Director, Product Marketing

Responsible for all Marketing activities related to La Mer & Darphin North America Skincare. Responsibilities include planning and executing marketing programs in line with the global marketing objectives to increase sales and grow market share in North America, while improving profitability as well as developing and preparing overall category budgets.

20% North America Skincare Strategy, Sales Growth and Market Share Gain

• Create, develop 3 year Product Strategy for La Mer & Darphin inclusive of category targets, NPD ranking aspirations, customer growth, product innovation and Samples
• Leverage consumer driven insights to assess attractive growth and brand-building opportunities that are currently untapped by the brand
• Acts as primary Liaison between NA affiliate and the Global Marketing/Product Development team to ensure that local market needs are being met and that each program is appropriate to succeed in the market.
• Execute marketing plans including, promotions, new product launches, visual merchandising, sampling and in-store activation.
• Provide clear marketing guidelines for the Canadian market, Sephora team, and independent retailers team, with enough detail and in a timeline what will allow for market-customization and effective execution.

20% 360 Strategy Development and Cross-functional Coordination

• Liaise with cross-functional teams to develop North America specific programs and support materials for areas of responsibility – including finance, merchandising, global marketing, global supply chain, forecasting, creative and collateral operations, customer insights, digital and media teams
• Lead and drive individual program development in all its elements for NA, from identifying market-tailoring opportunities with the Global team to specific execution elements at market and retailer-level.
• Lead and drive program development process, including timelines, leading all cross-functional teams to ensure programs are completed on time with the all the necessary level of detail and local tailoring (including retailer needs) and effectively communicated to the field in a timely manner.
• Provide input to CE/advertising on marketing priorities, tailor program briefs, provide input to category advertising plans and where applicable provide creative input (e.g., digital).
• Provide input to CE/Online CRM strategies, defining marketing priorities, identifying key programs to support, and adjust priorities going forward based on program findings.

15% Performance / Market / Competitive Tracking and Reporting

• Leads development of ongoing Performance Recaps/reviews that track performance for top launches, priority product sub-categories and top line Skincare category to be issued periodically to NA/Global leadership; including sales performance, advertising, merchandising
• Develops Skincare /North America market reviews for the pertinent segments of business – with special focus on Key Selling Moments ie Holiday, Mother’s Day, Lunar New Year – which involves thorough research on North America trends, competition, promotionality, consumer dynamics and requires analyses, identification of opportunities and strategic recommendations.

5% Presentation and Communication to Internal/External Stakeholders

• Develops outline, oversees development of presentation and any other materials created for Sales and Retailer meetings, as well as regional and strategy meetings on an as-needed basis.
• Defines strategy and oversees execution for POS guidelines and other merchandising guidance.

10% Financial, Budgetary, and Pricing Management

• Manages North America Skincare budget inclusive of historical budget spending analysis and proposals for future plans.
• Oversees analysis of category portfolio and sku productivity resulting in recommendations for sku discontinuation.
• Executes / updates all forecasts and work requests in a timely fashion for the North America affiliate
• Manages pricing process for Skincare, providing input to Global marketing in defining the guidelines for the US as a market of reference, and ensuring US execution is aligned with global guidance. Coordinates tracking of price impact on sales performance.

20% Visual Merchandising

• Develop national VM strategy and executional plan including accurate assortment and product priorities, overhauls, new door roll-outs, Flagship updates, cash wraps, end caps, events, etc. when applicable
• Partner with Director Consumer Engagement to bring to life brand message and product stories across all
• Visual Merchandising to ensure seamless omnichannel messaging to the consumer.
• Oversee team of direct reports to drive, communicate and track project milestones and deadlines to inter-department stakeholders for all regional projects
• Lead development of Visual Merchandising guidelines for NA and communicate with Field Sales team for smooth execution and troubleshoot any in-store merchandising issues
• Manage regional budget, reconcile retailer chargeback, and ensure responsible financial decisions are met and aligned with the budget
• Proofread all graphics to establish accuracy in copy and pricing
• Continually enhance and make recommendations for easy navigation at POS

10% Team Development

• Lead and manage with excellence the North American Product Marketing team of 2 that includes 1 Assistant Manager, 1 Presidential Management Associate (PMA)
• Partner with a cross-functional team of 20+ team members spanning Global Marketing, Global and Regional Visual Merchandizing, Trade Marketing, Account Management, Education and artistry to coordinate cohesive product marketing plans and programs
• Develop and continually coach individuals for maximum potential, enabling their personal and professional growth

Qualifications

1. Undergraduate degree required. MBA/Masters a plus.
2. 8+ years relevant work experience in the cosmetic industry. Skincare and/or regional experience preferable.
3. Thorough knowledge of PC as well as CPMS, CPES, NPD, Data warehouse and IBM/forecasting systems.
4. Must be an excellent team player with the ability to build, foster and nurture relationships with members of the Global Skincare Marketing team and cross-functional teams.
5. Must be highly organized and detail-oriented, with a strong ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously with un-prompted follow-through.
6. Excellent written and oral communications.

Position requires creativity and knowledge in all areas of marketing including the ability to develop and implement innovative marketing programs, knowledge of marketing trends and consumer tastes, knowledge of La Mer’s product goals and objectives. Knowledge of functions of Product Development, Packaging, Design, Consumer Research, Advertising and Sales and their effect on product marketability, as well as a proven ability to review budgets, sales and marketing related activity to coordinate a successful marketing program.