Product Manager

Job Title:  Product Manager – Professional Solutions

Location: Vernon Hills, IL     

Department: Product Management

Reports To: Senior Director – Professional Solutions

Direct Reports/Manages others: No

Rust-Oleum Corporation is a worldwide leader in protective paints and coatings for both home and industry. We offer a wide range of products including decorative fashion paints and finishes, durable industrial, roof repair, and flooring coatings and, of course, our famous rust-fighting formula that started it all.

Summary:

We are searching for a Product Manager to help build our brands and drive growth. In this integral role, you’ll connect strategy to Professional end-users to bring innovative products to market. The responsibilities of this position include:

Responsibilities:

• Prioritize, strategize, design, develop, launch, and support product campaigns.
• Conduct market research and competitive analysis to identify opportunities and threats.
• Create exceptional user experiences, working with our Creative department visually appealing interfaces with target audience.
• Establish and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure product success.
• Direct market research and market intelligence gathering to ensure understanding of applications, users, competition and market trends.  Analyze and leverage data and insights to develop and formulate category and product recommendations.   
• Conduct early-stage opportunity assessment, ideation and concept development for a new product opportunity from ideation to market launch.
• Manage product portfolio to develop and promote new products and optimize and grow existing product lines.
• Monitor and analyze the competitive landscape, business developments and market trends to identify strategic opportunities and ensure product offering is properly positioned.
• Developing strategic plans and innovating roadmaps for key product segments.
• Driving new product development activities through Stage-Gate product management and market research.
• Ensuring profitability within the assigned market segments, including supporting the product commercialization process.
• Define and develop product positioning, messaging, feature specifications, unique selling proposition and pricing strategies.

Qualifications: 

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, or related field; MBA a plus
• 6+ years of relevant Product or Brand experience. 
• Strong project management skills with the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously.
• Passionate problem solver and creative thinker, with ability to pitch new ideas and be open to feedback.
• Analytic and strategic thinking skills, with ability to digest complex information and make data-driven decisions.
• Team player looking to advance in their own career while helping colleagues learn and grow.
• Confident public speaker with the ability to influence senior level management.

Leadership Traits

• Technical Understanding & Business Acumen: Knows the business and the mission-critical technical and functional skills to perform the job at a high level. Understands various types of business propositions and how the business operates. Learn new methods and technologies easily. 
• Learning Agility: Learns quickly when facing new problems. Is a relentless and versatile learner and is open to change. Enjoys the challenge of unfamiliar tasks and can quickly discern the underlying structure of anything. 
• Strategic Agility:  See ahead clearly and can anticipate future consequences and trends.  Is future oriented and offers broad knowledge and perspective.  Can scenario plan possibilities and outcomes.   
• Leadership:  Provides the essential critical thinking to determine the necessary approaches to get things done.  Offers good judgement about which creative ideas and suggestions will work; can facilitate effective brainstorming, can project how potential ideas could play out in the marketplace. 
• Create New & Different: Ability to recognize the next great breakthrough. Is creative, a visionary, and can create and bring exciting ideas to market.
• Action Oriented:  Enjoys working hard and is full of energy, steadfastly pushing self and other for results.  Can be counted on to exceed goals successfully and is consistently a top performer. 
• Effective project management skills
• Excellent communication skills to all levels of the organization. Strong interpersonal, verbal and written communication skills.  Is clear, concise and persuasive.  Experience creating and presenting business proposals, handling objections and overcoming obstacles 

Salary Range: $85,000 - $125,000, bonus eligible 

From big benefits to small, we take care of our associates!  After 30 days of employment, you will be eligible for a benefits package that includes medical, dental, life, disability and business travel insurance, flexible spending accounts, EAP, stock purchases and vacation/sick days/parental leave. 

We also offer a 401(k) plan after three months of employment and offer a company match. Associates are vested in the RPM Pension plan after completing five years of service.  Rust-Oleum offers 9 paid holidays and two floating holidays per year.  You are also eligible to earn three weeks of vacation on an annualized basis.

Rust-Oleum is an equal opportunity employer. Employment selection and related decisions are made without regard to sex, race, age, disability, religion, national origin, color, or any other protected class.