Director, Product Marketing, Kids Footwear

Purpose & Overall Relevance for the Organization:

• Recognize sport and consumer insights.
• Heavily influence category direction and drive its implementation.
• Execute strategies to tactical plans.
• Steer a cross-functional product creation team to deliver the category vision.
• Lead and develop the category team.

Key Responsibilities:

• Manage a team and develop their functional and social skills using available resources to create a top performing team.
• Set and manage strategic category direction; ensure cross-functional alignment.
• Identify new business opportunities to drive innovation and / or commerciality.
• Develop an "all for one attitude" within the team to ensure smooth cooperation with interlinked departments.
• Have full understanding of the product creation process to drive it forward.
• Be a role model for all team members in regards to strategic direction and the product creation process.
• Show leadership through living the brand values while fostering a performance culture.
• Manage and develop optimum relationship with cross-functional teams and with interlinked departments to enable an efficient product creation process.
• Challenge the cross-functional team to ensure creation of industry leading products.
• Analyse and report category business performance to ensure achievement of category KPIs.
• Positively represent the category both internally and externally.
• Be a competent partner for category and ranging discussions with markets.
• Define projects to optimize category performance and steer to conclusion.
• Build an understanding of product information systems and the interlinking functions – clarity on respective timelines 

Key Relationships:

• Steer a strong relationship and ensure constant dialogue/feedback with Your category across all functions, other categories and creation centers (if appl.)
• Cross-functional team (Design, Development, Materials, Costing, Planning) Markets

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Manage a team to create industry leading products
• Inspire, coach and lead; set framework for performance and growth
• In-depth knowledge of respective product category
• Advanced analytical skills, be solution driven and result oriented, strong business orientation
• Ability to thrive in a fast paced environment
• Strong communication skills
• Lateral thinking and challenge status quo
• Profound consumer, market and retail knowledge especially in regards to different needs of different countries/ regions
• Step up to conflicts and work towards a diplomatic solution
• Execute change management
• Cooperate effectively to maintain and develop trustful relationships
• Ability to travel
• Passion for sports

Requisite Education and Experience / Minimum Qualifications:

• College degree, preferably in marketing/business /textile/fashion
• Minimum of 10 years Product Marketing experience with Kids’ FTW Product Marketing experience as a must have
• At least 5 years of experience in managing and developing direct reports
• Strong leadership skills
• Experience in trade or sales is helpful
• Fluent in English (oral/written)
• PC skills (MS Office programs)