Full-Time
Brand Manager
Innovation & Product Strategy
Illinois Tool Works
5,001-10,000 employees
Global diversified manufacturer of industrial equipment
No salary listed
Houston, TX, USA
In Person
Based in Houston office; up to 25% travel.
 Business & Strategy (1) |
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| Growth & Marketing (1) |
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- Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Business, or related field (MBA preferred).
- 5+ years of progressive brand management, product marketing, innovation, or product strategy experience, with a strong track record of developing and advancing new product opportunities.
- Strong strategic thinking and analytical skills, with the ability to synthesize consumer insights, category trends, syndicated data, financials, and competitive dynamics into clear growth recommendations.
- Experience with syndicated data such as Circana, formerly IRI, or Nielsen, as well as qualitative and quantitative research used to build consumer intimacy and inform strategy.
- Strong financial acumen, including experience developing P&Ls, business cases, revenue/margin assumptions, and innovation investment recommendations.
- Demonstrated experience aligning and leading cross-functional teams across R&D, Supply Chain, Sales, and Finance; excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to present to senior stakeholders and key retail customers.
- Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage and prioritize multiple complex projects simultaneously in a fast-paced environment.
- Ability to travel up to 25% of time.
- Brand Leadership & Strategy:Support the Group Brand Manager in developing the brand’s long-range strategic roadmap, identifying growth opportunities, category white space, and portfolio priorities that align with business objectives.
- Innovation Pipeline:Lead the development of the short- and long-term innovation pipeline, including opportunity identification, concept development, business case creation, prioritization, and advancement through the stage-gate process.
- Portfolio & Product Strategy:Lead product strategy across the Wipers portfolio, including portfolio architecture, assortment opportunities, channel-specific needs, and lifecycle management recommendations.
- Consumer & Category Insights:Leverage consumer research, syndicated data, shopper insights, competitive intelligence, and category trends to identify opportunities for innovation, trade-up, and incremental growth.
- Cross-Functional Collaboration:Partner closely with Sales, Finance, Supply Chain, R&D, and external agencies to align plans and move initiatives from early opportunity assessment through commercialization planning.
- P&L Ownership:Manage theinnovationP&L, balancing investment, profitability, andrevenuegrowth.Develop financial models and business cases to evaluate innovation opportunities, including revenue, margin, CBI, investment needs, and commercialization risks.
- Stakeholder Communication:Effectively communicate brand strategy, performance, andfuture plansto senior leadership, influencing decision-making across the organization.
- Entrepreneurial Mindset:Thrive in ambiguity with a solutions-driven approach; challenge the status quo and identify opportunities for breakthrough growth.Demonstrate curiosity, ownership, and the ability to create structure around ambiguous opportunities.
Illinois Tool Works (ITW) is a global diversified manufacturer of industrial products and equipment spanning seven segments, including Automotive OEM, Food Equipment, Welding, and Construction Products. Its offerings cover fasteners, automotive components, commercial food equipment, welding systems, and construction fastening tools, sold to OEMs and industrial users worldwide. ITW operates with an 80/20 Front to Back approach that concentrates on its largest customers to drive profitability and efficiency, delivering high-quality, tailored components and systems at scale. The company differentiates itself through its broad, multi-segment portfolio, global reach, and a strong focus on major customers, aiming for steady profitability and efficient operations across multiple industries.
Company Size
5,001-10,000
Company Stage
IPO
Headquarters
Glenview, Kentucky
Founded
1912
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Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- Welding and Test & Measurement segments delivered 6% and 5% organic growth, signaling capex-driven industrial strength
- Full-year 2026 GAAP EPS guidance raised to $11.10–$11.50, reflecting 8% midpoint growth from operational execution
- Operating margin expanded 60 bps to 25.4% in Q1 2026, supporting 100 bps full-year margin expansion target
What critics are saying
- Automotive OEM segment declined 1% as ICE-to-EV transition collapses legacy demand faster than EV fastening tailwinds offset
- Food Equipment fell 3% organically due to commercial restaurant closures and automation displacing capital expenditure
- Organic growth stagnated at 0.4% in Q1 2026, below 1–3% target, with 60–70% probability of persisting 6–12 months
What makes Illinois Tool Works unique
- Seven market-leading segments enable diversified exposure across automotive, food, welding, and construction markets
- 80/20 Front to Back process drives profitability by focusing on largest, best customers for operational excellence
- Decentralized model with independently managed businesses targets niche products and deep customer relationships
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Benefits
Health Insurance
Dental Insurance
Vision Insurance
Health Savings Account/Flexible Spending Account
Disability Insurance
Life Insurance
Parental Leave
Adoption Assistance
Tuition Reimbursement
Paid Holidays
Paid Vacation
Paid Sick Leave
Employee Referral Bonus
Company News
Illinois Tool Works (ITW), a $83.8 billion industrial products manufacturer, has declined 4.1% from its 52-week high of $303.16 reached on 12 February. The Glenview, Illinois-based company has gained 18% year-to-date, outperforming the Industrial Select Sector SPDR Fund's 14.2% gain, though it lags the fund's 31.7% annual return with an 11.3% gain over 52 weeks. ITW shares rose 5.6% on 3 February after fourth-quarter earnings of $2.72 per share exceeded Wall Street's $2.69 estimate, whilst revenue of $4.09 billion topped forecasts of $4.07 billion. The company expects full-year earnings between $11 and $11.40 per share. Analysts maintain a consensus "hold" rating, with a mean price target of $282.20 and a street-high target of $310.
