V-Guard - Deputy Manager - Product Planning - Kitchen Appliances Segment

Department: New Product Development (NPD)/ Product Planning
Location: India
Role Purpose:
Drive category growth and portfolio strategy for kitchen appliances by developing consumer-centric product roadmaps, differentiated propositions, and profitable SKU portfolios across channels. Work cross-functionally with R&D, Manufacturing, Sales, Marketing, and Service teams to ensure successful product planning, launch execution, and lifecycle management for V-Guard and Sunflame brands.
Key Responsibilities:
- Build periodic intelligence on category trends, competition, consumer behaviour, pricing, and channel dynamics.
- Translate insights into strategic inputs for segmentation, positioning, PRM development, GTM strategy, and marketing planning.
- Develop short-term, mid-term, and long-term product roadmaps for key kitchen appliance categories.

- Ensure clear product differentiation across price tiers and channels.
- Manage SKU portfolio planning, lifecycle management, and phase-outs.
- Develop target consumer propositions and channel-specific variants to maximize market reach and minimize trade conflict.
- Collaborate with Key Account Managers and Sales teams on product positioning, targets, pricing, and schemes.
- Work closely with R&D and Manufacturing teams to convert product concepts into commercially viable SKUs.
- Ensure timely product development milestones and launch execution.
- Work with Commercial, Costing, and Sales teams to finalize pricing strategies, trade payouts, and schemes.
- Monitor SKU-level profitability and recommend corrective actions.
- Enable Product Marketing and Digital Marketing teams with insights for marketing campaigns and customer engagement.
- Support product launch planning and sales enablement.
- Identify emerging consumer needs, technology trends, and new business opportunities.
- Collaborate with startups and ecosystem partners to explore IoT-enabled and next-generation appliance solutions.
Qualifications:

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- Bachelor's degree in Engineering / Technology / Business
- MBA (Tier 1 / Tier 2) Required
Experience:
- 4-6 years of experience in Product Planning, Product Management, or Category Management in the consumer appliances or consumer durables industry. Experience in multinational or reputed consumer brands preferred.
Key Skills:
- Product Strategy & Road Map
- Market & Consumer Insights
- Pricing & Profitability Management
- Cross-functional Stakeholder Management
- Strong Communication & Business Writing Skills
- Analytical and Strategic Thinking