Category Manager - BMX
Posted by United Wheels Company Limited on 01/27/2025
Job Basics
Industry Sector: Bike
Job Categories: Management - Product -Brand
Company Type: HardGoods/Equipment
State: OH
City: Miamisburg
Country: United States
Required Experience: 5 - 7 years
Job Type: Full Time
Salary:
Required to Relocate: Yes
Required to Travel: Yes
Employee May Telecommute: No
Job Seeker Must Live Within:
Job Description & Requirements
Overview of the Company
United Wheels Inc. (“UWI”) is an international, privately held business, with affiliated companies and operations in Asia, the Americas and around the world. UWI is a world leader in the design, manufacture and international distribution of bicycles, e-bikes, and rideable toys, manufacturing more than 6 million bicycles and e-Bikes each year. In additional to cycling, UWI is at the forefront of materials science though Allite Inc. and its affiliated companies, which utilizes its proprietary magnesium alloys across numerous industries (e.g., sporting goods, robotics, electronics, aerospace, etc.).
UWI owns and operates several bicycle-related subsidiaries. These subsidiaries include:
· Huffy Corp. (https://www.huffybikes.com/), the iconic bicycling company based in Dayton, Ohio, with more than 125+ years of bicycling history.
· Buzz Bicycles (https//.buzzbicycles.com)
· Batch Outdoors Inc. (https://www.batchbicycles.com/)
· Niner Brands International Inc. (https://ninerbikes.com/)
Summary
Be the category champion for the assigned products ensuring organizational alignment regarding our target consumers and trends, marketplace landscape including competition and retail channel and product strategy with responsibility for defining critical features, costing and delivery targets. Developing successful products that are delivered on time to meet sales margin goals. Maintaining excellent knowledge of competitors and industry trends. Communicating product features/benefits clearly to broad audience of external and internal customers. Collaborating with sales, finance, purchasing, marketing and creative departments. Must relocate to Dayton.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities include the following. Other duties may be assigned.
· Develop the strategy, projects and timelines from which the resource departments and team members can execute the on-time & on-target delivery of innovative market leading product and alert team members to actions.
· Manage BOM’s/Specification, negotiating costs, and work with markets on optimal retail pricing.
· Present product vision, features, and functionality to sales and externally to retailers.
· Interface with Riders, Team Managers, Marketing, and APD to innovate spec and product lines for Mass, DTC, and IBD.
· Manage the execution of new product initiatives and/or core product improvements from inception to market launch.
· Conduct competitive analysis to understand the market and key opportunities to differentiate product
· Develop product requirements
· Compiling and disseminating competitor product information
· Work with Marketing to define the consumer target, positioning, key benefits and features and retail target price
· Lead and execute product specification ensuring the product is innovative, class leading and appropriate for tomorrow’s consumer
· Lead the intercompany product line management and related product workflow tasks
· Actively participate in research and share insights with the cross-functional teams
· Providing technical information to sales, purchasing, brand managers
· Work closely with ID, engineering, our Asian development team and QA on executing the product
· Communicating clearly and timely with overseas suppliers
· Lead product development activities associated with the product launch
· Delivering accurate samples for photo shoots
· Track project timeline and ensure team is hitting key milestones
· Guide development of product packaging, partnering with Design Team
· Partner with Marketing to develop selling story for channel partners
· Manage product life cycle post launch, including tracking product performance
· Collaborating with warranty and customer service staff to resolve technical issues
· Assisting sales with clinics, training, store visits, etc.
· Identifying product improvements or next generation product
· Assist in the development and execution of the global warranty and service parts product line list. Including identifying key service parts, item creation, material master set up, and inventory forecasting
Supervisory Responsibilities
No supervisory responsibilities
Education and/or Experience
Bachelor’s degree with a minimum of 5 years of Category Management experience in the BMX industry is required. This position will require approximately 35% travel (domestic and international). Must be able to obtain a valid passport. Attend key events and races with Team Managers and Riders.
Competencies
• Customer Focus - Aims to satisfy all customers while maintaining effective relationships, both internal and external. Maximizes those relationships to improve personal, department, and organizational performance. Holds co-workers and customers to a similar standard.
• Energy - Have a tremendous amount of energy and passion for our people, products, and brands. Approaches each date willing to take on the day’s challenges. Operating at their individual peak performance without encouragement.
• Energize - Energize teams with enthusiasm and excitement without intimidating them. Projects a positive mental attitude and can-do spirit, who lifts members of his / her team. Does not get discouraged by setbacks.
• Edge - Have a competitive edge and an overwhelming desire to win. Hates losing and will give 100% commitment to achieving or exceeding their plan. Willing to make difficult decisions, when called upon.
• Execution - Action and performance oriented and focused on attaining results. A team player who is reliable and follows through on tasks to completion. Attention to details.
• Increases Company Value - Strives to increase sales, reduce costs, improve efficiency, and maximize profits to increase the value of the Company.
• Innovative / Continuous Improvement - Committed to improving processes, products, services, and a willingness to embrace change for the benefit of our team, department, organization, and shareholders.
• Integrity - The quality of being honest and having strong moral principles; moral uprightness. Elevating challenges to collaborate with co-workers, SLT, ELT, and the Board.
Language Skills
Must possess exceptional verbal, written and interpersonal communication skills and solid comprehension and listening skills while employing diplomacy and tact in all situations. Ability to read, analyze, and interpret general business periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures, or governmental regulations. Ability to write reports, business correspondence, and procedure manuals. Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of managers, clients, customers, and the general public.
Mathematical Skills
Ability to work with mathematical concepts such as probability and statistical inference, and fundamentals of plane and solid geometry and trigonometry. Ability to apply concepts such as fractions, percentages, ratios, and proportions to practical situations.
Reasoning Ability
Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists. Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.
Computer Skills
Must be proficient in Microsoft Office products, including the ability to use Pivot Tables and proficient in business ERP systems.
Certificates, Licenses, Registrations
None Required.
Physical Demands
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
While performing the duties of this Job, the employee is frequently required to sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel and talk or hear. The employee is occasionally required to stand; walk and reach with hands and arms. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include distance vision and color vision.
Work Environment
The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.
