Lead, Product Strategy & Marketing Intelligence - PLT Tires

Position Summary

The Product Strategy & Marketing Intelligence Lead - PLT Tires (PSMIL) is responsible for managing and optimizing the company’s Passenger & Light Truck tire portfolio. This role is pivotal in ensuring that our stores have a complete, competitive, and profitable product lineup that meets the diverse needs of our customers across all tire categories. This role provides leadership by leading cross-functional people and teams, enabling effective execution of day-to-day product management activities while increasing the team’s overall capacity and efficiency.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES/FUNCTIONS

• 40% - Product Strategy & Lifecycle Management: Own the end-to-end product lifecycle for all PLT tire categories, including Commodity categories, as well as On / Off, and Winter. Responsible to coordinate new owned brand product developments, product introductions, transitions, and phase outs. Define the Product Screen by segment, ensuring optimal coverage by tier, brand, and application. Develop product roadmaps aligned with market trends, customer needs, and fleet requirements.

• 15% - Product Performance Monitoring & Testing: Coordinate new products performance testing, including the comparison to competitor tires. Collect and analyze performance data to drive continuous improvement and inform product decisions.

• 15% - Market & Application Analysis: Analyze market data, including GFK, USTMA, NHTSA, and infrastructure/legislative impact to support the product strategy decision process. Identify segment growth opportunities and product gaps to support business cases for new product launches.

• 10% - Price Positioning: Partner with the Pricing team to ensure competitive positioning across all tire categories. Monitor industry trends, competitor actions, and market pricing to inform product and pricing strategies.

• 10% - Product Introductions / Transitions: Lead the planning and execution of new product introductions, ensuring alignment with stock availability, communication materials, sales store support, and other key areas in the organization.

• 20% - Cross-Functional Collaboration: Lead and coordinate cross-functional teams from Purchasing, Planning, Pricing, Marketing, and Operations to drive product strategy and execution. Work closely with Purchasing to guide brand and product sourcing based on segment needs. Collaborate with the Planning Team on product introductions / transitions. Collaborate with Marketing on developing promotions, product communication and training.

Minimum Education & Skills Required

• Education/Experience Requirements: Bachelor’s degree in business, marketing, engineering or comparable experience preferred. 5-7 years of progressively more responsibility in product management, branding, marketing intelligence preferred. Automotive and/or Tire industry experience preferred. Proven successful project management skills.

• Technical Skills/Knowledge: Advanced Excel / Google Sheets and data analysis skills. Intermediate working experience in Microsoft Powerpoint / Google Slides. Working knowledge of productivity applications (Google G Suite, MS Office, etc.). Business Intelligence tool exposure and experience. Working knowledge of product management applications. Product marketing & purchasing experience in a retail tire environment.

• General Knowledge and Abilities: Adaptability, strong analytical and decision-making skills, communication, initiative, organization/project management, problem solving, teamwork, leadership.

Physical Requirements

• Sedentary position; frequently required to sit, occasionally required to stand, walk, stop, kneel, and bend. The employee may occasionally lift tires.
• Requires the ability to communicate verbally and exchange information over the phone, by video, and in person.

Work Environment

• 3 of 5 business workdays in office (required), 2 of 5 business days work from home (optional).
• Occasional travel to suppliers.