Product Manager - Early Years

Are you creative, innovative and passionate about meeting customer needs? Our Early Years team is going from strength to strength, and we’re looking for a Product Manager to support this growth by taking ownership of a defined range from conception to delivery through our various channels to market. This means engaging confidently and knowledgably across our customer base, using the insights gained to develop new products and ensure that they are marketed appropriately to achieve divisional targets.   

Job Purpose:

Utilise your creative flair, strong interpersonal skills and commercial awareness to develop factored and NPD product ranges, managing design, content, format, copy and photography in line with production deadlines and divisional expectations. 

Key responsibilities

• Build excellent relationships with customers, practitioners, advisors and teachers, representing the company professionally at all times.
• Develop creative, innovative and commercially viable NPD ranges, working closely with our Purchasing teams to ensure that your products are available throughout the lifetime of the catalogue and that we work within given simplification guidelines year on year.
• Own the design, content, format, photography and copy of given ranges; ensure product information is accurate in the Product Information Management system.
• Maximise the sales of your product range both online and offline, working with the Direct Marketing and Digital Merchandising teams to create seamless marketing campaigns.
• Regularly produce accurate reports (including range analysis) reviewing the performance of your products, working with the Category Manager to identify and address any areas for improvement.
• Support the development of the Early Years Marketing Strategy, customer development and retention plans, as well as other direct mail PR and advertising as required.
• Represent the division and the company at relevant exhibitions and events (some overnight stays and weekend working will be required).

Skills & experience

• A passion for early years and education.
• A degree in a related subject and/or relevant professional qualifications would be advantageous. 
• Previous product marketing experience, preferably gained within a mail order or FMCG environment.
• An understanding of the education sector and current trends/developments within Early Years is desirable.
• Accurate analytical and administrative skills, with a high degree of IT literacy.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Full UK driving licence with no more than six points

Benefits

You would be entitled to the following benefits:

• 25 Days Annual Leave (option to buy an extra 5 days)
• Performance Related Bonus Scheme
• Group Personal Pension
• Private Medical Healthcare
• Life Assurance

The following voluntary benefits are also available:

• Childcare Vouchers
• Cycle to Work Scheme
• Give As You Earn (GAYE)
• Employee Referral Scheme
• Voluntary Dental Plan
• Voluntary Health Cash Plan
• Voluntary Critical Illness Cover
• Voluntary Health Assessments

If you'd like more information about our roles or working for RM, login to "RM Talk" via our careers homepage on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 12.30pm - 1.30pm and chat live to a member of our recruitment team.