Product Line Director(m/w/x)

## Job Description As a  Product Line Director- you are responsible for understanding the market for Avery Dennison’s products and solutions and developing a product line strategy that identifies and exploits key profit pools to enable top and bottom line growth. In this case you will focus on our category, specifically focussing on innovations and evolutions for the product line. Your role will serve as a catalyst in bringing innovative products and solutions to the organization. As a Product Line Director, you would be directly responsible for the leadership and management of the PLM team supporting Embelex and Core Apparel products, creation and delivery of a product solution based on a business case and brief developed in collaboration with technical innovation, commercial, and operations. You will report to the VP of Embelex Products. You will partner with your team of product line managers and different divisions within our organization to build and build and then execute on the product line strategy. Key Stakeholders will be the Commercial, Business Development, Innovation, Operations, Global Procurement, and Global Product Development teams with whom you will identify and evaluate market needs and develop specific value propositions that convert into new or incremental sales for the category. As the market expert for, you utilize this expertise to help commercial and business development teams strategically drive market growth. You are responsible for articulating global consumer insights, trends, and innovations into a go to market solutions approach– in addition being responsible for enabling the technical selling organization where applicable with knowledge on new solutions to inform new product training. Responsibilities extend to relevant product planning and execution throughout the product life cycle, including: gathering and prioritizing product and customer requirements, defining product vision and project scope, and working closely with internal teams to ensure revenue targets, business objectives and customer needs and expectations are validated and met. Activities may include, but are not limited to: * Conduct regular market and competitive analysis within the product line for knowledge of market trends, market / customers needs, segmentation and competitors * Collaborate with Technical and Commercial teams to gather industry and market insights, discuss white space opportunities, and leverage in product line evolutions * Monitor product line profitability and industry trends to create/present product life cycle analysis; taking proactive actions to evolve your product line (i.e. initiate and implement action plans for upgrades, cost savings, new introductions, and EOL) * Drive product line strategies and product roadmap development * Support the Sr Product Manager with the implementation of category portfolio strategies and evolutions by building and contributing short and long term strategies for your product line * Define and drive new product plans including preparing and presenting briefs; including competitive analysis, differentiation, value proposition, strategy and key targets to key stakeholders * Collaborate with commercial to build and support the execution of a robust value proposition and positioning * Provide new product direction to the Technical Selling team where applicable to enable product launch trainings and appropriate customer conversations * Driving new product innovations through commercialization from discovery to project close * Own sustainability evolutions and product transitions within your product line; collaborating with the sustainability team on studies and goals and the commercial team on revenue mapping * Partner with global procurement to help source in region suppliers for raw materials and products where needed * Validate back-end support is in place and readily available for new product launches and expansions, including capacity planning, raw material readiness, and alignment of resources ## Qualifications * Structured understanding of the operational category and associated evolving technologies * Proven track record in defining, launching, evolving and sustaining products * Technically conversant with working knowledge of the technology, and application of products within the category * Customer and market focused with experience in consolidating customer requirements, market feedback and matching them to current or evolving technological solutions, or leveraging to scope in a new product brief * Strong influencing skills, public speaking skills and ability to champion products both cross functionally and vertically with the ability to establish global partnerships internally and externally * Understanding of the competitive landscape of products within the apparel and accessories industry * Ability to identify key stakeholders to drive commercialization and negotiate with key decision makers * Having an eye for detail and working in an organized fashion, maintaining product and project progress records * Excellent written and verbal communication and presentation skills in English * Work experience in the Apparel manufacturing, materials or trim management field is strongly preferred * Work experience in product line management in an international business, ideally in targeted markets is advantageous * Willingness to travel globally for about 20% of the time * Bachelor’s Degree (or equivalent) with 15+ years of industry experience