The Panther Group is seeking a W2 Contract To Hire, Remote, Product Management Manager with one of our partners in retail.
This role does not support Visas, or sponsorship now or in the future.
The Panther Group does not work with C2C/C2H or third party recruiters.
Location: Remote: EST or CST preferred
YoE: 7 to 10 years of experience
Subdomains include:
- Retail Info/Data and Analytics
- Buying / Planning including size and packaging
- In-season Inventory Optimization
The team focuses on optimization - inventory optimization, markdown optimization, size and packaging optimization.
For the Product Owner over Markdown Optimization, candidates must have:
- Merchandising background
- The right expertise would be focused on demand forecasting - advanced analytics - not on the supply chain side of the house
- Will be responsible for predictive analytics. This will drive sending the right styles, right colors, and right sizes to the right locations at the right time– Based on the analytics.
- Will have experience with product allocation / planning / mark down.
- Ideal candidate needs to be autonomous - come from the retail side that has experience with actual brick and mortar stores, primarily focused on inventory, how do we reduce waste and (again) drive sending the right styles, right colors, and right sizes to the right locations at the right time
- Candidate will own this product line AND, in an iterative manner, drive enhancements to the system, process and data.
- This candidate would be making recommendations that build the capabilities – they will drive changes to the current system and/or drive building a new allocation system. Always to optimize efficiency and drive higher profits.
- They will not write API’s or reports BUT must know what’s possible to do with technology to drive appropriate technology changes to continuously improve the process. This candidate would not be responsible for coding or building reports – the client has a Data Analytics team for this.
The ideal candidate would be asking themselves questions like:
- What should we buy - what technology will enhance when and how much of each product we should be buying?
- What's the health of the process / inventory and how is it performing?
- What can we be doing differently to optimize profit?
- What price - where should it be to, again, optimize profit?
Ideal candidate will have:
- 7 plus years (with flex for the right person) product management with at least 3 years leading enterprise level PIM or advanced data and analytics product delivery.
- Needs someone that’s mature, comfortable presenting the C-Suite / VPs, and has the brick and mortar experience.
- Experience as a retail / inventory planner, allocator, or buyer and now a product manager that has worked in the retail brick and mortar space.
- Prior experience with data analytics, inventory optimization
- Experience with larger retailers
- Education: Bachelor's degree required; an MBA or Master's degree is a plus.
Technical Expertise:
- Familiarity with leading inventory optimization and retail advanced analytics platforms
- Working knowledge of API integrations, data governance, and advanced data modeling techniques
- Understanding of retail merchandising processes, including assortment planning, pricing, and allocation
Key Responsibilities:
- Product Strategy and Vision: Develop and communicate a forward-thinking product strategy and vision for inventory optimization and other advanced data and/ or analytics initiatives. Ensure products align with Foot Locker’s business objectives, goals for data governance, omni-channel excellence, and customer experience.
- Lead Agile Pods: Support agile methodologies, focusing on delivery and value creation against aligned objectives and key results (OKRs). Partner with stakeholders to identify business needs and translate them into measurable outcomes.
- Roadmap Development: Create and manage a comprehensive product roadmap that outlines prioritized features, enhancements, and innovates.
- Product Development: Lead end-to-end product development processes from concept to launch ensuring on-time and high-quality delivery of advanced data products. Establish robust frameworks for data governance, accuracy, and standardization to support enterprise decision-making and operational efficiency.
- Cross-functional Collaboration: Act as the primary liaison between business and technical teams to ensure alignment on product goals and roadmap priorities. Collaborate closely with engineering, design, merchandising and other departments to develop innovative solutions that meet technical and business requirements..
- Market Analysis: Conduct thorough market research to identify industry trends, assess the competitive landscape, and uncover customer needs that can be best impacted by the technology or tech strategy
- Customer Insights: Deeply understand internal and external customer behaviors, preferences, and pain points through user research, data analysis, and direct interactions and translate insights into actionable product improvements.
- Performance Metrics: Define and track objectives and key results (OKRs) for the domain. Regularly assess product performance and iterate on strategies to drive growth and impact. Continuously evaluate the product roadmap to ensure delivery of measurable business value.
- Stakeholder Communication: Effectively communicate product updates, progress and insights to executive leadership, stakeholders, and relevant teams within the organization.
