Product Manager

Position Mission:The Product Manager role is critical to deliver business value to drive sales, improve efficiency, and improve customer satisfaction through the production of quality products and to ensure that our customers have the right parts available at the right time. The role will lead introduction of products that will expand product assortment at NAPA while delivering maximum value to stakeholders across the value chain. The successful candidate will possess strong leadership characteristics with a demonstrated ability to drive collaborationacross different stakeholder groups. In addition, the candidate should be a results-oriented, self-starter with an understanding of or willing to learn the automotive aftermarket value chain.

Position Performance Measures:

• NPI roadmap including pipeline, driving sales dollars
• NPI vitality
• Product differentiation and competitive advantages

Responsibilities:

• Develop and execute product strategies and roadmaps aligned with business objectives for aftermarket automotive parts.
• Conduct market research, competitor analysis, and customer feedback gathering to identify market needs, trends, and opportunities.
• Define product requirements, specifications, and business cases to support new product launches or enhancements.
• Collaborate with procurement, supply chain, sales, marketing, and technical teams to ensure timely product availability, accurate pricing, and effective promotions.
• Monitor product performance, sales trends, and profitability; implement corrective actions and continuous improvements.
• Manage product lifecycle from introduction through discontinuation, maximizing product value and minimizing obsolescence.
• Assist in training and supporting sales teams on product features, benefits, and competitive differentiators.
• Engage with key customers, suppliers, and industry partners to drive collaborative product development and innovation.
• Lead SKU rationalization identifying opportunities for sunsetting or replacement.
• Define launch scope per releases by prioritizing backlog based on value-add to business and alignment with strategic vision.
• Source and provide pertinent product information to cross functional teams to ensure accurate part setup.
• Manage NPI project requirements, schedule and risks meeting objectives for quality, cost and delivery.
• Collaborate across functions to develop marketing collaterals in support of new product launches.
• Coordinate communication of NPI launches to sales, marketing and other key stakeholders to drive adoption and incremental revenue.
• Collect data from sales, field, and competition to determine product specs which provide our products a competitive advantage within the marketplace.
• Collaborate with suppliers and marketing to identify potential new product features and benefits and work with marketing/category to communicate the features and benefits to the field.
• Own product knowledge and be resource to cross-functional partners for product information in a timely manner.

Experience, Education, and Abilities:Requirements include but may not be limited to the following:

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience. MBA or advanced degree a plus
• 3-5 years of business analysis / product management experience
• Automotive aftermarket experience preferred
• Strong verbal and written communication skills with capacity to tailor style to the audience
• Experience facilitating conversation across a diverse set of stakeholders.
• Exceptional attention to detail
• Experience using various computer applications including Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, and other applications in the Microsoft Office Suite
• Ability to work across all internal departments to drive projects to on-time completion.
• Highly motivated individual that has a strong drive for results; communicates effectively both in written and verbal communication formats.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously.
• Consumer/Customer centric thinking and problem solving skills