Category Manager

About the role

The Category Manager helps drive the success of a Lalo product category (e.g., Bath, Mealtime) from concept through launch and ongoing lifecycle management. Working closely with the Category Lead and cross-functional partners, this role manages the day-to-day execution of the category roadmap, moves products through development, and ensures new products meet Lalo's standards for design, user experience, quality, safety, and margin.

Responsibilities

• Help shape and manage the category roadmap and innovation pipeline, translating parent needs, market insights, and brand priorities into clear, actionable product plans
• Conduct user and market research to identify white space, unmet needs, and opportunities that inform roadmap decisions
• Support volume assumptions, pricing strategies, costing models, and profitability targets for new products in partnership with Finance and Planning
• Help manage annual growth targets for assigned categories
• Balance near-term commercial opportunities with longer-term category growth, escalating trade-offs as priorities evolve
• Continuously improve how ideas move from concept to launch by simplifying processes, removing bottlenecks, and contributing practical, creative problem-solving
• Partner with CX and Sales, and actively monitor customer feedback and reviews, to identify opportunities for iteration and product improvement
• Manage development priorities, timelines, and resourcing to ensure products launch on time, within cost targets, and aligned with margin and growth goals
• Partner with Design and Engineering to define product intent and user experience—creating products that are functional, intuitive, safe, and distinctly Lalo
• Assist with sourcing efforts and vendor selection to ensure the right vendor is selected for each project based on expertise, quality alignment, financial considerations, and country of origin/ops implications
• Work with manufacturers, Engineering, and QA to evaluate vendor materials, construction methods, testing requirements, packaging, and production feasibility
• Drive product decisions with a focus on margin structure, durability, and scalability, without compromising the parent experience
• Ensure all products meet Lalo's standards for quality, safety, compliance, and trust, recognizing the responsibility inherent in baby and toddler products
• Help oversee packaging across design, materials, content, and visual merchandising to ensure clarity, consistency, and shelf impact
• Manage day-to-day coordination of category execution across concept, development, launch, and lifecycle, including ownership of category reporting
• Ensure teams across Lalo have the information, timelines, and clarity needed to support development and launch
• Communicate day-to-day progress, priorities, and execution updates clearly as products move through development, escalating key decisions and trade-offs to the Category Lead
• Build strong cross-functional partnerships, balancing creative ambition with operational and commercial realities
• Partner with Marketing and Sales to define the technical, functional, and emotional benefits of each product
• Engage early with Marketing and Sales to help shape product positioning, claims, and use cases that support sell-in and sell-through
• Anticipate potential CX issues and support FAQ development and content creation
• Support go-to-market planning by ensuring product details, timelines, deliverables, and requirements are clearly understood across teams
• Contribute to demand planning and forecasting by aligning early volume assumptions with launch plans and DTC/retail needs
• Provide product expertise for sell-in conversations, launch materials, product collateral, and ongoing merchandising optimization
• Review post-launch performance, customer feedback, and CX insights to inform iteration, line extensions, and future roadmap decisions

Requirements

• 5–7 years of experience in product management, category management, merchandising, or product development (consumer products strongly preferred)
• Experience moving products from concept through launch and managing them across their lifecycle
• Strong project management skills—you keep timelines, budgets, and cross-functional partners aligned and moving
• Commercially minded, with a working understanding of margin structure, costing, pricing, and profitability
• A clear communicator who can translate between design, engineering, operations, and commercial teams
• Highly organized and detail-oriented, comfortable owning the day-to-day while keeping the bigger picture in view
• Pragmatic and resourceful—you make decisions with incomplete information and keep things moving
• Energized by a fast-moving, hands-on startup environment where ownership matters
• Experience in juvenile products, home goods, or another regulated consumer category
• Familiarity with product development processes and working directly with overseas manufacturers
• Exposure to compliance and safety standards (ASTM, CPSIA, FDA where applicable)
• Background in high-growth or design-led brands
• Experience with Airtable or similar project management software

Benefits

The salary range for this role is $100,000 – $115,000, depending on experience and location. We offer the full Lalo benefits package — health, dental, vision, 12 weeks paid parental leave, unlimited PTO, 401(k), and one of every product we make if you have little ones at home.

Pay

$100,000 – $115,000, depending on experience and location

Schedule

Full-time