Product Development Manager

South Pittsburg, TN

About Lodge Cast Iron
We got our start over 125 years ago when Joseph Lodge founded the Blacklock Foundry in South Pittsburg, TN. His scrappy, hardworking spirit continues to lead us today. As a team, we believe cast iron is for everyone. We're dedicated to manufacturing American-made cookware that we're proud to use in our very own homes and excited to bring to kitchens, backyards, and campfires around the world. Day in and day out, we work together to stay safe, have fun, and be better than we were the day before.

What fires us up?
By now, you may have caught on to the fact that we're serious about spreading the joys of cast iron. And while we're always on the lookout for ways to innovate, we believe in the adage: If it ain't broke, don't fix it. That's why we stand by a simple recipe of just iron and oil (no forever chemicals, since forever). It's also why we're passionate about keeping our campus in our hometown of South Pittsburg, Tennessee, providing great jobs to our community. As we bring our cookware to the next generation of cast iron chefs, we're looking for people to help us stay true to our roots every step of the way. Does that sound like something you can get behind?

A Day in the Life
The Product Marketing Manager is an individual contributor, reporting to the Senior Product Marketing Manager, who works with cross-functional teams to ensure timely, profitable and successful project completions that align with company goals and objectives. This position is responsible for the strategic development, management and implementation of new products and projects, including both manufactured and sourced goods. This manager should bring to the table prior experience in product commercialization, ideally in the CPG space. Business proposals, product design direction, costing, marketing collaboration and presentations are all parts of the development process for which this role is responsible. A significant part of this role is partnering with the Sales and Finance teams to support and strategize key retailer line reviews and seasonal offerings. Further, this position synthesizes research and information from many different sources to provide guidance on Lodge's overarching product development path and the current product portfolio.

Communicating timelines and expectations across the organization is a key priority of this position. As the project owner, this person will be responsible for creating presentations and presenting in front of both internal and external audiences. This person embraces our strong company culture, drives for success, takes ownership of responsibilities and has a passion for being the best. The Marketing department is a very collaborative team, and this role will be involved in conversations with the Brand Engagement, Culinary and Creative teams throughout the process. Interest in cooking is a plus for this position.

Responsibilities

• Responsible for product strategies that support the organization's goals and product road map
• Oversee the strategic development process of new products and product changes, including but not limited to:
• Business Proposals
• Research (market, consumer, product)
• Costing
• Product Design Direction
• Product Testing Direction
• Packaging Direction
• Marketing Collaboration
• Internal and external education on new products
• Product lifecycle management
• Lead cross-functional teams to ensure projects are on schedule and successful
• Owner of project scheduling in system, ensuring team has accurate and up-to-date project status and dates
• Partner closely with Sales and Finance to strategically support key retailers (costing and presentations)
• Proactively and consistently communicate project objectives and timing clearly across the organization
• Deliver on net sales and profitability goals for new products and organizational objectives
• Run departmental sales reporting and analysis
• Understand the Lodge brand and our go-to-market strategy
• Create presentations for internal and external use
• Confident presenting to both internal and external stakeholders
• All other tasks as assigned

Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in a related field required
• 3-5 years of project management experience

Summary Of Necessary Knowledge, Experience, And Skills

• Prior experience in product commercialization, ideally with CPG products
• Proven communication and organizational skills
• Strong attention to detail and accuracy
• Excellent organization, time management and scheduling skills
• Demonstrate problem solving skills and ability to think strategically
• Ability to think both creatively and analytically about challenges
• Effective communication skills, both oral and written
• Must be a self-starter and able to lead a team
• Strong interpersonal skills to build cross-functional relationship
• Communicate effectively with all levels of the organization
• Comfortable learning and working in multiple systems
• Ability to prioritize between numerous tasks
• Enjoys working in a collaborative team environment
• Proficient in PowerPoint, Excel and Word
• Interest in and understanding of product design is a plus
• Experience working with retail partners is a plus

Employee Benefits And Perks

• Competitive Pay
• Generous PTO
• Insurance Benefits (Medical, Dental, Vision, Prescription, Life, and Short-Term Disability)
• On-Site Clinic and Fitness Center
• 401K Match and Deferred Profit-Sharing Program
• Quarterly Profit Sharing
• Employee Assistance Program
• Scholarship Opportunity and Tuition Reimbursement
• Employee Discount at Lodge Factory Store and Big Bad Breakfast
• Safety, Holiday, and Celebration Dinners

Equal Opportunity Employer
Lodge Manufacturing does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, national or ethnic origin, gender, religion, disability, age, political affiliation or belief, veteran status, or citizenship status (except in those special circumstances permitted or mandated by law).