PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT MANAGER - FITNESS

Sportcraft, Ltd.Product Manager – Fitness Job Description

The Product Manager – Fitness (the “Product Manager”), reports to the Senior Marketing Manager – Fitness and is accountable to that executive for the performance of his/her duties. His/her primary objective will be to develop new products, improve existing products, and source and negotiate costs for these products. I.) Responsibilities and Duties

The Product Manager shall conduct his/her activities in accordance with the company’s guidelines and principles. He/she is responsible for and has commensurate authority over each of the following areas:

To develop, in collaboration with the Srnior Marketing Manager – Fitness and other relevant employees, fitness product lines with entries in all key fitness product categories in which the Company chooses to compete or in categories designated by the Senior Marketing Manager.

Recommend, based on reasoned analysis, new product categories for the company to enter, and propose specific product concepts and designs as competitive entries.

Improve upon existing products. Continually strive to maximize competitive supremacy of existing offerings within the markets served by Sportcraft’s products.

Ensure that products developed possess common and consistent design themes, functional characteristics and aesthetic features so as to develop and promote a “Sportcraft family of products” in order to advance the presence and image of the Sportcraft brand as a formidable force in the fitness equipment industry.

Have a complete understanding of the consumer and commercial fitness equipment market. Know competition and competitive product offerings as well the Sportcraft product line. Have full knowledge of retailers’ product strategies, product assortments and price points, said knowledge and understanding to include customers of Sportcraft as well as retailers with whom Sportcraft does not conduct business.

Develop features into new products that are unique, innovative and competitively superior, and that can be made to meet customer and Sportcraft directed price points.

Manage product development timeline and component activities to ensure new product development is completed on time. Alert superiors to existing or impending delays, whether or not such delays require intervention from a more senior level.

Maintain expense control to ensure that new development efforts fall within predetermined budget limits.

Develop and maintain product specification sheets and packaging specifications for every product, and communicate those specifications to the appropriate supplier. Direct packaging production efforts to ensure packaging is accurate, effective, attractive and eye catching. Update Sportcraft system with all new information.

Develop and maintain costing sheets for every product in the Sportcraft portfolio.

Conduct periodic line reviews to update senior management on progress of Sportcraft’s overall product development effort, and make recommendations for further development.

Identify emerging product trends and other market trends that may offer opportunities for fitness product development, (e.g. consumer fitness participation trends), and suggest product applications/development ideas that Sportcraft may wish to pursue.

Maintain constant field surveillance of products and product offerings in the mass, warehouse club, sporting goods, specialty fitness and other relevant channels of distribution in the fitness equipment market with an eye toward incorporating appealing, unique, and otherwise competitively advantageous features into Sportcraft product offerings. Work with the Director of Sales on a limited number of accounts in order to maximize the understanding of our customers’ needs and of ongoing trends in the retail marketplace.

Direct the preparation and production of the annual product catalog. Provide intraseason revisions as needed to help achieve and maintain competitive superiority.

Provide selling collateral material for the sales force.

Maintain samples for the sales force.

Create Point of Purchase signage, as necessary, that is effective and cost efficient.

Communicate with and travel to factories in order to develop new products and/or product features, ensure maintenance of quality in production, address potential areas of improvement, and provide early warning and remediation advice to factories of design and/or production issues, errors and needs. Determine acceptable levels of product quality, and make sure suppliers meet these levels.

Participate in trade shows and customer product presentations as needed both in promotional efforts and as tools to gain competitive insight.

Collaborate with the Senior Marketing Manager – Fitness to provide product instructions and replacement parts to meet the needs of the end user.

Review supplier chargebacks on a monthly basis and settle outstanding claims.

Perform additional duties commensurate with the position as assigned by the Senior Marketing Manager.


REQUIREMENTS


Strong computer skills and technical skills. Engineering background a plus. Team Player, strong work ethic.



PLEASE FORWARD RESUME, WHICH MUST INCLUDE SALARY HISTORY (OR WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED), TO LAURA MORENO, HUMAN RESOURCES, MANAGER, SPORTCRAFT, LTD., INTERNATIONAL TRADE CENTER, 313 WATERLOO VALLEY ROAD, MT. OLIVE, NJ 07828, OR E-MAIL TO [Click here for email]. (EOE-M/F)