The Senior Category Manager position is responsible for driving the strategic direction, managing the profitability, and monitoring the day to day business of assigned product categories. This position will utilize business/financial analysis, a strong understanding of market needs and situations at both the channel partner and end consumer levels, and a strong understanding of Miller competencies/resources to develop, implement, and continually evolve a strong business plan for assigned categories and product families within each category. Through an in-depth understanding of market and customer needs, this role is responsible to develop and deliver required financial targets for new product growth. The Senior Category Manager serves as the general project manager for reporting Product Category, Product Family, Product Line, and program/project status to business management on a regular basis, escalating issues affecting strategic direction or profit performance, and ensuring Product Category success. This position works closely with Sales, Product Development, Accounting, IT, Operations, and other business areas to achieve strategic goals and profit performance.

Category Management

Provide strategic direction for assigned product categories:

• Develop, lead the implementation of, and update business plans for assigned categories.
• Act as an internal expert and evangelist for assigned categories related to market situation, opportunities, market needs, performance, etc.
• Monitor product lifecycles and work with other functional departments to manage each stage:
  • Concept Development Introduction Growth Maturity Decline Rationalization
• Train the Sales Department on the features and benefits of new and existing products including competitive analysis.

Conduct ongoing financial profit/loss analysis for assigned product categories, product families, and product lines using specified performance measurement tools. Ensure achievement of strategic revenue and profit goals.

Gather and compile information related to competitors including pricing and positioning, new and existing product plans, marketing plans or promotions, strategic direction or activities, strength and weaknesses, etc.

Manage and implement strategic and tactical components of pricing for all pricing programs for assigned categories

New Product Development

Develop in-depth understanding of customer and market needs of assigned categories through spending time in the market to understand customer needs

• Understanding channel market needs through store visits, trade shows, competitive assessments, sales team engagement, internal experts, and industry events.
• Understanding consumer needs through consumer primary and secondary research, lead user engagement, product testers, and consumer research
• Manages internal new product ranking sessions as one input to process
• Assumed travel of 25-40% depending on time of year

Manage new product projects of assigned categories through the stage gate process to commercialization.

Utilize market and consumer needs to develop new product roadmaps. Build new product development portfolio plans for assigned categories utilizing all inputs to the new product process. Propose new product roadmaps and project prioritization to Executive Leadership Team. Continually manage a hopper of new product projects to drive growth and achieve new product sales and profit goals for assigned categories

Manage new product projects of assigned categories through the stage gate process to commercialization.

• Execute marketing and business requirements for stage gate process
• Build and execute launch plans for new product projects
• Assure new product projects meet required financial objectives
• Measure and track results of launched new products to ensure meeting goals and objectives

Identify and develop adjacent market and category opportunities to drive growth. Build plans to enter adjacencies either through new product development projects and/or recommending acquisition opportunities to Executive Leadership Team.

Provide regular communication to business management on the strategic direction, program status, and profit performance/drivers for assigned categories:

• Quarterly summary of sales & profit performance, status of key success factors, new product introduction status updates, any changes within the assigned category, etc
• Quarterly review of business plan and communication on status against plan, and any recommended adjustments to the plan.

Annual in-depth review of business plan, category performance/status, and long-term vision/direction for assigned category and Miller as a whole.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Requires a bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Business Administration, Communications, or a related field and a minimum of five to eight years of related experience and/ or training. MBA is desirable.
• Experience in product management and market research preferred.
• Experience with Farm and Fleet chains, animal health and farm supply distributors, national hardware chains, and pet supply distributors are preferred.
• On the job training may be required.

• High-deductible health plan with 100% preventive services (in network)
• 100% coverage for preventive prescription medications
• Flexible spending account
• Life, accident, and disability insurance options
• Dental and vision plan options
• 401(k) and profit sharing
• Employee assistance program
• Additional benefits may apply to specific companies

• Available to qualified full-time employees