Shimano North America Fishing, Inc. is a global company offering the world’s sporting community with top labels and brands including Shimano, G. Loomis and Power Pro. We are seeking a Product Line Specialist – Lifestyle Gear to join our North Charleston, SC team!
We are proud of our staff; diverse in talent, interests and backgrounds. Job seekers can find unique opportunities in our fishing division including national and regional sales, marketing, retail services and distribution. We offer an exceptional array of employee benefits and we are proud of a workforce that takes advantage of the health and wellness benefits we offer. Those that seek opportunities with employers that focus on reducing negative impacts on the environment need look no further than SHIMANO NORTH AMERICA. Our company is an ISO14001 certified business where environmental compliance and continual improvements are part of our business philosophy and operations. If you feel you can bring talent, innovation and enthusiasm to our workforce then please consider the opportunities we have available.
Job Summary:
Responsible for design, development and sourcing of multiple brands and categories of soft goods and other products referred to as Lifestyle Gear (LSG). LSG is comprised of products a variety of products related to the fishing lifestyle such as headwear, footwear, casual and performance apparel and other fishing accessories.
Primary accountability is to develop and maintain an ongoing three-year development plan with both exit and introduction strategies. Responsibilities include market research, project and product lifecycle management, factory selection, competitor evaluations and plan development. This position communicates and coordinates with Shimano’s global LSG planning team to develop both local and global development plans.
Job Level:
Entry to Mid-Level
Essential Duties/Responsibilities:
Requirements:
Develop an understanding of the North American fishing lifestyle gear market.
Fisheries
- Develop knowledge of the size and share of the market of each major fishery which includes:
- Bass and other freshwater species
- Saltwater
- General use
- Within each major fishery, determine the most influential sub-markets along with size and share. Gain the following knowledge of product ranges for each major fishery:
- Key products
- Size and share of various products and product categories
- Size and share by price
- Size and share by competitor
- Determine past and present “trends” in each major fishery and how each fishery transitioned over the last 5 years.
- Develop style and color trends that match with each fishery
Competitive Landscape
- Continuously obtain an understanding of the competitive landscape. Conduct competitive assessments.
- Develop core competencies in competitors’ product performance. Gain thorough knowledge of products by learning what are they good at and why.
- Determine their market approach/strategy.
- Research markets they do/do not touch
- Understand key market strengths/weaknesses
- Study competitors’ reputation, history and future.
- Determine market share by category
Business Operations
- Learn and embody team Shimano’s Mission and Philosophies
- Understand how and why we do business the way we do
- Gain significant knowledge of how the fishing market operates at the trade level
- Develop sourcing knowledge and build important contacts
- Learn distribution model, customer types and ranges
- Substantial study of various internal teams at Shimano North America
- Determine sales structure
- Understand pricing/terms/commissions, etc.
Time allocation during training period
Office: 45%
- Learn SMN business process and KPI
- Build reports
- Know SMN team/resources
- Interdepartmental immersion
Retailer and market visits/work: 30%
- First hand consumer experience/requirements
- What is value at the shop?
- How does retailer sell and consumer buy?
- Sourcing contacts and operations
Fishing: 25%
- Substantial understanding of SMN performance and competitor performance
- Develop a vision for how SMN can innovate with our capabilities
Job Qualifications:
- Thorough knowledge and passion for fishing and associated lifestyle gear products.
- 1-3 years’ experience in market research or product line planning
- Requires general business skills, industry knowledge, financial management and planning skills.
- Possess a unique blend of business and technical savvy.
- Demonstrate market intelligence in the fishing arena to assist and guide Sales, Promotions, Service and Supply Chain in the continued growth.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills. Ability to communicate effectively with all levels of management in an organized and professional manner. Strong presentation skills.
- Ability to utilize judgment in decision making process and decisions related to job tasks
- Excellent customer service skills. Must establish credibility and build positive and professional relationships with customers.
- Ability to work with teams. Effectively establish and maintain working relationship with all levels within the company, internally, externally and cross culturally.
- Experience with soft goods and other lifestyle gear in at least the retail or wholesale channels
- Project and time management skills. Must have the ability to prioritize and complete tasks.
- Manage large amounts of data.
- Strong attention to detail.
- Analytical and problem solving skills. Significant data gathering/analysis/reporting
- Must be reliable and resourceful.
- Extensive travel. Must be willing to travel extensively.
- Overseas assignment.
- Basic understanding of the Japanese language or willingness to learn
- Proficient experience in Window’s based programs, including Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, Outlook, PowerPoint, and Microsoft Teams and Access). Familiarity with the Internet and Web based applications and familiarity with database marketing (profiles, models, reporting, etc.) required.
Education:
Bachelor’s degree in business, marketing, or related field/discipline or equivalent combination of education and experience as required for specific job level.
NOTE: This job description is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, or qualifications associated with the job. Shimano North America reserves the right to modify and change responsibilities and duties herein without notice.
Shimano North America is an equal opportunity employer and will not discriminate against any employee or applicant on the basis of age, color, disability, gender, national origin, race, religion, sexual orientation, veteran status or any classification protected by federal, state, or local law.
