Product Manager Shop Solutions

Position Overview

The Product Manager, Shop Solutions will be responsible for driving the success of the shop solutions product (primarily fixturing solutions) category. This includes overseeing business results, developing product strategy, and managing the entire product lifecycle from conception to launch and beyond.

The Product Manager will work closely with various departments to ensure the product meets market needs and achieves business goals. The Product Manager will ensure the strategy is being driven internally and that the company is developing the know-how, business processes, and structure to sustain and grow this segment.

The Product Manager will also work closely with product management and operations in Europe, to leverage know-how and accelerate our success in the North American Market.

This position will be located at the Corporate Center for Wanzl North America (WNA) in Denver NC.

Company And Opportunity Overview

Wanzl North America (WNA), a leading entrepreneurial force in the retail market, is committed to capturing significant market share by offering agile, game-changing solutions. Our brands, Technibilt and Cari-All, operate under the umbrella of the Wanzl Group—a global retail solutions powerhouse headquartered in Germany with 12 manufacturing plants across 8 countries. With nearly 500 employees and sales of $175 million, WNA is the largest manufacturer of shopping carts in North America and spearheads innovation in customer guidance systems, shelving, fixtures, material handling carts, and smart retail technology.

Duties And Responsibilities

• Product Strategy and Vision:
• Define the product vision and strategy aligned with company goals.
• Conduct market research and competitive analysis to identify opportunities and threats.
• Drive internal strategy to ensure the company develops the necessary know-how, business processes, and structure to sustain and grow the retail solutions segment.
• Train and support internal teams on product knowledge and best practices.
• Product Lifecycle Management:
• Oversee the entire product lifecycle, from ideation and development to launch and post-launch activities.
• Gather and prioritize product and customer requirements.
• Develop and maintain a product roadmap that balances short-term needs with long-term strategic goals.
• Communicate the roadmap to stakeholders and ensure alignment with business objectives.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration:
• Work closely with R&D to guide product development and ensure technical feasibility.
• Collaborate with sales, marketing, and support teams to align product strategy with business goals.
• Ensure effective communication and coordination with European product management and operations teams to leverage expertise and accelerate market success in North America.
• Customer and Market Focus:
• Engage with customers and stakeholders to gather feedback and insights.
• Ensure the product meets customer needs and enhances customer satisfaction.
• Identify and act on opportunities to improve the product based on customer feedback and market trends.
• Act as the voice of the customer within the company.
• Revenue and Business Goals:
• Set and achieve revenue targets and budgets for the product category.
• Monitor product performance against business goals and make data-driven decisions to optimize results.
• Track product performance using key metrics and analytics.
• Manage rolling forecast for the product category
• Market Analysis:
• Conduct detailed market research to understand customer needs, market trends, and competitive landscape.
• Use data to make informed decisions about product direction and priorities.
• Go-to-Market Strategy:
• Develop and execute go-to-market plans for product launches.
• Coordinate with marketing to create promotional materials, sales training, and customer communications.
• Set pricing policies for product category

Required Skills and Experience:

• Minimum of 3 years’ experience as a Product Manager or similar role
• Minimum of five (5) years’ experience in retail or companies supplying the retail market
• Bachelor’s degree, MBA strongly desired
• Strong leadership and excellent written and verbal communication skills 

• Proficiency in all Microsoft Office applications
• Demonstrated success defining and launching products
• Excellent teamwork skills
• Proven ability to influence cross-functional teams without formal authority
• Must be able to travel up to 20% including international
  

Position Overview

• The Product Manager, Shop Solutions will be responsible for driving the success of the shop solutions product (primarily fixturing solutions) category. This includes overseeing business results, developing product strategy, and managing the entire product lifecycle from conception to launch and beyond. The Product Manager will work closely with various departments to ensure the product meets market needs and achieves business goals. The Product Manager will ensure the strategy is being driven internally and that the company is developing the know-how, business processes, and structure to sustain and grow this segment. The Product Manager will also work closely with product management and operations in Europe, to leverage know-how and accelerate our success in the North American Market. This position will be located at the Corporate Center for Wanzl North America (WNA) in Denver NC.
• Company and Opportunity Overview Wanzl North America (WNA), a leading entrepreneurial force in the retail market, is committed to capturing significant market share by offering agile, game-changing solutions. Our brands, Technibilt and Cari-All, operate under the umbrella of the Wanzl Group—a global retail solutions powerhouse headquartered in Germany with 12 manufacturing plants across 8 countries. With nearly 500 employees and sales of $175 million, WNA is the largest manufacturer of shopping carts in North America and spearheads innovation in customer guidance systems, shelving, fixtures, material handling carts, and smart retail technology.
  
  

Duties and Responsibilities

• Product Strategy and Vision:
• Define the product vision and strategy aligned with company goals.
• Conduct market research and competitive analysis to identify opportunities and threats.
• Drive internal strategy to ensure the company develops the necessary know-how, business processes, and structure to sustain and grow the retail solutions segment.
• Train and support internal teams on product knowledge and best practices.
• Product Lifecycle Management:
• Oversee the entire product lifecycle, from ideation and development to launch and post-launch activities.
• Gather and prioritize product and customer requirements.
• Develop and maintain a product roadmap that balances short-term needs with long-term strategic goals.
• Communicate the roadmap to stakeholders and ensure alignment with business objectives.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration:
• Work closely with R&D to guide product development and ensure technical feasibility.
• Collaborate with sales, marketing, and support teams to align product strategy with business goals.
• Ensure effective communication and coordination with European product management and operations teams to leverage expertise and accelerate market success in North America.
• Customer and Market Focus:
• Engage with customers and stakeholders to gather feedback and insights.
• Ensure the product meets customer needs and enhances customer satisfaction.
• Identify and act on opportunities to improve the product based on customer feedback and market trends.
• Act as the voice of the customer within the company.
• Revenue and Business Goals:
• Set and achieve revenue targets and budgets for the product category.
• Monitor product performance against business goals and make data-driven decisions to optimize results.
• Track product performance using key metrics and analytics.
• Manage rolling forecast for the product category
• Market Analysis:
• Conduct detailed market research to understand customer needs, market trends, and competitive landscape.
• Use data to make informed decisions about product direction and priorities.
• Go-to-Market Strategy:
• Develop and execute go-to-market plans for product launches.
• Coordinate with marketing to create promotional materials, sales training, and customer communications.
• Set pricing policies for product category
• Required Skills and Experience:
• Minimum of 3 years’ experience as a Product Manager or similar role
• Minimum of five (5) years’ experience in retail or companies supplying the retail market
• Bachelor’s degree, MBA strongly desired
• Strong leadership and excellent written and verbal communication skills 

• Proficiency in all Microsoft Office applications
• Demonstrated success defining and launching products
• Excellent teamwork skills
• Proven ability to influence cross-functional teams without formal authority
• Must be able to travel up to 20% including international