Product Manager
Ball Horticultural Company · West Chicago, IL · 1 mo ago
Marketing$75k–$90k/yrFull-time
Job Responsibilities And Duties
- Own the performance management of the assigned crop portfolio and provide recommendations on investment, expansion, maintenance, or discontinuation of products.
- Develop and execute product launches, including positioning, market differentiation, and go-to-market strategy, while monitoring post-launch performance and adjusting strategies as needed to align with overall business objectives and commercial goals.
- Manage product trialing activities to ensure accurate data collection, documentation (including photos and video), and reporting to support product validation, commercialization decisions, and successful market performance.
- Leverage sales performance data, trial results, and direct engagement with growers and industry stakeholders to identify market trends, customer needs, and competitive opportunities that inform product strategy and portfolio decisions.
- Partner closely with breeding teams to align breeding priorities, product concepts, and development timelines with market needs, portfolio strategy, and commercial opportunities.
- Partner with production operations teams to align supply availability with commercial demand and launch timing.
- Support sales teams with product knowledge, positioning, and materials to drive successful market adoption.
- Present product information, trial results, and launch updates to internal teams, growers, and external audiences, including presentations at trade shows and industry events.
Requirements
- Minimum of 5+ years of relevant experience in horticulture, product management, production, or trialing, with exposure to product development or portfolio management.
- Bachelor’s degree in Horticulture or a related field. A background in horticulture, botany, or plant science is a plus.
- Ability to understand strengths and weaknesses of Ball FloraPlant products and competitor products in relevant crops.
- Proven ability to lead, manage, support, and motivate colleagues while fostering a positive culture.
- Excellent project management skills and the ability to prioritize tasks effectively.
- Data-driven decision-making and the ability to analyze market trends are important.
- Ability to align product and portfolio decisions with business objectives while balancing internal priorities and external grower and market needs.
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills to collaborate with cross-functional teams.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications and comfort working with digital tools and business systems, with the ability to quickly learn new software platforms.
Physical Requirements
- Must be able to lift up to 20 pounds several times per day.
- Domestic and international travel of approximately 30–35% is required, depending on the needs of the role and the season.
- Ability to stand for prolonged periods in a greenhouse or during outdoor field trials.
- May be required to push or pull benches; weight requirements vary by facility.
- May be required to kneel or bend.
- Ability to work in various greenhouse conditions and outdoor elements, including heat, cold, rain, mud, and humidity (approximately 50% of the time).
- Minimal climbing and balancing required (less than 1% of the time).
Salary Range
$75k-$90k