Senior Manager of Product Development

Location : Valley View, Ohio (ONSITE)

Reports To : Director of Marketing

FLSA Status : Exempt, Full Time

Prepared Date : March 19, 2024

Summary :

THIS IS AN ONSITE POSITION.

B’laster Holdings is a growing, privately held company with a unique, fun, innovating environment. We rely on our employees to get their work done while maintaining a work-life balance.

Team members must be able to work autonomously, be effective with limited supervision, and collaborate with the team. As we continue to grow, we intend to keep our fun and fast-paced atmosphere while knowing when to escalate issues and / or challenges.

Our brands include B’laster, Gunk, Liquid Wrench, Titeseal, Casite, and AC Avalanche.

The Sr. Manager of Product Development will own the customer needs and a roadmap for our products. They will represent the product with internal and external stakeholders, acting as a single point of contact for product development.

Managing the resources and processes required to implement the vision and strategy for new product development and revitalize existing products across our brands.

This role plays a leading role in identifying customer needs, helping to build our brands and leading teams across the company to launch products from concept through commercialization including market exit for all the B’laster, Gunk, Liquid Wrench, Titeseal, Casite, and AC Avalanche brands.

Work across multiple internal and external groups such as design, packaging and labeling, regulatory claims, marketing, sales force education, etc.

Duties and Responsibilities :

• Influence cross-functional teams and senior leadership to develop a comprehensive product roadmap addressing customer needs and market opportunities.
• Define key product metrics ensuring alignment with business priorities.
• Manages work and projects with a team supporting mainframe, development, and testing. Tracks and acts upon work progress.
• Reviews and audits the work of members of the team.
• Ensures regulatory compliance with development and other processes.
• Ensures development and production support processes and practices are compliant with corporate and regulatory standards both domestic and international.
• Supports a continuous improvement mindset. Manages recommendations for improvements and encourages team to do the same.

Collaboration drives success.

• Provide technical guidance.
• Understands clients' current needs. Communicates with team members on status of projects and delivery.
• Works to support a positive team culture and relationships between members. Represent the team on client calls, reviews or trade shows when needed.
• Meet established deadlines for assigned projects and proactively inform stakeholders of project status.
• Utilize the strong analytical ability to evaluate end-to-end customer experience across multiple channels and customer touchpoints.
• Coordinate with Marketing to provide research, data and input regarding sales, potential promotions, or strategies to increase sales.
• Coordinate with Marketing to identify market trends and insights to drive product development.
• Identify all project risks within the development cycle, while resolving obstacles and risk mitigation plans.
• Help establish short- and long-range goals and objectives.
• Creates and maintains appropriate documentation designs and implements standards.
• Develops and expands knowledge of relevant tools and technologies.
• Product launch plan the launch and go-to-market strategies for product releases. Manage the cross-functional implementation of the plan to ensure all internal stakeholders are prepared for product releases.
• Lead new product development execution including formula development, claims testing, packaging conception, artwork initiation, and production execution.
• Lead and direct portfolio optimization strategy for select portfolio, including managing the portfolio lifecycle stages and active, harvest and rationalize.

Minimum Qualifications :

• BS / BA in Business, Marketing, or equivalent related field.
• 5-7 years product development manager experience, CPG experience a plus.
• 5-7 years’ experience strategic planning, analytical and project management a plus.
• Stage Gate or similar gate process experience preferred.
• Demonstrated success in new product development, commercialization, and product roadmap planning

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities :

• Detail oriented with strong analytical and business problem solving skills.
• Excellent writing, communication, and presentation skills.
• Driven, self-motivated and self-directed; comfortable leading and working with teams, but also independently completing projects.
• Must be highly organized and able to work efficiently on multiple projects to meet tight deadlines and changing priorities.
• Excellent problem-solving skills with ability to manage priorities on multiple projects with tight deadlines while achieving exceptional results.
• Excellent organizational and project management skills
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Professionalism working with cross-functional teams.
• Comfortable working with and breaking through ambiguity.
• Flexible and adaptable to a fast-paced environment.
• Strong computer skills in Microsoft office : Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Excellent English oral and written communication skills.
• Prioritizing, time management, and organizational skills.
• Relationship management skills and openness to feedback.

Physical Demands :

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit, use their hands to handle or feel, talk, or hear.

Employees are occasionally required to stand, walk, and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl, as well as lift and carry up to 30 pounds for small periods of time throughout the day.

Work Environment :

This is a fast-paced position that is office-based. Completing the job’s responsibilities will require retail store visits, customer calls, trade show attendance and field observations.

The ability to thrive under pressure while managing multiple projects at a detailed level is required. Many of the duties above are time sensitive and have strict deadlines for completion.