Under Armour has established an authentic and powerful brand positioning. The Category Director is responsible for protecting and amplifying this voice globally. A compelling, customer driven marketing plan is essential as Under Armour continues its quest to become the premier Outdoor Apparel, Footwear, and Accessories Company in the world.
An exciting and dynamic role, the Category Director is responsible for all marketing related activity within the Outdoor category (Hunt, Fish, & Tactical). The leader in this role will direct go-to-market strategies, positioning and activation plans for specific category business units of Under Armour. It is essential that the Category Director focuses on growing the brand and driving sales by delivering consumer-focused product launches that encompass apparel, footwear and accessories. Category Director will take a leading role in building unified marketing materials across all touch-points needed for global launches. This leader will ensure Under Armour products are powerfully placed in the market to connect with customers and drive sales.
Responsibilities
Essential Duties and Responsibilities include the following. Other duties may be assigned.
· Own Category Voice & Positioning – Lead a cross-functional team with members from Apparel, Footwear, Accessories, Sales and other functional areas to create a 3-year strategic plan for each category.
· Category Strategic Marketing Direction - Own global brand management for category and develop category direction and strategy in partnership with a cross-functional team. Cross functional team to include PR, media, digital/social media, sports marketing, retail marketing, events, creative, .com and retail direct stores.
· Drive Go To Market Strategies – Develop and own all Marketing "Big Stories". Design rolling 18-month marketing plan tied to business plan. Align internal parties across product, sales, sports marketing and other cross-functional partners. Set and manage budgets for all touch-points.
Partner with Product Teams - Be an active, integrated part of the product team to ensure delivery of their business needs from a Brand Marketing standpoint. Have deep understanding of business objectives as well as key products and their USPs. Serve as the liaison between Product and Marketing assuring all Marketing touch points have the information they need to execute effectively.
· Consumer and Business Analytics – Collaborate with internal and external partners to define the target consumer and develop metrics to evaluate our effectiveness in reaching that consumer. Use consumer research and business analysis to understand the competition, channel dynamics, consumer segmentation & positioning, product segmentation and sales performance.
Creative Management - Write creative briefs, help manage the creative development timeline and process, manage brand budgets, protect & develop brand voice across all consumer touch-points.
Activation - Create architecture of "when & where the story is told" - selection & "flighting" of global campaign elements, developing points of view on both traditional (TV, radio, out-of-home, print) and new media (digital, social media, pr/entertainment, co-op). Partner with sports marketing on events and grassroots marketing on asset activation strategies.
E-Commerce, Retail & Wholesale support - Partner with UA.com (and global sites) and in-store marketing to win in-store and online at both UA retail and wholesale doors on a global basis.
Partner with Sales Team - Assist sales team in sales meeting presentations and major account presentations/sell-ins.
Supervisory Responsibilities
Carries out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with the organization's policies and applicable laws. Responsibilities include interviewing, hiring, and training employees; planning, assigning, and directing work; appraising performance; rewarding and disciplining employees; addressing complaints and resolving problems.
Competencies
To Perform The Job Successfully, An Individual Should Demonstrate The Following Competencies
Consumer Orientation - Able to think consumer-first and drive relevant strategies that drive preference and loyalty for UA.
Analytical - Synthesizes complex or diverse information; Uses intuition and experience to complement data.
Problem Solving - Identifies and resolves problems in a timely manner; Gathers and analyzes information skillfully; Develops alternative solutions; Works well in group problem solving situations.
Team building and leadership – Able to influence others, drive consistent execution, effectively address challenges and lead a team of peers to solutions.
Critical Skills
Consumer and Business Analytics are a must
Consumer Segmentation and Targeting
Marketing Strategy (long and short-term)
Creative Process Leadership and Briefing
Marketing Vehicle Prioritization (from Advertising all the way through In-Store)
Budgeting, ROI Quantification
Internal client partnership-building with product teams
Intellectual Curiosity and ability to learn quickly
Passion to win
Education and/or Experience
BA required, MBA is helpful but not mandatory.
Preferred experience within the Outdoor industry and category (Hunt/Fish/Tactical)
Previous experience at Sports Company is a plus.
Minimum of 8-10 years of relevant marketing experience in a fast-paced, product-oriented, consumer-driven company and previous leadership experience
Computer Skills
Microsoft Office (Outlook, PowerPoint & Excel)
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