Category Director for Hydration - Mobile Cooling

About the position

Igloo Products Corp is an iconic and fast-growing American brand known for exceptional and durable performance for everyday cooler needs. After more than 75 years of as the leader as a housewares brand, Igloo has pivoted to a high growth lifestyle brand for outside activities associated with fun, family and friends

Founded in as a metalworking shop bringing fresh cold water to Texas workers in the field to inventing the Playmate to becoming America’s most recognizable brand of ice chests, the Igloo story spans more than 75 years of delivering coolness to the world. Today, Igloo has 90% + brand awareness and is #1 in market share in the US, is a pioneer in sustainability for our category with the launch of biodegradable coolers and coolers made with from post-consumer recycled resin and other sustainable materials and has a growing DTC business allowing us to build direct relationships with our consumers. In 2021, Igloo was acquired by Dometic Brands and now there is the opportunity to Globally grow both brands together.

We are on a journey of continuous growth – now looking for our next star – a passionate Category Director of Hydration.

The Category Director, Hydration is responsible for creating the global product strategy for Dometic and Igloo branded products, including Drinkware and Jugs. The Category Director will be responsible for profitable growth and operational execution of Dometic and Igloo products globally, across all channels of distribution. This role is responsible for building a product roadmap and developing and executing the strategy to meet the needs of our core consumers and deliver the financial targets of the group. This seasoned individual has an entrepreneurial spirit, able to drive strategy while focusing on execution, and thrives in an environment that is fast paced and demands knowledge of all parts of the business. This role reports directly to the Global Head of Product Development, Mobile Cooling.

Essential Job Duties and Responsibilities:

• Create and execute global product strategy, product roadmap, and innovation alignment between the product areas within Mobile Cooling.
• Conduct market, industry, and consumer research to identify business and market insights/opportunities as well as demographics and trends; develop the strategy for growth in the category.
• Prepare and implement product strategy, product introduction and positioning as part of a comprehensive Go-To-Market strategy.
• Evaluate, categorize, and prioritize current internal and external new product ideas based on agreed upon cross-functional ranking criteria. Determine and evaluate consumer need gaps relative to the new potential business areas.
• Support Sales and Marketing plans for the each of the categories, inclusive of promotion, distribution, and sales tactics. Category and competitive analysis to optimize the business performance and growth potential of the new initiatives.
• Lead and coach product managers and associate product managers when needed.
• Coordinate all phases of the NPD process – including concept development, product definition, consumer research, product design development, engineering planning, product specifications, and market launch planning. Includes related administrative requirements, such as packaging and launch material development.
• Collaborate with a wide variety of functional areas, such as Sales, Engineering, Finance, Manufacturing, Purchasing, etc. in the development of new product. Must keep all projects on schedule and maintain required quality levels.
• In conjunction with Purchasing, assess worldwide suppliers regarding their new product development and manufacturing abilities. Form relationships that will allow Dometic to be the customer of choice for new product initiatives.
• In conjunction with Engineering and Manufacturing, report on emerging / converging technologies and their potential impact on industry.
• Conduct Sales Training – product knowledge training seminars, plus development and delivery of essential materials.
• Support sales & marketing activities to ensure revenue, profit, and inventory targets are met monthly
• Review demand & supply trend to identify business issues & risks, and escalate as needed for fast problem solving
• Attend tradeshows and other related events to obtain customer and consumer feedback
• Perform other duties as assigned

What do we offer?

1. Medical
2. Dental
3. Vision
4. Life Insurance
5. Short term & Long-term disability
6. Accidental death insurance
7. Supplemental life insurance
8. Company paid holidays
9. Flexible Spending Accounts

Minimum Requirements and Qualifications

A suitable background would be a