Senior Product Manager - Springs Window Fashions

Springs Window Fashions is hiring for a Senior Product Manager at our Middleton, WI Corporate Headquarters.

This is an onsite role with some hybrid flexibility however fully remote is not an option.

Springs Window Fashions has been part of the window treatments industry since 1939. Headquartered in Middleton WI, we have over 9,000 associates worldwide. Our products are available in nearly every major retailer, in thousands of designer showrooms and showcased in large commercial buildings.

Our company is privately owned with products marketed across a broad portfolio of brands including Bali, Graber, SunSetter and Mecho.  Our tagline is “the Best Experience Company.” And it’s more than just a set of words—it represents the essence of who we are. As North America’s premier window covering company, we’re committed to creating the Best Experience for our associates and team members, our consumers and end users, and our channel and business partners.

We are bringing new innovations to the market and have a lot to offer consumers who want to improve their home décor. 

Job Overview

Product & Portfolio Management at SWF is a growing, dynamic, and fast-paced department providing a vital bridge between the innovators and the marketplace.   The role spans many activities from strategic to tactical and those in the department regularly interact with nearly every other functional area within the organization – the hub of the company.  Seventeen product lines and growing ensures plenty of opportunity for cross-training and growth within the department. 

The Senior Product Manager role will encompass one or more of the larger and/or more complex product categories, requiring high level of organization, innovation, and business acumen.  

The Senior PM is ultimately the business manager with P&L responsibility for the assigned product line(s) and expected to work cross-functionally to drive profitable growth through consumer-centric innovation and efficient portfolio management.

Job Responsibilities

• Annual Category Business Plan with 3-year roadmap highlighting best opportunities to grow the business across all residential channels; work in conjunction with SWFc who manages commercial portfolio of same category.
• Own the P&L for the category, drive for both top line & bottom-line growth. Proactively identify sales and margin improvement through analysis of pricing and cost trends
• Identify gaps and opportunities through an in-depth understanding of the competitive landscape including product and price benchmarking combined with consumer driven insights and unmet needs validated through research.
• Manage pricing – watching competitive changes and cost changes provide recommendations for increases
• Drive to successful (on-time & on-budget) new product launches
• Follow New Product Development stage gate process
• Project manage cross functional teams
• Proactively identify, communicate, and resolve issues
• Provide guidance for sampling team to execute sampling & swatching needs flawlessly
• Actively manage portfolio through regular inventory assessments, actively eliminating unproductive sku’s and planning for obsolescence.
• Continuously improve day-to-day processes and product line performance in coordination with other functions
• Readily address customer and operational issues (service, quality, inventory, etc.)
• Understand and follow business processes with a focus on continuous improvement
• Maintain accurate and reliable product master data for assigned categories.
• Driving improvement initiatives through Operations and Engineering.
• Defines and documents individual processes within sphere of control.

Education and Experience

• Bachelor's Degree with emphasis in Marketing, Engineering, Business Administration or similar required.
• MBA preferred - not required 
• 5+ years marketing or sales experience with a consumer products company is required
• Experience working with customized products is highly desired
• Experience with the marketing and the sale of custom window products preferred, or comparative experience in similar industry
• Our ideal candidate will have experience working in a durable goods product management role with products that are custom made based on the needs of each customer

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

Looking for problem solvers, efficiency advocates and leaders not afraid to roll up their sleeves.  This person must be in tune with market trends, technologies and competitive dynamics, and be able to form compelling strategies that lead to successful outcomes.  This person must have keen analytical skills, as they are responsible for understanding the business and communicating progress throughout the organization.

• Strong consumer and market focus; adept at defining and evaluating consumer unmet needs to gain market position
• Track record in delivering products on time, on budget, that meets financial goals
• Strong timeline & process management & development skills
• Ability to deliver and execute a strategic innovation vision that includes both new product and existing product upgrades
• Solid financial analysis and management skills; knows how to achieve profitable growth
• Strong ability to lead a team while working cohesively throughout the organization
• Strong skill sets in the areas of presentation, facilitation, consultative, written and verbal communications
• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written, and an ability to simplify complex concepts and communicate to all levels of the organization
• Ability to create compelling rationale for ideas and develop thorough and thoughtful business cases
• MS Office: PowerPoint, Excel, MS Project or Smartsheet, Visio skills

Behavioral Competencies

• Ensures Accountability – Holding self and others accountable to meet commitments
• Drive Engagement – Creating a climate where people are motivated to do their best to help the organization achieve its objectives
• Instill Trust – Gaining the confidence and trust of others through honesty, integrity, and authenticity
• Drive Results – Consistently achieving results, even under tough circumstances
• Consumer/Customer Focus – Building strong customer relationships and delivering on customer-centric solutions
• Critical Thinking – Making Sense of complex, high quantity, and sometimes contradictory information to effectively solve problems
• Being Resilient – Rebounding from setbacks and adversity when facing difficult situations
• Optimize Work Processes – Knowing the most effective and efficient processes to get things done, with a focus on continuous improvement