Career Opportunities: Manager, Global Product Line PRun (75759)

Global Product Line Manager, Footwear

At ASICS, our Sound Mind, Sound Body™ philosophy is more than a tagline, it's our way of life. Over 75 years ago our founder, Kihachiro Onitsuka, saw that sport and movement had the power to lift spirits, project positivity, and propel people and whole communities forward. ASICS provides a diverse and inclusive culture that enables learning, growth, and opportunity at all levels. We empower our employees to pursue their career goals. If this sounds like you, then we want you on our team.

The ASICS Creation Center, LLC is ASICS Corporation's product creation office based in Boston, MA. This organization, founded on May 1, 2024, is dedicated to driving innovation and elevating product creation to new heights. The team sits across all areas of the product creation process, supporting the following areas: Innovation, Performance Running, Sportstyle, and Core Performance Sports

Position Summary

The Global Product Line Manager, Footwear, is responsible for managing a comprehensive product cycle in a post-development environment. Responsible for developing the best product line for the assigned category that is in line with ASICS' commercial expectations and merchandising needs. Ensures the transfer of all product information and line plans from concept stage towards Go-To-Market meeting.

Supervisory Responsibilities

• Directly Manages Product Line Coordinators • Provides coaching, direction, develops and empowers direct reports

Duties and Responsibilities

• Identify market potential for all managed items (inline and future concepts).
• Responsible for pricing and marketplace positioning, proper channel segmentation, item forecasting, and considering product lifecycle.
• Communicates effectively with key members on product triad (design and development) and other key global partners based in Japan (merchandising, category strategy, marketing)
• Partner with regional merchandisers around the globe to evaluate inline items and future concepts to ensure success in the marketplace.
• Plans, organizes, and coordinates assigned product concept briefs.
• Manages assigned resources to achieve deliverables. Works in conjunction with areas of Global Marketing Department to map out proper direction and support for successful go-to-market.
• Collaborate with Merchandising to analyze historical sell-in and sell out numbers to make best decisions for future product lines and new model introductions.
• Travel to markets to gain optimal market understanding and discover opportunities. Map out the market trends for the specific category
• Collaborate with Consumer Insight to clearly understand the target consumers for your specific items.
• Update seasonal competitor matrix. Should clearly map the technologies and price points for all competing styles in the category.
• Drive finalization of seasonal concepts. Works closely with Consumer Insight and Merchandising teams in preparation of seasonal plan.
• Responsible for creating the line plan for Architecture Cut, containing the optimal and most effective mix of the market needs expressed by merchandising and new concepts to create newness for our brand in the category.
• Drive the seasonal development of the product line thru Global design reviews and sample review meetings.
• Comfortable with experience presenting to a global team for a wide range of meetings including briefing, sample meetings, merchandising & sales meetings.
• Experience with product testing to validate project and insights to build brief.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Ability to provide solutions to support business needs through creative problem solving and creative innovation • Ability to work independently and perform a variety of tasks with different levels of complexity by developing effective plans and organizing work efficiently • Attention to detail, ability to multitask and prioritize tasks with strict deadlines • Strong quantitative, analytical skills with attention to detail and accuracy • Operates with curiosity with an ability to manage ambiguity and push through business challenges with a focus on continuous development • Working knowledge of the footwear product management process, retail environment and consumer buying habits • Technical background, understanding materials, fit, function, and end-user requirements • Comprehensive understanding of product development, manufacturing, and retail buying process • Schedule flexibility to manage regular evening calls with Asia. • Ability to travel domestically and internationally around 20% of the year (with minimum 2 trips/year to Japan).

Core Competencies

• Customer Focus • Innovation & Creativity • Collaboration & Mutual Respect • Leadership • Results Driven

Education/Experience

· 3-5 years' experience in Product management within sporting or athletic industry · Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration, Retail Merchandising, or Product Development or equivalent work experience · Experience working with international cultures and in an international environment · Report generating and analytical experience related to merchandising, financials and sales · Experience with Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.) · Experience with Google Applications such as Gmail, Google Hangouts, etc. a plus.

Physical Demands

In general, the following physical demands are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be provided to allow differently abled individuals to perform the essential functions of the job. • Must be able to see, hear, speak, and write clearly to communicate with employees and/or other customers. • Manual dexterity required.

Work Environment

In general, the following conditions of the work environment are representative of those that an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to allow differently abled individuals to perform the essential functions of the job within the environment.

Salary Range

$115,000 - $130,000, Actual base pay will vary based on factors such as but not limited to relevant experience, equitable pay practices and time in position.