Product Line Manager- Insoles & Shoe Care

Implus Footcare, LLC is an industry-leading global consumer packaged goods company with 16 brands in fitness and athletic performance, movement and flexibility, lifestyle hosiery and footwear accessories, and outdoor. Our product categories are sold in over 80,000 retail locations worldwide. Implus is headquartered in Research Triangle Park in Durham, NC with locations in the United States, Australia, Canada, Europe, Hong Kong, South Africa, and Japan.

Our brand family includes SKLZ, Perfect, Balega, Trigger Point, Harbinger, Rock Tape, Sport-Brella, Yaktrax, Dry Guy, Little Hotties, Sof Sole, Spenco, Airplus, Sof Comfort, Force Field, and Sneaker Balls.

At Implus we believe in the power of diversity, equity & inclusion and are committed to creating an environment where all team members can thrive, regardless of their background, identity, or experiences. We encourage & value different perspectives and are seeking a Product Line Manager who shares our commitment to inclusivity and enjoys working collaboratively with colleagues from diverse backgrounds.

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Product Line Manager is responsible for managing Sof Sole, insoles and shoe care assigned product lines and supporting the development, execution, and commercialization of product strategies that deliver brand and business objectives. This role translates brand strategy, consumer insights, market trends, and commercial feedback into product recommendations, portfolio plans, product positioning, and commercialization support. The Product Line Manager partners closely with Product Development, Operations, Sourcing, Commercial, Digital Commerce, Finance, and Shared Services Marketing to ensure assigned product lines are positioned, developed, launched, and managed effectively.

Essential Job Function:

PRODUCT PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT (25%)Manage assigned product lines, category segments, or product portfolios in alignment with brand strategy and business objectives.

Support development and execution of product line strategies, assortment plans, lifecycle plans, product roadmaps, and commercialization plans.

Monitor product performance, assortment productivity, lifecycle status, and portfolio health.

Identify product gaps, enhancement opportunities, line extension opportunities, and potential rationalization needs.

Partner with Commercial teams to understand market opportunities, customer requirements, regional needs, and channel feedback.

BUSINESS GROWTH & PORTFOLIO PERFORMANCE (20%)Track revenue, margin, inventory, sell-in/sell-through, and product performance for assigned categories or product lines.

Analyze portfolio performance to identify opportunities to improve growth, profitability, productivity, and inventory health.

Partner with Finance, Commercial, Digital Commerce, and Operations to evaluate business performance and recommend actions.

Support pricing, assortment optimization, product lifecycle decisions, and commercialization priorities.

CONSUMER INSIGHTS & MARKET OPPORTUNITY (15%)Leverage consumer insights, customer feedback, category trends, competitive intelligence, and marketplace research to support product recommendations.

Translate consumer and market understanding into product concepts, positioning recommendations, and commercialization inputs.

Monitor competitive activity, category evolution, and emerging marketplace opportunities.

Serve as a consumer advocate for assigned product lines throughout development and commercialization.

INNOVATION & PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT SUPPORT (15%)Support assigned innovation initiatives from concept through commercialization.

Develop or contribute to product briefs that define target consumer, consumer need, positioning, product requirements, claims, pricing parameters, and success criteria.

Partner with Product Development teams to ensure product concepts and requirements are clearly defined and aligned to business objectives.

Balance consumer needs, product feasibility, market opportunity, and commercial requirements.

PRODUCT POSITIONING, CHANNEL & COMMERCIAL EXECUTION (15%)Develop product positioning recommendations, value propositions, feature-benefit frameworks, claims, and points of competitive differentiation for assigned product lines.

Translate product features into consumer-relevant benefits and commercial selling points.

Partner with Commercial and Digital Commerce teams to support channel-specific product, assortment, content, and launch strategies.

Support commercialization planning, launch deliverables, readiness criteria, risk identification, and cross-functional execution.

DIGITAL COMMERCE & SHARED SERVICES MARKETING PARTNERSHIP (10%)Provide product positioning, product knowledge, consumer insights, and product storytelling inputs to Digital Commerce and Shared Services Marketing teams.

Support digital merchandising and launch plans that improve discoverability, consideration, and purchase conversion.

Review product and commercialization materials for alignment with product strategy, product claims, brand…