Vice President - User & Market Insights & Category Management

JOB DESCRIPTION

JOB PURPOSE :

The Vice President User & Market Insights and Category Management will be responsible for all user research, market insights and category management efforts at Rust-Oleum for a diverse set of brands across multiple product platforms. This individual will be the voice of the user and owns the collection and synthesis of market and end-user intelligence. The person in this key leadership role will be accountable for collaborating with Product Management and other areas of the business to assess and address information needs, and for leading, analyzing, and synthesizing company, consumer, and marketplace learning.

The work of the User & Market Insights and Category Management function will directly influence business strategy, product and value proposition design, pricing, media investments, in-store assortment, go to market strategy, among other strategic elements.

RESPONSIBILITIES :

• Overall - Investigate opportunities that drive business results by uncovering market, brand, channel, and end-user trends working with internal and external teams / agencies. Work closely with Product Management, Sales, R&D, and other cross-functional teams that impact the user experience journey to create a research plan that identifies and addresses key knowledge gaps in end-users and markets. Lead insights & category management initiatives and analysis in support of critical strategic planning activities to support the growth and profitability of Rust-Oleum with goal to deliver 10%+ CAGR or 3X market pace (whichever is greater) for each business segment and platform.
• Market Insights - Responsible for overall market insights and intelligence activities to inform the corporate and marketing strategy, planning, and portfolio decisions. These decisions are informed via an innate understanding of macro market, industry, category and competitive forces. This is done through the compilation of internal and external data sources, both ongoing and adhoc, then interpreting these and their potential impact on strategy and planned tactics.
• User Insights - Own qualitative and quantitative user research at Rust-Oleum, including User Segmentation, Brand Positioning, Macro Trends, etc. The research conducted will provide a clear understanding of end-user needs, wants, problems, likes and dislikes with respect to target home improvement and professional applications, as well as educate the team on research best practices.
• Business Insights - Create a clearly defined market intelligence plan. Create actionable business insights internally and externally; internally this includes assessing sales performance of our products at retail in a timely and factual manner; externally, you'll provide a value-added service to retailers by positioning Rust-Oleum as the vendor of choice.
• POS Data - Capture & analyze POS scanner data from sources such as NPD, Epicor, Retail Links, audits & surveys, customer data, etc. to identify customer opportunities.
• Merchandising / Category Management - Provide analysis and shopper-driven recommendations as part of business reviews, assortment & space optimization, and trade promotions.
• Insights Cornerstone - Connect the dots across multiple sources of data and information to generate insight and make meaningful recommendations that drive competitive advantage and profitable growth. Help ensure insight is woven throughout brand strategy, portfolio & pricing optimization, and innovation initiatives and is shared with the broader organization to support decision making. Develop a one view insight data base with associated dashboards and KPI's that is shared across the organization. Present insights to internal teams and key strategic retail accounts.
• Leadership - Lead, manage and develop team of User & Market Insights and Category Management reports and cross-functional teams.
• Cross Functional Support - Work closely with Product Management to identify new categories and channels for growth. Support projects with research, analysis and merchandising throughout all phases of the platform development, launch and promotional cycles. Support Stage-Gate process to improve speed, efficiencies, cross collaboration, and future success of program launches.

QUALIFICATIONS :

LEADERSHIP TRAITS

Salary Range : $180,000 - $230,000, bonus eligible

After 30 days of employment, associates are eligible for a benefits package that includes medical, dental, life, disability and business travel insurance, flexible spending accounts, employee assistance programs, stock purchases, and paid time off for vacation, holidays, sick days and parental leave. Rust-Oleum Corporation also offers a 401(k) plan after three months of employment and a vested pension plan after five years of service.

Rust-Oleum is an equal opportunity employer. Employment selection and related decisions are made without regard to sex, race, age, disability, religion, national origin, color, or any other protected class