Associate Product Manager - Cookware & Kitchen

SAVE THE DATE!!!

Belk will be exhibiting at the StyleCareers.com Fall Fashion Career Fair in New York.   

Face-to-face interviews will be held on Thursday, October 26th, 2017 at Penn Plaza Pavilion from  2pm to 7pm.  Visit http://stylecareers.com/career-fair for more details

Position Summary:

A mix of creative design, technical acumen, comparative shopping, and sourcing, this is a dynamic and ever changing position. If you like to have your hand on every piece, and deep dive into product specifications, you’ll excel in this role. The Associate Product Manager is the perfect opportunity to own all aspects the product life cycle of our Private Brand cookware, kitchen prep, bakeware, kitchen electrics, and food storage departments at Belk.

Sales / Margin: 

• Monitor, report, and analyze advertising, sales and gross margin performance by style, classification, and department.

• React quickly to in season opportunities and drive future development.

Development / Assortment:

• Responsible for bringing products from concept through production.

• Cultivate an intimate understanding of the marketplace with a vision towards current kitchen and housewares trends, technologies, and pricing opportunities.

• Utilize in-depth knowledge of cookware and kitchen product technologies as levers to achieve optimum quality at targeted price points and mark-ups. Understanding of metal qualities, heat conductivity, types of ceramics, and the various properties of plastics will be key to this role.

• Create comprehensive and cohesive lines to achieve strategic sourcing and assortment goals.

• Collaborate with sourcing agents, factories, and vendors to develop product and improve capabilities – via email and phone. Visit cookware and kitchen product factories overseas, and work first-hand with suppliers to create the best products for the best price

•Set up and maintain presentation and trend boards where applicable.

•Create detailed product specifications lists, development objectives, and product requirements to send to factories and vendors.

•Prepare materials for merchant line reviews.  Recap, finalize, and communicate style placement to cross functional development team, agents, and vendors.

• Communicate all target costs and quantities by style and negotiate costing to achieve competitive pricing and strategic mark-up targets, as required by business needs.

•Analyze and report development metrics on adoption and hit rate, where applicable.

•Track new packaging label and hang tag requests.

•Responsible for consistent follow-ups to ensure that tasks are completed and milestones are reached, as needed

Production / T&A:

•Manage time and action calendar to ensure product specifications, quality standards, deadlines and deliveries are met as contracted. 

•Partner with cross functional design, logistics, and merchant teams to ensure product needs and deadlines are met.

•Work in tandem with packaging team to ensure technical features, selling points, and product qualities are articulated in a consumer-friendly way on packaging.

•Support e-commerce with style records creation and maintenance in CARS.

•Work closely with the QC dept to ensure that all products meet all quality and safety standards. 

•Track shipping, communicate issues to Product Manager, management, and merchant teams.

Requirements/Qualifications:

Qualifications: 

•Bachelor’s degree in related field or equivalent business experience. 

•Minimum of 2-3 yrs experience in product development or its equivalent.

•In-depth knowledge of Cookware and Housewares manufacturing & technology a serious plus.

•Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

•Intermediate to Advanced MS Office (Excel, PowerPoint, Word) skills.

•3D CAD/Home Product Design skills a plus.

•Ability to be detail oriented, flexible, and self-motivated, and be able to lead others.

•Able to see and distinguish colors.

•Ability to travel up to 6-7 weeks out of the year, including overseas travel, required.

Reports Directly to: 

•Product Manager
For reasonable accommodation information for an ADAAA qualified disability please see Belk Associate Handbook for policy and procedures.