Product Manager

Product Manager – Winslow, Maine

The Product Manager (PM) manages the Johnny's Selected Seeds (JSS) commercial product line offering to the customer. The PM guides and manages the product life cycle from introducing new varieties to the catalogue, through the active life of a product, to product phase out. The role includes developing commercial product line strategies for assigned crops, identifying alternatives for key products, setting annual trial goals for the Product Development (PD) trials, evaluating product performance with the Product Trialing & Plant Breeding Teams, and developing technical support information for the customer.

The PM is a cross‑functional position and works with departments outside of Research & Development (R&D) to coordinate and align product status with promotions and with the logistics of product delivery to the customer.

• You create and implement a set of product line strategies for assigned crops for JSS target markets, staying current with the range of commercially available varieties worldwide for assigned crops, including building product lines with identified backup and alternative varieties that can minimize product availability risk.
• You develop & manage professional relationships with supply partners and independent breeders from whom JSS can source product. Serve as primary contact (internally and externally) for assigned suppliers.
• You coordinate product‑related contract proposals, negotiations, reviews, and execution.
• You work with Product Technicians, Plant Breeders, JSS Staff, supply partners, and customers to set annual trial goals that focus on JSS product line strategies, address product communications, and support the mission and business objectives of the company.
• You follow the annual PD variety performance trials at the JSS R&D facility and at select regional cooperator sites to understand the variety performance of the products.
• You manage the New Product Development process, including new product sourcing, variety evaluation, product advancement, initial seed supply forecasting, customer technical support material, and product introduction.
• You build the product files for new products that provide descriptive product specifications and keep Sales, Marketing, and Operations current with active product information.
• You partner with interdepartmental teams to support sales forecasting, pricing, procurement, and supply chain logistics, and preparation of the annual catalogue, product list prices, website product pages, and content efforts.
• You lead formal internal and external education efforts (field days, training sessions, product presentations, webinars). Serve as a resource for customer‑facing staff and customers directly for a wide range of product and market information.

Post‑secondary education (2 or 4 year) in an agriculture/business related field of study required.

• Creative thinker with entrepreneurial spirit bringing a positive attitude to the role and enjoy working with a diverse group of people.
• 5 years' professional experience representing companies at an industry level.
• Experience in the food & agriculture business and practical knowledge of farming or food production operations with vegetable crops. Comfortable with hands‑on activities in both the field and office.
• Enjoy puzzles and problem solving, solid business acumen, and comfortable making consequential decisions.
• Regular and effective communicator and public speaker.
• Able to work independently and assume leadership roles across many departments when needed.
• Comfortable organizing large amounts of data from many different sources.
• Possess the people skills necessary to be an effective team player, to interact constructively with…