Job Title: Product Manager
Location: Battle Creek, MI
Role Overview
- Own demand planning, inventory management, forecasting, and product operations for TREND.
- Manage daily MRP platform operations; align sales demand, marketing initiatives, inventory, and production schedules.
- Hands-on, cross-functional role central to TREND’s S&OP process.
- Collaborate with Sales, Marketing, Production, and Finance for coordinated availability, priorities, and profitable growth.
- Flexible; willing to take on additional responsibilities in small/growing organization.
Primary Responsibilities
Demand Planning & Forecasting
- Own demand planning/forecasting across wholesale, retail, DTC channels
- Maintain rolling forecasts incorporating historical trends, seasonality, promotions, customer programs
- Translate sales/marketing inputs into actionable demand signals
Inventory Management
- Own inventory strategy/targets by SKU/product family
- Monitor levels, turns, aging; recommend actions to avoid stockouts, overproduction, manage slow/obsolete inventory
- Maintain accurate MRP inventory data
MRP & Purchasing
- Operate/maintain MRP as system of record for BOMs, lead times, MOQs, safety stock
- Initiate/manage purchase orders (components/materials) and production orders
- Align purchasing/production with forecasted demand and priorities
Production Planning & Scheduling Support
- Create/release production tickets/work orders
- Help prioritize schedules based on demand/commitments
- Coordinate with manufacturing/fulfillment on capacity constraints/schedule changes
Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP)
- Lead/support regular S&OP discussions (sales demand, marketing plans, inventory, capacity)
- Identify risks/tradeoffs early; recommend mitigation
Product & Program Coordination
- Collaborate with Marketing on promotional calendars, launches, customer programs
- Ensure promotions supported by inventory/production plans
- Provide input on product lifecycle: SKU rationalization, line extensions, retirements
Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Partner with Sales on demand, timing, commitments
- Align Marketing campaigns with supply
- Support Finance on inventory valuation, forecast accuracy, working capital
Qualifications & Experience
- Bachelor’s in Supply Chain, Operations, Business, Engineering, or related (or equivalent)
- 5+ years in product management, demand planning, supply chain, or operations planning
- Hands-on MRP/inventory planning system experience
- Strong knowledge of forecasting, inventory turns, BOMs, lead times, MOQs, production scheduling
- Comfortable with imperfect data and process improvement
- Strong analytical, organizational, communication skills
Working Style & Expectations
- Detail-oriented, disciplined, process-driven
- Comfortable in startup-like environment with evolving processes
- Proactive issue identification and solution proposal
- Collaborative and communicative across departments
- Willing to take on additional responsibilities
Exhibit company core values:
- We are Client Focused
- We Do Whatever It Takes
- We are Problem Solvers
- We are Candid & Respectful
- We Succeed as a Team
- We Aim to Grow
- We Believe Fun Matters