Product Manager

Montane Ltd; Ashington; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading company in outdoor performance products is seeking a strategic Product Manager to drive product strategy and innovation. The ideal candidate will have extensive experience in product management, a passion for the outdoors, and the ability to collaborate across teams. Responsibilities include managing the product lifecycle, conducting market analysis, and leading product development initiatives. Join a dynamic team committed to producing exceptional outdoor gear.

Benefits

Health Cash Plan

Mental Health and Wellbeing Support

Cycle Scheme

25 Days Holiday Plus Bank Holidays

Flexible Start and Finish Times

Work From Home Days

Generous Discounts on Products

Qualifications

• 5+ years in product management in outdoor apparel or technical equipment.
• Experience with product development and merchandising processes.
• Strong understanding of global outdoor market trends.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute product roadmap aligned with brand vision.
• Lead cross-functional product creation from concept to commercialization.
• Monitor product performance and optimize product mix.

Skills

Product Management

Market Research

Data Analysis

Project Management

Communication

Tools

MS Office

PLM Systems

Job description

About Montane

For over 30 years Montane has become famous for its innovative, lightweight, breathable clothing and equipment for endurance sports and outdoor activities in extreme environments. Montane specialises in creating technical outdoor clothing, backpacks and accessories, where design and performance are of the highest quality. We have a friendly, dynamic, and ambitious team motivated by a love of the outdoors and with a passion for producing exceptional products. Based in the North East of England. We are represented in many territories around the world and have a head office in Northumberland, a showroom in the Lake District and a showroom in Munich.

About the Role

We are seeking a strategic Product Manager who is passionate about outdoor, technical, performance products and aligns with our values, to lead the planning and lifecycle management of our full product range. This role will be responsible for driving Montane’s product strategy, innovation, and market performance across multiple channels and regions. The ideal candidate is experienced in product management and is customer-obsessed and data-driven with a deep understanding of the outdoor industry, technical products, and global market trends. This is a standalone role, and the successful candidate must be able to work effectively between commercial, marketing, and design teams to maximise the performance of the range. They will need to be hands on, managing both the planning and administration of the product range.

What you would be responsible for:

Product Strategy & Planning

• Developing and executing a product roadmap aligned with brand vision, revenue targets, consumer insights, and market trends.
• Ensuring the product range is efficient and drives profitability, correlating with overall business KPI’s and strategy.
• Conducting market and competitor analysis to identify opportunities and areas for new product development.
• Leading presentations and discussions with commercial teams, buyers, and key dealers to gather insights that inform product range development.
• Managing and leading analytics work that unlocks business insights and drives sound decision-making on product line topics.
• Collaborating with commercial teams to define product positioning, pricing, and lifecycle plans.

Product Development

• Leading the cross-functional product creation process from concept through commercialisation, working with Design and Development, Sourcing, and Marketing teams.
• Owning the product stage gate processes and critical path.
• Working closely with commercial, marketing and design teams to create the seasonal product line plan. Own the product brief, feature definition, and value proposition for each product.
• Working with the Design and Development team to drive innovation initiatives in materials, construction, and functionality for outdoor performance.
• Maintaining PLM systems, product information, and necessary assets for product marketing materials.

Go-to-Market & Commercial Execution

• Partnering with commercial teams to align product launches with seasonal Go To Market calendars and marketing campaigns.
• Supporting creation of sales tools, training materials, and product content to ensure global alignment and consistency.
• Identifying and creating fundamental information necessary for Product Marketing and validate all product information including Workbook, Hangtag, Packaging etc.
• Developing and delivering seasonal sales meeting presentations that inspire and deliver the critical information for the sales team to successfully sell the collection and achieve their sales goals.
• Monitoring sell-in and sell-through data to optimise product mix.
• Reporting on product range performance to evaluate the range and share results with key stakeholders.

Team Collaboration & Leadership

• Fostering strong relationships with stakeholders across product, sales, and marketing.
• Acting as the voice of the customer and advocate for channel and regional needs.
• Influencing and aligning cross-functional teams without direct authority.

Key Requirements and Experience:

• 5 years+ of experience in product management in outdoor apparel, sportswear, or technical equipment.
• Experience in the product development process, merchandising and assortment planning processes, strategic product creation process.
• Deep understanding of the global outdoor market and consumer behaviour, trends, competition, brands etc.
• Experience managing product ranges across multiple regions and channels (DTC, wholesale, e-commerce).
• Passion for the outdoors and active lifestyle.
• Familiarity with PLM systems, ideally Centric.
• Proficiency in market research and data analysis.
• Good understanding of apparel construction and sourcing process.
• Excellent project management, communication, and analytical skills.
• Excellent organisation and deadline management skills.
• Strong ability to lead and motivate others, without direct authority.
• Excellent collaboration skills.
• Strong ability to work autonomously and independently.
• Professional written, verbal, and presentation skills (attentive listener, articulate speaker).
• Proficient with MS Office (Excel, Word, and PowerPoint).
• Ability to travel internationally when required.

Our Values

Our Values bring our team together, they are our shared beliefs, they define our culture and shape the way we approach our work.

ALL IN

No half measures

>Passion, commitment, a collective belief that it can be done.

PURSUE PERFECTION

Deliver beyond expectations

>Performance, quality, service, communication.

PRESENCE NOT NOISE

Prioritise the things that matter

>Add value, create clarity, build trust.

THINK LONG TERM

Considered, responsible choices

>Build our brand, protect our playground.

Benefits:

·Friendly and Supportive Team

·Health Cash Plan

·Mental Health and Wellbeing Support

·Cycle Scheme

·25 Days Holiday Plus Bank Holidays, Increasing with Length of Service

·Holiday Carry Over Days

·Core Hours and Flexible Start and Finish Times

·Work From Home Days

·Generous Discounts on a Wide Range of Products and Brands

The outdoors is everyone’s playground

At Montane we are ‘All In’, we are passionate about encouraging diversity, inclusion, and equal opportunities. Everyone has a part to play, and each person contributes to our success. The diverse backgrounds, experience and commitment of our team members enables us to keep innovating and pushing boundaries through our brand and product.

Location: Northumberland.

Salary: Competitive, dependent on experience.

Contract: Permanent, Full Time

Closing Date: 31^st May 2025

Please Note: If a good volume of suitable applicants are received, this vacancy might close before the date advertised, therefore please apply as soon as possible if you are interested in the role.

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