Job Description

About the job
About Hand2mind

We bring learning to life! Trusted by teachers for more than 55+ years, hand2mind creates engaging, classroom-tested materials that empower children to learn by doing. We are a 150-person strong, family-owned company that’s been voted one of the Chicago Tribune’s Top Workplaces for the last four consecutive years. In addition to building high-quality, hands-on learning materials for the classroom like VersaTiles® and Cuisenaire® Rods, we also develop educational toys for the home that make learning math, reading, social-emotional learning, and STEM fun and interactive. As a company, we are committed to our employee’s personal and professional development. That’s why we offer a competitive benefits package, a supportive culture, and training and development opportunities by Harvard and UCLA professors. We are looking for professionals who are truly just kids at heart! We hope you’ll come join our award-winning team today!

Position Description

This position will be responsible for driving the Product Marketing strategy for Consumer products in the U.S. School market, including strategic planning, product launches, annual plans, catalog strategy and management, third party product sourcing, and identifying opportunities for product expansion. Strong growth in awareness and market share gains present significant opportunity for the brand to access large groups of new-to-brand consumers. The company is looking for a dynamic, change agent interested in forging new inroads in expanding markets. Modern open office environment, family business values and strong culture have been recognized as a Top Workplace in Chicago for three years running by the Chicago Tribune and is the recent subject of a Harvard Business School case study.

Key Performance Objectives (KPOs) During Your First Year Include

Manage marketing activities for all new and upcoming hand2mind consumer products, including positioning, packaging, and all product launch activities for each new product.
Build the annual marketing plan for hand2mind consumer products.
Monitor and report on catalog performance, including conducting square-inch analyses, using data to inform strategy changes throughout the year.
Oversee catalog development, including setting strategy, briefing the creative team on execution, and the mailing plan. Work with sister companies to develop the multi-brand catalog to help drive overall reach and awareness of hand2mind’s product offering.
Manage the annual budget for consumer products and catalogs, including digital marketing, advertising, promotional budget, pr, catalog (length, paper weight and mailing), and samples.
Curate and maintain third-party products to drive sales, margin, and kitting opportunities.
Lead annual lifecycle management analysis of all School and Consumer products.
Provide Quarterly updates and reports on competitor products and marketing endeavors for Consumer product lines. Utilize insights to feed market research for future product ideation as well as ongoing marketing practices.
Manage the process for developing product marketing assets for the dealer market (retail, online marketplaces, export markets) by providing insights for sell-in in the form of sell sheets, flyers and other promotional marketing assets.

We are a drug-free workplace and an EEO employer.

Please note: This role will be filled by our internal recruitment team, so no assistance is needed from any outside staffing agency at this time.

hand2mind