a key role in the development and implementation of Chemical Guys product innovation and marketing strategy. This person will have the opportunity to be involved in consumer insights and market insights work that shapes our new product and portfolio strategies. This role will experience the needs of a fast growing business that includes channel management, pricing and promotion planning. This position requires strong analytical skills, experience with retailer assortment and product planning for consumer products. Candidates must work closely with cross functional teams (Sales, Marketing, Operations, and Finance). This individual will be the expert in their assigned categories and responsible for delivering products and projects on time, on quality, and on cost. Our ideal candidate puts the consumer first, thinks creatively, makes data-driven decisions, and has a bias for action.

Key Responsibilities:

? Monitors and drives competitive, strategic and tactical activities. Develops appropriate strategies and/or new launches.

? Responsible for clearly scoping and defining new products as well as changes to the portfolio.

? Supports the execution of the product development cycle, from concept to launch, for new product solutions, product enhancements, and special projects

? Monitors, measures and optimizes promotional and merchandizing strategy to optimize topline growth and bottom-line results.

? Ensure all products are being produced according to the product plan, specifications, and regulatory requirements

? Write and communicate clearly and effectively product specifications and launch timelines to a cross functional team

? Collaborate with Sales, Marketing, and Operations on product end-of-life (EOL) cycle management

? Gather and analyze market, consumer, and customer data to provide actionable insights and understanding

? Aid in preparing product analysis and presentations

? Ability to communicate effectively with management

? Available for marketing and sales projects as needed.

? Serve as a product/technical support and resource to Sales, Marketing, and other internal departments as needed

First Year Deliverables

First 3 months

? Integrate into the Chemical Guys product development process while suggesting solutions to possibly streamline/improve the overall development process

? Understand and begin to master the products within the assigned categories

? Research and understand the competition within the assigned categories

? Build relationships across all cross functional teams

? Build relationships with all relevant suppliers

? Understand the product development lifecycle for each assigned category in detail

3 to 6 months

? Lead and manage the product development of NPI (New Product Introductions) within the assigned categories

? Review and map out financials for all SKUs within the assigned categories

? Publish timelines for all NPI launches within the assigned categories

? Work with cross functional teams (Media, Finance, Ops, Planning, Quality, Sales) to ensure NPI timelines are being met

? Manage pricing for NPI and existing SKUs within assigned categories – continuously monitoring profitability to ensure gross margin targets are being met

? Manage NPI launches with suppliers – negotiate pricing, tooling, timelines, etc.

6 to 12 months

? Own assigned product portfolios - become the product expert within the assigned categories across all SKUs and be able to address any questions, issues, and concerns with cross-functional teams as they arise

? Present and update senior management on NPI status through each development phase on a monthly basis

? Participate in monthly S&OP meetings to ensure category budgets are being met

? Track and monitor the performance of all SKUs based on POS (Point of Sale) data, profitability, and customer reviews

? Collaborate with Operations on dual-sourcing initiatives to drive cost reductions and supply chain gaps

? Collaborate with Quality to improve product performance as they arise

? Collaborate with Planning & Finance to review SKU performance and SKU rationalization as needed

? Source new strategic suppliers

? Explore/Brainstorm new concepts and ideas based on market trends, competitive analysis, and new technologies

Compensation: $70,304-80k annually

Job Type: Fulltime

Location: Onsite in Torrance, CA

Directly Reports To: Dir. of Product Development

Required Skills:

? 2+ years of Product Development / Product Management / Category Management / Channel Management / Sales in the consumer goods industry

? Proven ability to meet deadlines and deliver projects successfully with a strong winning mindset to achieve stretch goals

? Strong interpersonal skills with a high sense of responsibility and integrity to develop excellent working relationships at various levels across the organization and with 3rd party service providers

? Excellent communication and follow-through skills (High “say-do” ratio)

? Comfortable in changing high-volume environments with tight deadlines

? Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret and translate data into actionable proposals

? Desire to affect change through influence and an ability to convince others with differing opinions

? Strong organizational writing, communication, and presentation skills to drive effective collaboration within a matrix organization

? Experience in Microsoft Outlook, Excel and PowerPoint