Associate Manager, Product Line

Job Details: Job Location: NC - Durham, NC, Position Type: Full-time, Salary Range: Undisclosed, Job Shift: Traditional (Monday-Friday: 8am-5pm), Implus Footcare, LLC is an industry-leading global consumer packaged goods company with 16 brands in fitness and athletic performance, movement and flexibility, lifestyle hosiery and footwear accessories, and outdoor. Our product categories are sold in over 80,000 retail locations worldwide. Implus is headquartered in Research Triangle Park in Durham, NC with locations in the United States, Australia, Canada, Europe, Hong Kong, South Africa, and Japan. Our brand family includes SKLZ, Perfect, Balega, TriggerPoint, Harbinger, RockTape, Sport-Brella, Yaktrax, DryGuy, Little Hotties, Sof Sole, Spenco, Airplus, SofComfort, ForceField, and Sneaker Balls.

At Implus we believe in the power of diversity, equity & inclusion and are committed to creating an environment where all team members can thrive, regardless of their background, identity, or experiences. We encourage & value different perspectives and are seeking a Associate Product Line Manager who shares our commitment to inclusivity and enjoys working collaboratively with colleagues from diverse backgrounds.

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Associate Product Line Manager supports the management, execution, and commercialization of assigned product lines. This role assists with product portfolio tracking, market and competitive research, product data management, lifecycle activities, product briefs, commercialization support, and cross-functional coordination. The Associate PLM helps ensure product information, launch materials, timelines, samples, product requirements, and commercialization inputs are accurate, organized, and aligned to business needs.

Essential Job Function:

PRODUCT PORTFOLIO SUPPORT (25%)

Support the management of assigned product lines, assortment plans, lifecycle activities, and product portfolio documentation.
Maintain product line information, product trackers, assortment files, roadmaps, launch calendars, and commercialization tools.
Assist with product line reviews, assortment analysis, SKU rationalization support, and portfolio reporting.
Help identify portfolio gaps, product enhancement opportunities, competitive insights, and line extension ideas.

BUSINESS & PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS (20%)

Track product performance, sales trends, margin information, inventory status, launch performance, and portfolio productivity indicators.
Prepare reports, summaries, and analysis to support portfolio decisions and business reviews.
Assist with pricing analysis, assortment optimization, lifecycle recommendations, and product productivity reviews.
Partner with Finance, Commercial, Digital Commerce, and Operations to gather data and organize inputs for decision-making.

CONSUMER, COMPETITIVE & MARKET RESEARCH (15%)

Conduct category, consumer, customer, marketplace, and competitive research to support product recommendations.
Monitor competitor products, pricing, claims, features, positioning, packaging, and channel activity.
Summarize consumer insights, customer feedback, market trends, and competitive findings for the PLM team.
Support identification of unmet consumer needs, innovation opportunities, and product improvement ideas.

INNOVATION & PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT SUPPORT (15%)

Assist with preparation of product briefs, product requirements, consumer need statements, positioning inputs, claims, pricing parameters, and success criteria.
Coordinate with Product Development to support product samples, specifications, timelines, feedback, and project documentation.
Track innovation project milestones, deliverables, decisions, and open items.
Support cross-functional communication related to product development progress, requirements, risks, and launch readiness.

PRODUCT POSITIONING & COMMERCIALIZATION SUPPORT (15%)

Help develop product positioning inputs, feature-benefit matrices, claims support, competitive comparisons, and product storytelling materials.
Translate product details and technical features into draft consumer-facing benefits and selling points.
Support preparation of product copy, product information, marketing inputs, sell sheets, digital content inputs, and commercialization materials.
Track launch milestones, deliverables, timelines, readiness requirements, and cross-functional dependencies.

DIGITAL COMMERCE & SHARED SERVICES MARKETING SUPPORT (10%)

Support Digital Commerce teams with product content inputs, feature-benefit communication, product storytelling, imagery needs, claims, and launch information.
Assist with digital-first merchandising inputs and product page readiness.
Review product content for accuracy, completeness, and alignment with approved product positioning.
Provide product details, positioning inputs, claims support, consumer insights, and product storytelling information to Shared Services Marketing.

Minimum Qualifications: Knowledge/Skills/Abilities

Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, Product Management, Merchandising, Product Development, or related field, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
Typically 1 to 3+ years of experience in product management, merchandising, marketing, category management, product development, sales support, retail, digital commerce, or a related business function.
Strong interest in consumer products, product development, consumer insights, brand strategy, commercialization, and portfolio management.
Ability to gather, organize, analyze, and summarize product, market, competitive, and business information.
Strong attention to detail and ability to maintain accurate product data, trackers, timelines, and documentation.
Strong communication and collaboration skills with the ability to work across functions.
Ability to manage multiple tasks, deadlines, details, and follow-ups in a fast-paced environment.
Proficiency with Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, Word, and collaboration tools.

Preferred Qualifications:

Experience in sporting goods, fitness, wellness, outdoor, footwear/apparel/accessories, retail, or branded consumer products.
Experience supporting product launches, assortment planning, commercialization, product data, or marketing/sales materials.
Exposure to digital commerce, product content, merchandising, or retail channel support.
Familiarity with product lifecycle management systems, product information management systems, or project management tools.
Strong analytical, organizational, and written communication skills.

Education & Experience:

A bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, Product Management, Merchandising, Product Development, or a related field of study OR a combination of education and experience will be considered. Typically requires 1 to 3+ years of related experience.

Relevant Working Conditions & Physical Demands:

Observe/Identify: The ability to observe details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Hearing: Ability to effectively communicate with co-workers, customers and vendors.
Operate: Write, type and use the telephone, copier, and computer systems.
Stationary position: Must be able to remain in a stationary position 50-75% of the time.
Mobility: Occasionally move about inside the office to access file cabinets, office machinery, attend meetings, etc.
Communicate: Ability to communicate information and ideas so others will understand. Must be able to exchange accurate information in these situations.
Move/Transport: Ability to occasionally move boxes weighing up to 25 lbs. across office for various needs with or without accommodations.
Exposed: Standard climate-controlled office setting.
Occasional exposure to open air, warehouse setting.

Qualifications: