Senior Product Marketing Manager, Housewares

Who we are

Kittrich Corporation is a privately held, fast-growing international consumer products company dedicated to creating innovative, market-leading products sold across major retail, e-commerce, distributors, and specialty channels. Our diverse portfolio includes housewares, home décor, kitchen, textiles, tableware, office and stationery, yard and pest control, natural cleaning, health and beauty, pet, baby, furniture, and more.

About the role

We are seeking a highly motivated Senior Product Marketing Manager to lead our Housewares category product portfolio strategy and development. This role will determine what we make, who it's for, where we sell it, and at what price, and manage each product from concept through launch. This role will work closely with our leadership, product operations, sales, sourcing, art and planning departments to develop the long-range product portfolio strategies, positioning, channel strategies and manage complete product lifecycles. The ideal candidate is passionate about creating new, innovative products, solving consumer challenges, process-oriented, and has their finger on the pulse for interior trends.

Key responsibilities

Strategy and insights

• Build and own the Housewares brands' 3-year product and channel strategies.
• Evaluate consumer, market, competitive, trend and media insights to drive recommendations grounded in data, centered on the consumer, and financially sound. 
• Define the brand’s product portfolio and long-range growth strategies, supported by compelling value propositions, feature benefits, and key points of differentiation for all new products. 
• Size the category and find whitespace opportunities using syndicated, Amazon, and internal sales data, store checks, and consumer reviews; turn findings into insights with recommended actions.
• Define the target consumer, the brand promise, product positioning and why consumers should choose these brands.
• In partnership with Sales, determine retailer priorities and core versus exclusive assortment strategies, laddering up to a streamlined product launch calendar that supports key retailer reset dates. 

Portfolio, pricing, and business case

• Assess every SKU (keep, fix, cut, or replace) and build a 3-year roadmap that balances innovation with core refreshes, tied to key retailer product line review dates.
• Grow the brand beyond the core liner line: identify and develop complementary accessories and adjacent-category products that fit the brand and meet a real consumer need.
• Set SRPs across entry, mid, and premium tiers, and back into landed cost targets to brief and kick-off Sourcing team successfully. 

Product development

• Own end-to-end product development, from early concept through launch readiness, collaborating closely with Product Operations, Sourcing, and Art Departments.
• Brief Sourcing with clearly defined SRP and cost targets; give clear direction on desired materials, features, and performance; evaluate samples and document feedback. If cost targets are not met, determine if adjustments need to be made to SKU direction or drop SKU completely. 
• Scout new materials, features, or new innovation at trade shows, competitive shopping, and supplier meetings.
• Conduct product testing for new concepts to confirm performance and support claims; maintain approved standards and a sample library. 
• Evaluate which new concepts require multi-person user testing to validate performance and spearhead necessary tests. 
• Develop strategic direction for packaging artwork, copy, claims, and specs. Brief the Art Department and conduct reviews with leadership for effective and efficient approvals. 
• Ensure packaging and messaging/copy strategies are thoughtfully designed for brand as a whole and by individual items/categories. 
• Refresh brand catalog seasonally with new products, in accordance with the launch strategies. 
• Evaluate poor performing SKUs within owned product categories to determine exit strategies, in alignment with Sales and Leadership. 
• Support Product Operations team on timelines, project tracking, and system setup where necessary. 

Launch and sales enablement

• Lead the go-to-market (GTM) plan for each launch: product readiness, pricing, channel and retailer plan, timing, and sell-in
• Own the product messaging framework: value proposition, benefit hierarchy, and claims.
• Build a summarized deck for all new SKUs, per season & launch to train Sales on features, benefits, and competitive selling points ahead of line reviews and trade shows such as The Inspired Home Show.
• Act as the product expert in buyer meetings, and finalize SKU selections with Sales after line reviews.
• Support Product Operations in development and preparation for key annual trade show booth – The Inspired Home Show (IHS). Travel to show is required (in March). Will be helping set up product displays for show and actively present during show with team. 

In-market management

• Partner with in-house Data Analyst to track SKU performance -- sales, velocity, margin, sell-through, and review ratings; run post-launch assessments against the business case to evaluate performance and determine if any necessary adjustments are needed. 
• Evaluate new product requests (NPRs) provided by Sales team against the approved long-range strategy and only approve those that meet select requirements. 
• Support Product Operations to ensure product data remain accurate across all data touch points.
• Conduct ongoing retailer audits (in-store & digital) to identify trends and gaps.
• Track emerging competitors and value-tier shifts; ensure our brands achieve and maintain category leadership. 

Qualifications

Required

• 5–8 years in product marketing, product management, or category management, including 3 years in CPG or consumer durables.
• Has built multi-year portfolio strategies and taken products from concept to launch.
• Hands-on product development experience: briefing suppliers, evaluating samples, and approving specs.
• Strong financial skills (P&L, costing, margin, pricing, forecasting) and advanced Excel.
• Strong organizational, communication, and analytical skills.
• Experience with ERP, syndicated, and Amazon data (e.g., Circana, NielsenIQ, Helium 10) a plus. 
• Equally strong in data analysis and product storytelling; makes clear, evidence-backed recommendations.
• Leads cross-functional work without direct authority; takes ownership and welcomes feedback while ramping up.
• A team-player who is highly collaborative working with internal cross-functional team members; willing to roll up their sleeves to problem solve.

Preferred

• Housewares, home organization, or home improvement experience.
• Stage-gate development and overseas supplier experience.
• Retailer line review and tradeshow presentation experience.
• Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, or a related field; MBA a plus.
• What success looks like in the first 12 months
• Thoughtfully crafted long-range product strategies that align with Sales and Leadership objectives. 
• Approved newness with samples and sell sheets delivered to Sales ahead of line reviews.
• Keep, fix, or cut decisions made and executed for every SKU.
• New items launched at target SRP, cost, and margin, with post-launch reviews completed.
• Brand growth in line with company targets.
• Clear handoffs with Brand Marketing, Sales, and Product Operations, with no duplicate work.
• Leadership is a key partner throughout. Expect close partnership in the first 6–12 months, with autonomy growing as results are delivered.

Salary range

• $100,000–$170,000 per year

Benefits

• Medical insurance 
• Dental insurance 
• Vision insurance
• Life insurance
• 401K
• Paid time off