Director, Product & Innovation

Role Description

Reporting to the VP of Product & Innovation, this position will manage product life cycle for designated categories from strategy through execution and post-mortem evaluation. Must be a team player who’s strategic, analytical, and a creative problem solver, with excellent attention to detail. Champion the needs of the collective teams throughout category life cycle ensuring assortment meets strategic growth initiatives and unproductive assortments are rationalized. Utilize internal and external sales analytics, market insights, & macro trends, to create assortment plans by category that align with goals.

What You’ll Do:

• Own product strategy and lifecycle management for assigned categories, from opportunity identification through post-launch optimization.
• Lead the analysis for designated categories; market research, competitive landscape review, sales analysis, opportunity identification.
• Lead an initiative team of cross-functional partners and direct reports to deliver against category growth strategies and product pipeline; including assortment decisions, SKU expansion, rationalization, pricing direction, and product positioning.
• Develop detailed S.W.O.T. business cases; identify opportunities effectively linking insights into tangible strategic plans, highlighting insights, risks, opportunities, and recommended actions.
• Define product requirements, value propositions, success metrics, and roadmap priorities aligned to strategic goals.
• Partner with the Product Development Manager and Sourcing to translate strategy into executable development plans and align on feasibility, timing, and cost.
• Provide strategic direction to and partner with Marketing for product content, positioning, competitive benchmarking, and launch messaging.
• Partner with Sales on customer and market opportunities; taking lead on development communication, sales review, product additions/ updates/ improvements and/or positioning, including sell-in support, and positioning.
• Regularly monitor macro/category trends, category consumer product reviews to generate new, innovative ideas.

Qualifications

• 7-10 years previous experience in a product manager, category manager or comparable position with a consumer products company, preferably e-commerce or furniture marketplaces.
• Previous experience managing direct reports.
• Advanced skill set in sales analytics, creation of graphs/charts/pivot tables.
• Ability to operate independently with minimal direction.
• Demonstrated ability to make decisions in ambiguous situations and take accountability for outcomes.
• Customer Empathy - Must be able to empathize with the customer.
• Product pricing experience and working with product development teams.
• Strong Work Ethic - Integrity & Confidence.
• Business Acumen - keenness and quickness in understanding and dealing with a business issue.
• Analytical, and creative problem solver, with excellent attention to detail and organization abilities.
• Superior written, verbal communication and Presentation Skills.
• Knowledge of the Industry - Previous furniture or housewares industry experience is a plus.
• Superior PC skills with advanced capabilities in Microsoft programs (Excel, Word, and PowerPoint).
• Strong time management and project management skills.

Benefits

• Major medical, dental, and vision benefits available day one no waiting period.
• Company-paid life insurance and employee assistance program for all employees.
• 401K with company match.
• Employee discount on Ubique Group products.
• Free office chair for remote employees.
• Employee-led organization Ubique Cares engages in monthly and quarterly employee engagement activities packed with fun and giveaways!
• Ubique Group offers 9 paid holidays plus 1 floating holiday per year and up to 18 Accrued PTO days per year.