Senior Product Manager

PetWise-Novato is an industry leader of smart, stylish, innovative and environmentally responsible pet products. We were founded in 1990 and our pet products are available across multiple retail and online channels throughout the world. We offer a collegial culture, a beautiful office location in Marin County, opportunities for career growth and competitive compensation and benefits. Come join our team and help us design the future of the company.

The Senior Product Manager position is responsible for partnering with the VP & Research & Design Manager(RDM) throughout the product development lifecycle to design & develop product in given category. Responsible for synthesizing market, company & consumer insights into cohesive strategic development plan that will be utilized to maintain a portfolio of products that will fit within established brand style guides, priced & positioned to gain market share and margin year over year for the company.

The Senior Product manager roll requires demonstrable mastery of management, product development & market analysis when synthesized results in successful line placement & market share gain at targeted margins & “retail right” prices. Experience across all retail channels & ability work with multiple personalities & changing priorities with grace is essential.

Key Responsibilities:

Leadership

• Management & training of Product Manager & Associate Product Manager to be promotable within 2 years of placement.
• Foster positive & collaborative work environment inclusive of all members of the team regardless of position or category focus.  Lead by example & support productive positive approach to challenges & problem solving.
• Cultivate relationships internally to ensure transparent, collaborative communication and partnership throughout the product design & development process.

Strategy

• Maintain a passionate determination to identify opportunities for innovation and line expansion opportunities through competitive & consumer research & analysis.  Collaborate with VP and RDM on product strategy and assortment development.
• Earnestly work to support long term barriers-to-entry against competitors in a highly-competitive marketplace through understanding of retails landscape as well as internal capabilities & limitations. (supply chain, design, merchandising, distribution & talent development)
• Establish clear channel & category development strategies inclusive of known economic pressures & competitive sensitivities, consumer insights & realities, store & online considerations.  
• Collaborate with RDM and Design team on product, ideation and timely spec development.  Work with RDM to finalize spec, art, print, patterns as needed at time of production. Ensure timely follow up with HK and US teams.
• Contribute to channel & category development strategies in partnership with VP/RDM. Once strategy is published Product Management uses as filter for all development activities.
• Work directly with VP to understand, refine & support account level selling strategies. 

Process & Systems

• Prior to releasing development all products must have development spec completed to include: target 1st costs, retails, packaging components, master & inner case pack configurations & timeline. Once released to development partners in Asia/TX SPM is responsible for follow up & achieving timeline and managing through internal conflicting priorities & objectives.  Provide real time updates to shared development trackers.
• Ensure data integrity within database systems (PD & Ops) of all currently shipping products

Design

• Maintain critical eye in ideation & sample review with RDM, Design Team & VP.  Responsible for providing concise financial guidance during review as it relates to tlp & initial objective clarity. 
• Understand product testing criteria & specification through partnering with ops & engineering.  Apply filter to all product development to maintain companies’ commitment to safety for children & pets. 

Financial

• Own product margin from concept to delivery.  Establish & maintain costing templates for all key customers inclusive of D&A/economic factors & other key factors as defined by costing department.   Templates must allow for independent updating & validation of costing live time independent of costing team. 
• Maintain accurate real time updated costing documents for all active development. Maintain consistent file naming & organizational disciplines.

Marketing

• Work closely with VP to define & understand key marketing message to convey to creative team for packaging & marketing messaging.  Includes populating design briefs, providing ideas & clear direction. 

Key success factors

• Sense of urgency demonstrates a bias for action, responds quickly to requests and opportunities, and quickly converts plans into actions.  Demonstrates a commitment to achieving or beating deadlines.
• Ability to identify issues and opportunities in a calm & in a direct non-offensive manner.
• Able to creatively drive innovation, filter ideas and be open and encouraging to all ideas.
• Consumer & market place focused with an understanding of core values, need, price sensitivities.
• Passion for excellence strives consistently to deliver work of an excellent standard and pushes self and others to exceed that high standard.
• Flexibility & openness to change & willingness to try with a positive attitude.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree Required
• 5-7 years Buying/Merchandising/Product development experience – ideally in the home décor, toy and/or pet industry
• Demonstrable management skills and ability to work with variety of personalities and agendas.
• Proficient at presenting/selling directly to key customers
• Experience working in many retail channels
• Experience sourcing products domestically & internationally. Familiarity with the cost and production considerations; for furniture/wood, electronics, ceramic, fabric, plastics & metals.
• Excellent organizational skills: office space both physically and electronically.
• Savvy communication skills with intuitive approach to varied personalities
• Interest and skill set in analytics; both financial and research related
• Commitment to high professional ethical standards

Requires the following key competencies (skills, attributes, experience):

• Microsoft office: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access,
• Adobe Creative Suite
• Consumer product design & detailed spec creation expertise
• Retail math competency: margins, pricing structures, packaging & design fees impacts
• Ability to travel at notice as required domestic & international

Physical Requirements:

• Ability to stand, bend, stoop, sit, walk, twist and turn.
• Ability to lift up to 25 pounds occasionally.
• Ability to use a computer keyboard and calculator.
• Work environment is indoors, majority of the time is spent sitting at a desk.

About Us:

PetWise is an innovation-driven organization poised for growth that embraces the vision to delight its customers while outperforming its competitors. The Company is also committed to sustainability, has innovation in its DNA and is an industry leader in the development and branding of smart, stylish and innovative pet products. The Company’s has a highly diversified brand portfolio which includes: SmartyKat, goDog, Sherpa, TrustyPup, Pet Factory, FurHaven, Petlinks, Pawscout, Kitty Sift and PoochPlanet, and is a category leader in pet toys, cat products, beds and travel accessories. PetWise embraces diverse and passionate people who thrive in dynamic environments, embrace continuous improvement and who uphold PetWise’s values and, of course, LOVE pets.

Founded in 1990 and headquartered in Novato, CA, with additional offices in Bellingham, WA, McAllen, Tx, Mundelein, IL; the Company has its product development, manufacturing and 3PL capabilities across the continental U.S. and Canada. They also procure some of its products overseas in China, Hong Kong and Mexico. PetWise offers a fun, flexible, and pet-friendly working environment where employees are empowered to help design the future of the Company. The team is comprised of individuals who possess a passionate interest in eCommerce, digital-engagement trends, product innovation/sustainability and how technology can be leveraged to exceed the expectations of every pet owner!

PetWise was purchased by middle-market, private equity investment fund A&M Capital Partners (AMCP) in late 2021 and in early 2022, it acquired FurHaven Pet Products (FurHaven), a pet industry eCommerce specialist. For more information on PetWise, visit https://www.petwiseproducts.com.

Salary Range:

The annual base salary range for this position is $95K – $110K. The actual base salary offered depends on a variety of factors, which may include, as applicable, the applicant’s qualifications for the position; years of relevant experience; specific and unique skills; level of education attained; certifications or other professional licenses held; other legitimate, non-discriminatory business factors specific to the position; and the geographic location in which the applicant lives and/or from which they will perform the job.