About the position

The Associate Product Manager supports the development, execution, and optimization of assigned product lines. Working closely with the Product Manager and cross‑functional partners (e.g. Design, Engineering, Sourcing, Marketing, Sales), this role contributes to category growth, and drives key product initiatives through gathering consumer insights, competitive analysis, and new product development activities. The Associate Product Manager helps manage the product portfolio, assists with pricing and strategy work, and ensures projects move smoothly through the product lifecycle. This role is ideal for someone eager to grow into full product ownership by building analytical expertise, cross-functional leadership skills, and the foundational capabilities of successful product management.

Responsibilities

• Assist in maintaining expertise on assigned product categories including consumer profiles, key market trends, and competitive activity by leveraging research data to stay informed.
• Support the development of annual product line roadmaps and long‑term category strategies.
• Conduct and summarize competitive research to identify market opportunities and potential product enhancements.
• Participate in internal planning meetings and external customer discussions as needed to support category plans and gather feedback.
• Assist in coordinating consumer research tests and surveys with marketing and insights team to gather user feedback to inform product strategy.
• Coordinate cross‑functional activities in partnership with cross-functional teams throughout the product development lifecycle, ensuring all milestones are met.
• Partner with sourcing and manufacturing teams to collect product specifications, samples, and costing information.
• Assist in researching new materials, technologies, and industry innovations.
• Prepare launch materials such as selling stories, product presentations, pricing proposals, and timelines for internal milestones and customer-facing presentations to support successful product launches.
• Assist in developing business cases and Stage Gate deliverables under manager guidance to support each phase of new product development.
• Support SKU lifecycle management, including tracking performance, identifying low performers, and contributing to annual SKU rationalization decisions by recommending changes and managing throughput of decisions.
• Assist in establishing pricing recommendations that balance profit goals with market competitiveness.
• Work with the Product Manager to review product line performance and identify cost reduction or quality‑improvement opportunities.
• Leverage enterprise dashboards and systems to monitor key product metrics including sales, margins, inventory levels, and market performance.
• Prepare data and insights for quarterly business reviews or internal updates.
• Conduct basic financial analysis under the guidance of the Product Manager.

Requirements

• Strong critical thinking skills with the ability to analyze data and draw meaningful insights.
• Creative problem-solver with an interest in understanding consumer needs.
• Highly organized with strong attention to detail, accuracy, and follow‑through.
• Ability to manage multiple projects and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills; high proficiency in PowerPoint and Excel, familiarity with data analysis tools or BI dashboards.
• A team-oriented collaborator with strong interpersonal skills, able to work effectively across different cross functional teams.
• Comfortable with modern productivity tools and able to quickly learn new technologies to improve efficiencies.
• Genuine enthusiasm for creating products that enhance the lives of pets and their families.
• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, or a related field required.
• 0-2 years of experience in product management, marketing, merchandising, or a related role (CPG or durable goods preferred).
• Experience supporting cross-functional teams and exposure to product development processes is strongly preferred.