Sr. Category & Product Manager

Kids2, Inc.; Providence (RI); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Kids2, Inc. seeks a Sr. Manager - Category & Product to set long-term product vision, own the P&L, and drive revenue growth across multiple categories.

You will lead cross-functional teams, shape sell-in materials, and ensure consumer value and market relevance. Responsibilities include defining the category roadmap, leveraging insights, managing SKU productivity, and partnering with Sales, Ops, and Demand Planning to ensure readiness and lifecycle success.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in business management, finance or related field.
• 7+ years of experience in product, category, or brand management with P&L ownership.
• Experience with manufacturing materials, product costs, and development processes.
• Familiarity with online and brick-and-mortar retail landscape.

Responsibilities

• Define the Category Vision and maintain a 3 Year Product Roadmap.
• Leverage consumer insights and category data to identify whitespace opportunities.
• Lead portfolio reviews to optimize SKU productivity and portfolio health.
• Act as the P&L owner for the team’s businesses, including forecasts and margins.
• Bring a global mindset to product-market fit across regions.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic thinking

Cross-functional collaboration

Communication

Presentation skills

Education

Bachelor’s degree in business management/finance or related field

Tools

Circana

Profitero

Scintilla

PowerPoint

Excel

Word

Job description

As the business owner of a defined category, the Sr. Manager - Category & Product sets the long-term product vision, leads cross-functional teams, and drives results. They use insights to shape the product line, craft compelling sell-in materials that win retailer support, and ensure every product delivers clear consumer value. In this role, you operate as the GM of your categories — owning revenue, margin, and SKU productivity while shaping how Kids2 competes and shows up in the market. Additionally, the Sr. Manager role will ensure continuity of features/value across multiple categories as needed.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES AND ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

Leadership & Culture Stewardship: Sets the standard for how work gets done by modeling Kids2 fundamentals and fostering high-performing teams.

• Leadership: Fosters a culture of continuous improvement by coaching and training CPMs as needed along with other Senior Category & Development Managers
• Role-modeling Kids2 fundamentals: Demonstrates core behaviors in action by setting the tone, modeling expectations, and reinforcing consistent ways of working.
• Talent development and onboarding: Actively supports onboarding, training, and development of new hires to build strong category, business, and strategic acumen.

Category Strategy, P&L Ownership & Portfolio Management: Owns the financial performance & strategic direction of their categories. Leverages category expertise and insights to drive long-term product vision, profitable growth, and consumer relevance globally.

• Define the Category Vision and maintain a 3 Year Product Roadmap setting strategic direction while prioritizing product introductions.
• Leverage consumer insights, analyze category data, and monitor the competitive landscape to identify whitespace opportunities for your category, delivering innovation while capturing share
• Lead portfolio reviews to optimize SKU productivity and portfolio rationalization decisions.
• Act as the P&L owner for your team’s businesses — establishing forecasts, cost targets, and margin goal for new items while managing portfolio health of total category
• Bring a global mindset to ensure product market fits across regions.

Cross-Functional Leadership & Collaboration: Brings strategy to life by influencing, aligning, and leading core teams toward a shared outcome.

• Turn strategy into inspiring, actionable briefs that align design, engineering, packaging & digital marketing teams around what to design, why it matters, and how it wins in market.
• Lead and influence cross-functional teams — drive clarity around decisions, changes, and shifting priorities.
• Foster collaboration, trust, and accountability by building strong working relationships across all functions.
• Maintain launch schedules & guide teams toward aligned decisions by navigating obstacles, balancing perspectives, and maintaining forward momentum.
• Create clarity and momentum by focusing energy on what moves the business forward with the largest impact.

Commercialization & Go-to-Market Excellence: Ensures item success across the product lifecycle— from sell-in strategy to sell-through performance and portfolio optimization.

• Develop compelling sell-in materials and line plans that influence retailer decisions and secure product placement.
• Serve as the category expert in key retailer meetings, trade shows, and strategic presentations.
• Partner with Sales, Operations, and Demand Planning to ensure launch of readiness, sell-through, and inventory efficiency.
• Optimize assets ensuring consumer facing content & packaging clearly communicates consumer value and product features.
• Monitor in-market performance to identify opportunities for product refreshes, or recommended add/ drops to retail partners

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE

• 7+ years of experience in product, category, or brand management – with direct ownership of business performance. Preference given to prior toy industry experience
• Must have general knowledge of manufacturing materials, product development processes, and costs. Candidates should have working knowledge of producing plastic products with electronic components.
• Familiarity with the online and brick & mortar retail landscape is strongly preferred.
• Prior experience managing a product P&L is required.

EDUCATION & SKILLS

Bachelor’s degree in business management, finance or other related field or equivalent work experience is required.

Ability to execute and excel in fast-paced organization

Ability to prioritize amid shifting priorities and a changing business landscape

Outstanding oral and presentation-based communication skills

COMPUTER/TECHNICAL SKILLS

• Must be proficient in PowerPoint, Excel, and Word.
• Familiarity with category and retailer data tools (e.g., Circana, Profitero, Scintilla) and POS/shopper data analysis.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

• While performing the duties of this job, the team member is regularly required to talk or listen.
• The team members frequently are required to sit; have flexible use of hands; reach with hands and arms; and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl.
• The team members are occasionally required to stand, walk, and taste or smell.
• The team member must regularly lift and/or move up to 10 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 - 50 pounds.
• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

General office environment with occasional travel domestically & internationally