Senior Product Manager, Graphics

JOB MISSION:

New Balance Apparel is positioned as key growth engine for the company. New Balance is on a journey from a category leader in Footwear to a brand living the intersection of sport and culture with Footwear and Apparel.

At New Balance, merchants and product creation teams obsess over the consumer. PM's are the guardians accountable for bringing the NB product vision to life for our consumer. The PM team analyzes consumers leveraging hindsight and insight, applying foresight and marketplace capacity to create compelling product strategies. PM's thrive on creating marketplace cut through of ideas and products delivering incredible consumer experiences and best-in-class product

The Senior Product Manager of Graphics at New Balance will drive the vision and execution of our Graphics business on a seasonal basis, delivering a compelling mix of brand forward and seasonal graphics through a consumer-obsessed approach. Reporting within the Sportswear Collections team, this role is responsible for creating compelling product assortments that deeply resonate with our consumers, staying attuned to their needs and trends. This role will manage the planning and execution of our seasonal graphic offer, carefully curating a compelling and commercial offer to strengthen brand loyalty and engage our consumers.

MAJOR ACCOUNTABILITIES:

• Range management: Deliver seasonal inline graphics range for Sportswear, build products that resonate with consumer preferences and reflect New Balance's seasonal direction and brand identity.

• Consumer-Obsessed Product Strategy:Champion a deep understanding of our consumer, ensuring their needs, preferences, and trends inform every merchandising decision

• Cross-functional Collaboration:Work closely with Design, Development, and Marketing teams to ensure product stories, graphic elements, and merchandising strategies align with a consumer-first approach across all channels and touchpoints.

• Market and Consumer Insights:Regularly conduct market research and gather consumer insights to guide and refine the seasonal, archive, and graphics strategy, keeping New Balance competitive and top-of-mind.

• Assortment Planning and Execution:Lead the planning of product assortments, balancing creative expression with commercial viability, to deliver collections that inspire and meet financial targets.

• Performance Analysis:Continuously evaluate sales performance and gather consumer feedback to inform future merchandising decisions and optimize the effectiveness of seasonal strategies and using learnings to drive future developments

• Margin Management: Develop product pricing and positioning strategies to deliver against margin targets

• People Management: Manage and develop a direct report with a focus on developing high performance team culture

REQUIREMENTS FOR SUCCESS:

• Consumer-First Mindset:Passionate about understanding and anticipating consumer needs, with the ability to translate these insights into relevant and inspiring product assortments.

• Product / Merchandising Expertise: Demonstrated experience in merchandising or product management within the apparel industry, particularly with seasonal planning and graphic collections.

• Trend Sensitivity:Strong understanding of market trends and cultural shifts in the sportswear and lifestyle markets, with the ability to adapt and respond to what resonates with consumers.

• Creative and Strategic Balance:Ability to balance a creative approach with strategic, consumer-focused decisions that align with business goals.

• Analytical Skills:Proficient in analyzing sales data and consumer feedback, with an ability to make informed decisions that enhance the consumer experience and category performance.

• Collaboration Skills:Excellent communicator and collaborator who thrives in cross-functional partnerships, particularly with Design, Development, and Marketing, to bring a unified, consumer-centered product vision to life.

• Project Management:Exceptional organizational skills with a focus on attention to detail, ensuring timely and seamless execution of multiple projects in a dynamic environment.