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Product Manager

Job in Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, 60290, USA
Listing for: Ball Horticultural Company
Full Time position
Listed on 2026-07-01
Job specializations:
  • Marketing / Advertising / PR
    Product Marketing
Salary/Wage Range or Industry Benchmark: 75000 - 90000 USD Yearly USD 75000.00 90000.00 YEAR
Job Description & How to Apply Below

Overview

This role is responsible for developing and executing product strategies for a defined portfolio of crops across the full product lifecycle. The Product Manager serves as a bridge between market needs and product development, working closely with breeding, production, sales, marketing, and operations teams to deliver commercially successful products. The ideal candidate will have a strong understanding of horticultural products, a deep passion for plants, the ability to connect customer needs with product development, and a clear communication style.

Job Responsibilities and Duties
  • Own the performance management of the assigned crop portfolio and provide recommendations on investment, expansion, maintenance, or discontinuation of products.
  • Develop and execute product launches, including positioning, market differentiation, and go-to-market strategy, while monitoring post-launch performance and adjusting strategies as needed to align with overall business objectives and commercial goals.
  • Manage product trialing activities to ensure accurate data collection, documentation (including photos and video), and reporting to support product validation, commercialization decisions, and successful market performance.
  • Leverage sales performance data, trial results, and direct engagement with growers and industry stakeholders to identify market trends, customer needs, and competitive opportunities that inform product strategy and portfolio decisions.
  • Evaluate the competitive positioning of assigned crops, identifying key strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and areas for differentiation relative to competing offerings.
  • Partner closely with breeding teams to align breeding priorities, product concepts, and development timelines with market needs, portfolio strategy, and commercial opportunities.
  • Partner with production operations teams to align supply availability with commercial demand and launch timing.
  • Support sales teams with product knowledge, positioning, and materials to drive successful market adoption.
  • Present product information, trial results, and launch updates to internal teams, growers, and external audiences, including presentations at trade shows and industry events.
Requirements
  • Minimum of 5+ years of relevant experience in horticulture, product management, production, or trialing, with exposure to product development or portfolio management.
  • Bachelor’s degree in Horticulture or a related field. A background in horticulture, botany, or plant science is a plus.
  • Ability to understand strengths and weaknesses of Ball Flora Plant products and competitor products in relevant crops.
  • Proven ability to lead, manage, support, and motivate colleagues while fostering a positive culture.
  • Excellent project management skills and the ability to prioritize tasks effectively.
  • Data-driven decision-making and the ability to analyze market trends are important.
  • Ability to align product and portfolio decisions with business objectives while balancing internal priorities and external grower and market needs.
  • Strong interpersonal and communication skills to collaborate with cross-functional teams.
  • Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications and comfort working with digital tools and business systems, with the ability to quickly learn new software platforms.
  • Collaborates:
    Works cooperatively with others across the organization to achieve shared objectives
  • Manages complexity:
    Acquires data from multiple and diverse sources when solving problems.
  • Global perspective:
    Looks toward the broadest possible view of an issue or challenge.
  • Plans and aligns:
    Sets objectives to align with broader organizational goals.
  • Decision quality:
    Makes sound decisions, even in the absence of complete information.
  • A genuine passion for plants is highly desirable.
Physical Requirements
  • Must be able to lift up to 20 pounds several times per day.
  • Domestic and international travel of approximately 30–35% is required, depending on the needs of the role and the season.
  • Ability to stand for prolonged periods in a greenhouse or during outdoor field trials.
  • May be required to push or pull benches; weight requirements vary by facility.
  • May be required to kneel or bend.
  • Ability to work in various greenhouse conditions and outdoor elements, including heat, cold, rain, mud, and humidity (approximately 50% of the time).
  • Minimal climbing and balancing required (less than 1% of the time).

Salary Range: $75k-$90k

Benefits:

  • Medical, dental, life and long-term disability insurance
  • 401k/Profit Sharing Retirement Plan
  • Paid time off benefits including vacation and holidays
  • Tuition assistance
  • An onsite subsidized café overlooking 30 acres of renowned display gardens and
  • restored natural areas
  • Employee Assistance Program and Positive Health programs
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