Product Line Director – External Embellishments

Avery Dennison (NYSE:AVY) is a global materials science company specializing in the design and manufacture of a wide variety of labeling and functional materials. The company’s products, which are used in nearly every major industry, include pressure-sensitive materials for labels and graphic applications; tapes and other bonding solutions for industrial, medical, and retail applications; tags, labels and embellishments for apparel; and radio frequency identification (RFID) solutions serving retail apparel and other markets. Headquartered in Glendale, California, the company employs approximately 30,000 employees in more than 50 countries. Reported sales in 2018 were $7.2 billion. Learn more at www.averydennison.com.

As a Director of Product Line Management in External Embellishments, you are responsible for understanding the market for Avery Dennison’s solutions and developing a product line strategy that identifies and exploits key profit pools to enable top and bottom line growth for a specific solution.  In this case the role will focus on our External Embellishments product portfolio, which includes: Heat Transfers, Embroidery, Patches and Badges, and Woven Labels.

As Director Product Line External Embellishments, you will work closely across our internal organization to build and execute on the External Embellishments product line strategy. Key internal stakeholders will be the Commercial, Business Development, and Product Development & Innovation teams, with whom you will identify and evaluate market needs and develop specific value propositions that convert into new or incremental sales for the EE  product line.

As the market experts for solutions in External Embellishments, you and your team utilize this expertise to help strategically drive market growth and sales wins. As a Director you are responsible for articulating global consumer insights, trends, and innovations into a go to market approach– as well as being responsible for empowering the commercial organization with knowledge on new solutions.

As a  strategic leader of a small team you will empower and enable your team by leveraging skill sets, deep industry knowledge and key relationships and will support your team members personal development and overall growth.

Activities may include, but are not limited to:

• Building detailed product/solution strategies that are based upon your knowledge and insights on segmentation of the market, analysis of profit pools, and identification and prioritization of key solutions
• Communicate product/solution strategies to selling organizations to provide focus, and for incorporation into sales plans
• Partner with Innovation organization to convert product/solution strategies into solution innovation roadmaps
• Actively manage solution portfolio through its lifecycle, including product lifecycle analysis, product positioning, product line extensions, strategic costing, etc.
• Identify and quantify potential disruptors and develop proactive mitigation strategies
• Coordinate with other product PLMs and teams to maximise opportunities across solutions
• Optimize the External Embellishments product line innovation portfolio and develop a rolling pipeline of revenue
• Collaborate with commercial and other PLM functions to identify opportunities for growth and identify product/solution gaps
• Building comprehensive market knowledge to support the strategic growth development, market trends, latest technology and sustainability

The key performance measures for this job role are:

• Achieving solution sales growth in line with agreed annual goals
• Showing initiative in developing new and Innovative solutions
• Building network of contacts internally and externally to support role

Avery Dennison has a long history of being a market leader.  Your history is important to us. It should include the following:

• Experience of market development and driving sales growth. Traditional and or online retail apparel industry experience is preferred.
• Competitive with a genuine desire to win
• Team player with enthusiasm for team success and ability to thrive in a cross functional organization
• Strong influencing skills, public speaking skills and ability to champion products both cross functionally and vertically within the organization as well as the ability to establish global partnerships internally and externally
• Proven track record in defining, launching, evolving and sustaining products
• Ability to work under pressure, manage large workloads and deal with challenges in a professional and calm manner
• A strong eye for detail throughout the process, execution and delivery
• Founded knowledge of existing and new product materials, knowledge of manufacturing, techniques and merchandising in External Embellishments and a willingness to dig into new technologies
• Sound understanding of the competitive landscape of External Embellishments solutions within the apparel industry
• Ability to identify and understand market trends and able to use strategic thinking and expertise to deliver External Embellishments product innovations
• Confidence to take initiative and make sound decisions that will benefit the business
• Excellent written and verbal communication and presentation skills in English
• Experience of handling high profile customers at a senior level
• Ability to conduct training and workshops for basic to advanced level
• International travel is required with this role
• (Fluent in English)

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, protected veteran status or other protected status. EEOE/M/F/Vet/Disabled. All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.