About the position
The position Product Manager: Retail has become available for our Retail Sales Department based in Kempton Park. The purpose of this role is to take responsibility for the product lifecycle for Starke Ayres and Kombat range of products, in order to attract new customers and retain existing ones.
Responsibilities:
- Leads the execution of market research to establish insights into competitor activity, supplier activity, customer activity, and consumer trends, in order to determine the market potential of products within Starke Ayres' and Kombat brands
- Formulates strategy for current and potential, categories, and products
- Develops a roadmap through which to communicate it
- Works in close collaboration with suppliers and procurement to introduce new or improved, categories and products
- Develops category and product value propositions (forecasting, pricing, profitability, positioning)
- Scopes and prioritizes activities based on business and customer impact
- Effectively communicates category and product strategy to gain buy-in from stakeholders
- Provides feedback on any changes and new developments in the marketplace that may have an effect on the Company's future planning and product strategy.
- Evaluates Starke Ayres' and Kombat's range of products on an ongoing basis and identifies actual and potential weaknesses.
- Analyses market trends and recommend changes to marketing and business development strategies based on analysis and feedback.
- Takes ownership for maintaining Retails product price list, ensuring the profitability and market competitiveness of Retails product portfolio
- Oversees the submission of annual volume budget projections for the full Retail portfolio of products based on insights gained from market research results, historical run rates, and planned marketing initiatives
- Works effectively with procurement and plant to ensure the continuous availability of finished product
- Evaluates the financial aspects of product development, such as budgets, expenditures, research and development appropriations, and return-on-investment and profit-loss projections.
- Provides specialized product and marketing input with regard to the determination of the national and regional market potential of all products, and the establishment of national marketing budgets.
- Monitors product sales on an ongoing basis, and reports any major discrepancies to line manager.
- Annually submits a financial budget for Retails' product portfolio based on projected national and marketing expenses. Monitors and controls expenses within the marketing portfolio, motivating adjustments as and when required.
Requirements:
- Qualifications: Degree in Commerce, or Agriculture (essential)
- Skills: Analytical Report Writing Skills; Team Management and Development; Organization Skills
- Experience: Managerial experience - 3 years+ (Essential)
Desired Skills:
- Sales
- Product Strategy
- Product Management
- Product Innovation
- Product Planning
- B2B Product Management
- Go-to-Market
- Lead Product Management
- Product managing
- Business Strategy
- Strategic Thinking
Desired Work Experience:
- 2 to 5 years Retail
- 2 to 5 years Product Management
Desired Qualification Level:
About The Employer:
Founded in 1877, Starke Ayres is an expert vegetable, flower and lawn seed provider. We specialise in breeding our own seed varieties and source only the best available stock from our international suppliers. With our headquarters in Johannesburg, South Africa, we are the leading vegetable seed supplier in Africa and preferred international supplier of premium varieties of seed to the professional grower.
At Starke Ayres, our business focuses strongly on after-sales service, assisting farmers to successfully grow products that can be taken to market. In order to do so, we use a network of in-house sales representatives and reputable agents worldwide. Demand for our quality seed has led to the establishment of Starke Ayres in Kenya, Namibia, and Zambia.
Read more about us here: [URL Removed]
Employer & Job Benefits:
