The Requirements
To be a strong fit for the role of Associate Product Manager, you will need:- A bachelor's degree, ideally in Marketing, Business or a related field. Quick question for you - click here
- 1-2 years of experience in consumer product management or a closely related role is highly preferred. We will also consider outstanding new graduates with internship or other experience demonstrating strong analytical thinking skills and a creative approach.
- Experience in the tool or similar industry preferred; at the very least you will need a strong interest in our products.
- Understanding of the full product lifecycle, including product launch.
- Strong computer skills including intermediate ability with MS Office Suite (Word, PowerPoint, Excel); experience with ERP or content management systems preferred.
- Superior interpersonal, verbal and written communication skills; the ability to deliver polished presentations.
- Business / financial acumen.
- An entrepreneurial mindset and the dedication to be a good brand steward.
- The drive, desire and runway to earn advancement opportunities and grow your career.
- Outstanding organization and prioritization skills with a keen eye for detail. Quick question for you - click here
- Ability to work independently and as a strong team member.
- Ability to influence without formal authority.
- Bilingual English/Spanish is highly preferred.
- Experience with both retail and distribution channels is preferred.
The Role
Reporting to the Senior Product Manager, you will join a team including eight product managers, four associate product managers as well as a Channel Marketing team. Your mission will be to assist in product planning and execution throughout the product lifecycle for our Outdoor Power Equipment Division. At a high level, this will include:- Prioritizing between current products and new product development.
- Research -- gathering and defining "voice of customer" requirements as related to new product development. We market to both retail consumers and end users -- professionals who use Makita products.
- Helping define the product vision and strategy, and build the product roadmap.
- Working cross-functionally with Marketing, Product Development, Sales, Operations, Advertising, Purchasing and Customer Service to ensure goals are achieved.
- Performing tasks that support Marketing's core objectives. Tasks will include loading specs and other data into our proprietary content management system which feeds the website, marketing collateral, packaging specs, etc.
- Gain deep and wide understanding of Makita products and processes.
- Host engineers from Japan, ensuring they see tools at work in their natural element (in the field) and understand U.S. product demands.
- Assist with market research including competitive product testing and pricing analysis.
- Support Sales with a variety of requests such as presentations, line reviews, etc.
- Help to launch new products and accessories to the Sales team; train team members.
- Work to develop promotional campaigns.
- Assist in developing marketing communication materials and sales tools.
- Work closely with advertising and brand marketing teams to ensure brand consistency.
- Prioritize between projects on various topics.
- Understand market trends and competitive landscape.
- Execute as a leader within the company.
Pictured: Makita’s 75.6 cc MM4® Hip Throttle Backpack Blower (EB7650WH) combines a cleaner-burning 4-stroke engine with quieter operation and the convenience of no fuel mixing.
More Good Reasons
Professional development -- as you can see, you'll broaden your experience in all aspects of product management, including being part of the "think tank" that drives strategy. You will master our products and distribution model, become an expert in the competitive landscape and help brainstorm on how to penetrate more deeply into our markets. Additionally, you will add polish to your presentation and relationship building skills as you represent corporate to a wide array of stakeholders.Career options -- depending on your aptitude and performance, you might set your sights on moving into a full Product Manager role. Or, you could pursue other career paths within Makita, such as Sales other marketing areas, etc. You desire will set the path, while your skill and determination will earn the opportunities. We're dedicated to promoting from within whenever possible, and also to seeking out and developing top talent.
Diverse, intriguing role -- every day will be different; you may have a marketing meeting in the morning then work in the content management system in the early afternoon, and end the day in the field training sales team members. You should enjoy variety and a fast pace.
Reputation and momentum -- visit any construction site and you're sure to encounter a variety of Makita tools. We are highly respected in the professional user community because of the quality and performance our tools deliver. We continue to lead the industry with the introduction of high quality, innovative tools. Now we're bringing the same innovation, quality and reputation to outdoor power equipment. You'll be able to leverage both our reputation and momentum in your efforts.
Excellent compensation -- in addition to a competitive salary, we offer one of the most generous benefits packages in our industry, including medical, dental, vision, and life insurance; 401(k) and profit sharing plans; paid time off; tuition reimbursement, and more.
Pictured: The 18V X2 LXT® Lithium‑Ion (36V) Cordless Hedge Trimmer Kit (5.0Ah).
Keys to Success
This is a role for an individual who enjoys achieving goals and driving the business, and one who is driven to grow professionally, intent on mastering the current challenge in order to move on to the next. You also will need to be an idea generator; we bounce ideas around quite a bit and we'll look to you to engage, actively bringing your own insights and challenging ideas in a constructive way.In order to be an outstanding Associate Product Manager, you will take a strategic view of various information sources while also doing the tactical work necessary to ensure we've captured that information. You'll ask the right questions to uncover users' pain points, understand industry trends, stay abreast of the competition, enter the data into the content management system and more. One of your goals is to bring all that information together into action-oriented insights.
In addition, those who advance and succeed at Makita:
- Deliver top-notch work
- Learn from their mistakes so they don't repeat them
- Help others succeed as they'll help you
- Dedicate themselves to rapid knowledge gain from systems and processes to products and end users
- Understand the landscape in order to gauge competitive pricing and market demand
- Take pride in their work and approach it with a sense of urgency
About Makita U.S.A.
100 years ago, it all started with the motor. Makita Corporation was founded in 1915 as an electric motor sales and repair company. Today, as a global brand in over 40 countries, Makita is an innovation leader, manufacturing best-in-class products at 10 plants operating in 8 countries. The unmatched quality and durability of Makita products is driven by the company’s strong R&D capabilities, and have earned the trust of professional users worldwide. Every day, on job sites around the world, Makita delivers the power, performance and durability that professional users demand with products that are more compact, have less vibration and feel better.Believing that the motor is the heart of any power tool, we take great pride in our motor expertise. We spare no expense in producing the most powerful, efficient and best performing motors available for each tool, carefully selecting only the best quality raw materials, employing the most advanced manufacturing equipment in the world, and using the most stringent manufacturing processes and quality control in the industry. To make certain that our quality standards are upheld, constant testing is performed during machining and assembly processes, including a final run-test under power before leaving the factory to ensure optimum performance.
Our success comes not only from producing top quality tools, but also from our unparalleled customer service. From our customer service representatives to our extensive sales team to our R&D group, we are dedicated to delivering complete customer satisfaction. Makita USA is headquartered in La Mirada, California.
Pictured: Makita's product line is quite diverse. The 18" 50cc Chain Saw has a 3.9 HP engine in a compact saw (weighs only 11.9 lbs.) for a high power-to-weight ratio.