Illinois Tool Works has entered into a new five-year $3 billion revolving credit facility, replacing its previous credit arrangement ahead of maturity. The undrawn facility is dated 20 February 2026. The agreement includes multi-currency features and can be expanded to $5 billion under certain conditions. Pricing is tied to ITW's credit rating, with interest margins ranging from 0.625% to 1.00% and unused commitment fees between 0.045% and 0.09%. Borrowing options include Term SOFR-based, prime-based, or competitive bid pricing. The facility provides Illinois Tool Works with additional capacity to fund acquisitions, organic projects, or manage working capital. The company's shares trade at $290.63 on the NYSE, up 12.5% over the past month and 55.4% over five years.
District Court allows 401(k) forfeiture case to go to trial. The district judge denied a motion to dismiss claims that Illinois Tool Works and its plan fiduciaries had breached their duties under ERISA. Reported by A federal district court allowed key parts of a 401(k) plan forfeiture complaint against Illinois Tool Works Inc. to move forward, ruling that former and current employees plausibly alleged the company misused retirement plan funds in violation of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act. In a Monday ruling, U.S. District Judge Sunil Harjani, presiding in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, denied most of Illinois Tool Works' motion to dismiss claims that the company and its plan fiduciaries had breached their duties under ERISA. The case was brought in 2022 by participants in Illinois Tool Works' defined contribution retirement plan, alleging the company improperly used millions of dollars in forfeited, unvested retirement benefits to reduce its own required contributions rather than to pay plan administrative expenses that are otherwise charged to employees. According to the plaintiffs, that practice increased costs borne by participants and reduced their retirement savings. Harjani found that the plaintiffs adequately alleged that Illinois Tool Works, its board of directors and the plan's investment committee were acting as fiduciaries when they decided how to allocate forfeited plan assets. The judge rejected the company's argument that those decisions were purely "settlor" functions beyond ERISA's fiduciary standards, concluding that the plan language plausibly granted discretion over how forfeitures could be used. The Department of Labor has recently weighed in on four occasions that forfeiture decisions are settlor functions, not fiduciary functions. District courts have dismissed many forfeiture complaints, while some have allowed cases to proceed. Harjani wrote that at the current stage of the proceedings, the plaintiffs sufficiently alleged that the defendants exercised that discretion "to benefit the company rather than the plan's participants and beneficiaries," a potential violation of ERISA's strict duty of loyalty and its prohibition on plan assets inuring to an employer's benefit. The ruling allowed claims based on forfeiture allocations dating back to February 21, 2019, to proceed, but dismissed earlier claims as time-barred under ERISA's six-year statute of limitations. The court also dismissed, with prejudice, claims that the investment committee was liable as a co-fiduciary for breaches by the company or board, finding the allegations too conclusory. However, Harjani permitted claims for breach of fiduciary duty; violation of ERISA's anti-inurement provision; and failure to monitor other fiduciaries to continue against Illinois Tool Works and its board. The ITW Savings and Investment Plan had nearly $4.2 billion in assets and more than 27,500 plan participants at the end of 2024, according to its latest Form 5500 filing. Capozzi Adler P.C. and Shook, Hardy & Bacon LLP represented the plaintiffs, while Mayer Brown LLP represented Illinois Tool Works. Illinois Tool Works did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Illinois Tool Works reported Q4 revenue of $4.09 billion, up 4.1% year on year and beating analyst estimates by 0.7%. GAAP earnings per share of $2.72 exceeded consensus by 1.3%. CEO Christopher O'Herlihy highlighted progress in customer-backed innovation and strong execution across business segments. Operating income rose 5%, with all seven segments reporting higher operating margins. The company's innovation initiative contributed 2.4% to annual revenue growth, whilst automotive revenue increased 6%, driven by electric vehicle partnerships in China. However, adjusted EBITDA of $1.04 billion missed estimates by 12.8%. Guidance for 2026 EPS of $11.20 at midpoint falls short of analyst expectations by 0.6%. Management cited cautious demand outlook, particularly in Europe, and potential inflation in employee costs.
Illinois Tool Works will report quarterly earnings on Tuesday before the bell. Analysts expect revenue to grow 3.3% year-on-year to $4.06 billion, reversing the 1.3% decline recorded in the same quarter last year. Adjusted earnings are projected at $2.69 per share. Last quarter, the manufacturing company missed revenue expectations by 0.8%, reporting $4.06 billion, up 2.3% year-on-year. The company has missed Wall Street's revenue estimates six times over the past two years. Analysts have generally reconfirmed their estimates over the last 30 days. Illinois Tool Works shares are up 4.7% over the past month, compared to a 5.1% average gain across the general industrial machinery segment. The average analyst price target stands at $262.97 versus the current share price of $261.31.