Associate Chief Academic Officer jobs in Grand Rapids, MI

Summary

Job Description

Leadership Capabilities

Product Strategy

• Partner with key members of the Merrell leadership team to bring the brand vision and mission to life through research, business analysis, ideation, innovation, development, and execution.

• Lead the development of long-term product strategy that helps define and build a path to growth by aligning on key priorities and areas of optimization and transformation for the portfolio.

• Identify new category opportunities to achieve long range growth plans domestically and internationally.

• Partner with key business partners to develop powerful product strategy that resonates with consumers and separates the brand from the competition.

• Champion a consumer-centric culture, constantly questioning and testing assumptions and biases around the needs and wants of our consumers and using research to inform decision making about future shape of our business and the category.

Product Development & Innovation

• Oversee product creation process to meet fiscal on operational objectives.

• Lead a team of product managers, designers, developers, and merchandisers, in helping to define the product vision, roadmap, and organizational structure, while continually actualizing against the brand's purpose and strategy across performance and lifestyle categories.

• Create a culture of creativity and inspiration in order to evolve the brands approach to color, style, and performance innovation.

• Lead the innovation agenda and transition to inline new product development, which includes everything from establish product requirements to investing in new technology capabilities and influencing the product sourcing decisions.

• Lead the product creation process by managing both internal and external resources, in conjunction with vendor/factory resources, to meet execution timelines for new and inline products from concepts through approval of pre-production samples to ensure on-time delivery to meet key product windows.

• Collaborating with Design, Engineering, Merchandise, Material and Costing team to achieve product performance integrity through product testing (physical and field testing), product is engineered properly, FOB price meet targets, sample size fitting and visual is approved.

• Oversee the move towards automation, efficiencies, value engineering, design for manufacturing in partnership with Product Creation team, while maintaining Merrell's best in class quality standards

• Review and approve all tooling (blueprints) on a seasonal basis. Recommend, review, and approve all compounds on all components to ensure products meet end use requirements, pass all relevant testing, and meet global test standards

Product Line Management

• Oversee our global product line segmentation execution to minimize channel conflict and help ensure the right product is driven to the right channels of distribution for what they were designed.

• Lead the brand's transition and full-integration of new PLM system into key processes to help drive faster and better decision making in the go-to-market process.

• Direct the development from briefs through creative process by planning workflow, setting clear direction and prioritization for product organization.

• Ensure that seasonal forecasts reflect product initiatives and brand strategy through our merchandising and line assortment plans.

• Partner with Sales and Regional partners to ensure product line supports channel and key account strategies across the globe.

Product Analysis

• Direct the development and the regular tracking of seasonal category metrics (sku count, productivity, margin etc..).

• Work with Design, Development and Factory base to ensure product costs align with brand strategy.

• Lead efforts with Sourcing/Finance to ensure accurate reporting of development and final GM metrics.

People Leadership

• Build the capability of your direct reports by providing guidance and feedback on their projects, meeting their calendar milestones, and utilizing systems, while keeping them "on track" in terms of their professional development

• Lead the training and development, talent assessment, coaching and mentoring to develop your team and elevate their capacity, while creating a positive and inclusive work environment to support the long-term professional goals.

• Establish relationships with key retailers to deliver product that will drive market share.

• Collaborate with key matrix partners to build best-in-class processes, tools, and approaches to elevate the discipline of product management within the organization.

• Promote and lead with a culture of curiosity

• Performs duties consistent with the company's AAP/EEO goals and policies.

• Performs other duties as required/assigned by manager.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Required

• Bachelor's degree with 10 years of experience in leading the development of performance and lifestyle footwear; minimum of 5 years as a people leader

• Knowledge of footwear industry including technology and product development, materials, trends, and the marketplace.

• Good eye for product design, balance, and detail driven by passion for creativity and innovation.

• Proven success in managing a product organization and track record of business results.

• Seasoned authority in building and owning product roadmaps for both the longer term (strategic) and short term (tactical) and getting buy-in across the brand

• Technical expertise in footwear product development, process, project management, costing and manufacturing of product from conception to retail.

• Analytical and able to organize and distill large amounts of information in action simple frameworks to drive action.

• Experience with PLM planning systems and tools to help manage the development process.

• Demonstrated success leading, coaching, developing, and motivating teams

• Ability to build strong and effective cross-functional relationships.

• A change agent who is able to direct and lead a fast-paced dynamic organization.

• Great written and verbal communication and can successfully spread product thinking throughout the organization, especially new ideas, concepts to internal and external stakeholders.

• Proficient in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and PLM systems

Working Conditions

Normal office environment. Availability to travel domestically and internationally.

Wolverine Worldwide has a flexible, hybrid work schedule, with three days in office and two days remote.

#LI-Hybrid #LI-TF

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed and are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills which may be required.

Wolverine Worldwide, Inc. is committed to creating a company that is as diverse as our consumers. We value the differences in one another and believe our differences make us stronger. Our diverse and inclusive corporate culture starts with the recruitment process. We are committed to being an equal opportunity employer. We aim to create equal opportunities for our associates, customers, and suppliers regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other legally protected characteristic.