Join our team as a Product Manager, focusing on educational and children's products. This role combines business planning, product development, and innovation to create compelling product lines for retail success. You will develop category strategies, manage product lifecycles, and collaborate cross-functionally to deliver high-quality, customer-driven products. This position has work from home flexibility.

Key Responsibilities:

• Utilize market and competitive research, account POS, customer expectations, and data from the Insights Team to develop customer products/programs with a high degree of focus on innovation.
• Develop customer-specific project development timelines and monitor for changes.
• Gain a thorough understanding of retailers (for assigned accounts) and competition across our key product categories.
• Participate in qualitative, quantitative, and community research alongside the Insights Team.
• Partner with the Sales team and Product Development Director for strategy development and buyer presentations post-kickoff.
• Drive productivity by conducting ongoing SKU rationalization via margin analysis and presenting findings and proposed changes to Sr. PD.
• Manage product lifecycle and development, including identifying product mix, leading brainstorm sessions, developing and managing schedules, placement strategies, creating product line concepts, and coordinating sourcing.
• Work directly with Sourcing Teams to develop new products and programs, ensuring products meet cost, quality, and innovation requirements.
• Develop and manage product development line lists.
• Utilize provided work instructions to ensure consistency and document control across department-owned templates.
• Collaborate with the Packaging Team to ensure customer requirement adherence and approve packaging artwork prior to production.
• Develop quarterly concepts for sustainable programs, including products, packaging, and operations.
• Work with Sales to develop pricing strategies and submit all pricing requests to the Pricing Department for approval/review.
• Implement and manage performance metrics for categories and items.
• Identify challenges/issues early, assess and evaluate potential alternatives, and develop appropriate recommendations for resolution.
• Oversee the technical aspects of projects and assist in the development of point-of-purchase product displays and planograms.
• Collaborate with the Design Team on product artwork approvals from concept through final mechanical release. Ensure job bags are created for the Sourcing Team and coordinate shipping.
• Facilitate the approval of pre-production and production samples through all necessary departments.
• Identify emerging technologies and trends and provide input for new product ideas and customized programs.
• Conduct post-mortem sessions once customer projects are complete to identify areas of opportunity for continuous improvement.
• Work with the Licensing Department to identify licenses, artists, trends, and archive products to be used within the category/brand.

Required Skills

Required Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in business/marketing or a similar discipline, or equivalent level of on-the-job training.
• 5-7 years of product development experience in the consumer products industry. Experience related to educational and/or children’s products strongly preferred.
• Proven ability to develop product lines from concept through product launch, ideally in a related consumer goods category.
• Creative and solution-driven, with the ability to multitask and prioritize competing demands.
• Customer-facing experience with strong presentation abilities, including written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to communicate ideas within a highly collaborative product development process, including giving and receiving feedback.
• Deadline-conscious and highly detail-oriented, with the ability to self-direct priorities.
• Adaptability to rapidly changing priorities and deliverables.
• Ability to determine new market opportunities.
• Experience working internationally, particularly in Asia and Mexico.
• Ability to perform well under pressure and in a fast-paced environment, especially during peak seasons.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and Teams. Adobe Workfront experience is a plus.