Category & Product Manager

SUMMARY

As the business owner of a defined category, the Category & Product Manager sets the long-term product vision, leads cross-functional teams, and drives results. They use insights to shape the product line, craft compelling sell-in materials that win retailer support, and ensure every product delivers clear consumer value. In this role, you operate as the GM of your category — owning revenue, margin, and SKU productivity while shaping how Kids2 competes and shows up in the market.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES AND ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

• Category Strategy, P&L Ownership & Portfolio Management: Owns the financial performance & strategic direction of the category. Leverages category expertise and insights to drive long-term product vision, profitable growth, and consumer relevance globally.
• Define the Category Vision and maintain a 3 Year Product Roadmap setting strategic direction while prioritizing product introductions.
• Leverage consumer insights, analyze category data, and monitor the competitive landscape to identify whitespace opportunities for your category, delivering innovation while capturing share
• Lead portfolio reviews to optimize SKU productivity and portfolio rationalization decisions.
• Act as the P&L owner for your business — establishing forecasts, cost targets, and margin goal for new items while managing portfolio health of total category
• Bring a global mindset to ensure product market fits across regions.
• Cross-Functional Leadership & Collaboration: Brings strategy to life by influencing, aligning, and leading core teams toward a shared outcome.
• Turn strategy into inspiring, actionable briefs that align design, engineering, packaging & digital marketing teams around what to design, why it matters, and how it wins in market.
• Lead and influence cross-functional teams — drive clarity around decisions, changes, and shifting priorities.
• Foster collaboration, trust, and accountability by building strong working relationships across all functions.
• Maintain launch schedules & guide teams toward aligned decisions by navigating obstacles, balancing perspectives, and maintaining forward momentum.
• Create clarity and momentum by focusing energy on what moves the business forward with the largest impact.
• Commercialization & Go-to-Market Excellence: Ensures item success across the product lifecycle — from sell-in strategy to sell-through performance and portfolio optimization.
• Develop compelling sell-in materials and line plans that influence retailer decisions and secure product placement.
• Serve as the category expert in key retailer meetings, trade shows, and strategic presentations.
• Partner with Sales, Operations, and Demand Planning to ensure launch of readiness, sell-through, and inventory efficiency.
• Optimize assets ensuring consumer facing content & packaging clearly communicates consumer value and product features.
• Monitor in-market performance to identify opportunities for product refreshes, or recommended add/ drops to retail partners

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE

• 5 years of experience in product, category, or brand management – with direct ownership of business performance.
• Must have general knowledge of manufacturing materials, product development processes, and costs.
• Familiarity with the online and brick & mortar retail landscape is strongly preferred.
• Prior experience managing a product P&L is required.

EDUCATION & SKILLS

• Bachelor’s degree in business management, finance or other related field or equivalent work experience is required.
• Ability to execute and excel in fast-paced organization
• Ability to prioritize amid shifting priorities and a changing business landscape
• Outstanding oral and presentation-based communication skills

COMPUTER/TECHNICAL SKILLS

• Must be proficient in PowerPoint, Excel and Word
• Familiarity working with category and retailer data tools (e.g., Circana, Profitero, Scintilla) and analyzing POS/shopper data

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

• While performing the duties of this job, the team member is regularly required to talk or hear.
• The team member frequently is required to sit; have flexible use of hands; reach with hands and arms; and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl.
• The team member is occasionally required to stand, walk, and taste or smell. T
• The team member must regularly lift and/or move up to 10 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 - 50 pounds.
• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

• In office Monday - Thursday and half day on Friday
• General office environment with occasional travel domestically & internationally