Product Manager II

Job Description:

ITW (Illinois Tool Works Inc.) is a Fortune 200 company and is one of the world’s leading diversified manufacturers of specialized industrial equipment, automotive components, consumables, and related service businesses. ITW businesses serve local customers and markets around the globe, with operations in 55 countries and an employee base of more than 46,000 women and men who adhere to the highest ethical standards. These talented individuals, many of whom have specialized engineering or scientific expertise, contribute to our global leadership in innovation. We are proud of our broad portfolio of more than 17,000 granted and pending patents.

ITW Mechanical Fastening, a division of the Construction Products business segment, is a global provider of premium fastening solutions that improve contractor productivity and building quality in the residential and renovation construction industries. Our products are positioned as market leaders and category leading brands encompassing structural wood fasteners (GRK Fasteners™), concrete anchoring systems (Tapcon®, Red Head®, Ramset®), underlayment screws (Rock-On®, Backer-On®), self-drilling screws (Teks®) and drywall anchoring systems (E-Z Ancor®).​ 

The Product Manager II will set strategy, drive innovation, and manage profitability across their product categories. The Product Manager will interact with all functional groups throughout the division as the owner of the overall product lifecycle. This individual will be the product category leader responsible for total portfolio management. ITW is looking for business leaders that are excellent problem solvers with strong communication skills that perform well in an entrepreneurial environment. A successful candidate will be able to leverage the ITW Business Model including end user backed product development, implementation of 80/20 prioritization, and a focus on simplification to position their product categories for sustained growth.

Core Responsibilities:

• Customer Back Innovation – Execution of the new product development roadmap to capitalize on key market opportunities and champion the Customer Back Innovation stage gate process through cross-functional leadership. Product Managers will lead new product rollout efforts including forecasting volumes, end user validation, integrated marketing planning as well as sales and channel training.
• End User Intimacy – Gain strong understanding of voice of customer through qualitative and quantitative market research that drive product strategy and development. Lead end user segmentation to ensure proper targeting and prioritization
• Product Portfolio Management – Lead product portfolio strategy including management of existing product mix and pricing strategy to drive top- and bottom-line financial performance. Participate in capacity planning efforts working with operations and engineering.  Responsible for product line maintenance including SKU rationalization and simplification to optimize the product mix and financials.
• Financial Ownership – The Product Manager will own the P&L for their product categories and deliver on key metrics by utilizing the ITW toolbox philosophies and other key performance indicators.
• Market Landscape – The Product Manager will have a full understanding of the market dynamics including customer and end user trends, competitive trends and actions and will drive market sizing efforts to ensure focus on addressable market.  weaknesses of our competitor’s products/brands.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree required in business, engineering, marketing, or a comparable discipline, required; MBA, preferred.
• A minimum of 3-5 years of marketing experience preferred with at least 2-3 years of product management experience; new product development experience, from inception to product introduction and full product lifecycle management preferred
• Experience with durable goods is preferred
• Financial acumen to analyze financial results and new market opportunities is preferred
• Advanced skills in Excel, Word and Power Point are required.
• The ability to travel approximately 20% is required
• Strong team/project management, communications, and presentation skills
• Proven ability to influence cross-functional teams without formal authority
• Ability to maintain a keen attention to detail, multitask and work well under pressure
• Self-starter with a natural tendency to be curious, positive, and creative

Work Environment:

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

This position requires an employee to work in a variety of locations including, but not limited to: home office, job sites, lumberyards, and distributor locations. These environments are not controlled by ITW.

Physical Demands:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to sit, stand, talk, hear, reach with hands and arms, and regularly required to walk. Must be able to lift 40 lbs., able to walk and stand for long periods of time at customer events, trade shows, and job site locations. Position requires approximately 20% travel and the ability to operate a motor vehicle.

Compensation Information:

We believe our people are our greatest asset. That’s why we invest in creating an environment where you can thrive—both personally and professionally.  For more details, visit our Benefits page.

In addition, our benefits include paid vacation, sick, holiday, and parental leave.

Annual base salary range for this position is $120,000 - $130,000, plus up to 10% annual bonus incentive. Please note that this salary information serves as a general guideline. Company considers various factors when extending an offer, including but not limited to the scope and responsibilities of the position, the candidate's work experience, education and training, key skills, as well as market and business considerations.

ITW is an equal opportunity employer. We value our colleagues’ unique perspectives, experiences and ideas and create workplaces where everyone can develop their careers and perform to their full potential. 

As an equal employment opportunity employer, ITW is committed to equal employment opportunity and fair treatment for employees, beginning with the hiring process and continuing through all aspects of the employment relationship. 

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, national origin, age, disability, protected Veteran status or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local laws.