Associate Product Marketing Manager

At Zaner-Bloser, we create tools for educators that help elementary students become more joyful, creative learners and communicators. We support teachers' efforts to inspire "aha" moments-moments of discovery, accomplishment, pride, surprise, delight-that reward students and help them realize the power of learning. Our portfolio of PreK-6 resources helps students build the critical foundational skills they need for success in school. Used independently or together, Zaner-Bloser materials help educators build community and confidence in any context, creating the conditions for moments of discovery and understanding to thrive.

Position Summary:

We have an opening for an Associate Product Marketing Manager for our expanding Supplemental portfolio. Zaner-Bloser's projected growth strategy is dependent upon an accelerated supplemental roadmap of offerings. This role will play an essential part in achieving this organizational goal with members of the Product Management, Supplemental team. Reporting directly to the Director of Product Marketing, Supplemental, the Associate Product Marketing Manager, Supplemental will be primarily responsible for ensuring the voice of the customer/market is infused in all stages of Lifecycle Management. Zaner-Bloser's portfolio of supplemental products and services includes Handwriting, Spelling, Vocabulary, Grammar, Math, SEL and more. Working primarily with the Director and the Product Management, Supplemental team, this Associate Manager will collaborate cross-functionally with team members from Learning Design, Production, Marketing, and Sales to execute the appropriate lifecycle management strategies that ensure the highest level of brand identity, product-level market value positioning, sales enablement and campaign inputs that drive revenue and market share for Zaner-Bloser's supplemental portfolio of products and services.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Respect and curiosity for teachers and students and a visceral drive to positively impact their success
• Respect and curiosity for how elementary print and digital instructional materials enter and sustain the market
• On-going curiosity and mastery of the elementary instructional materials market
  1. personas
  2. buying cycle
  3. funding streams
  4. competitive landscape
  5. market trends
  6. CX/user feedback
• Participate/Learn to execute Lifecycle Management
• Participate/Learn internal data systems/reports
• Develop a data-driven mindset and decision-making acumen
• Supplemental portfolio product expert
• Supplemental competitive landscape expert
• Participate/Learn to execute Go To Market
• Learn how to develop/write market requirements (print and digital)
• Participate/Learn campaign planning/channel optimization
• Travel quarterly for in-person meetings with additional options for travel to conferences and events.

On your first day, you'll:

• Exhibit your learner mindset and innate sense of curiosity and enthusiasm as you embrace the Zaner-Bloser mission and learn the Zaner-Bloser product line
• Demonstrate your ability and willingness to work collaboratively with multiple departments and senior management within the business

Within your first month, you'll:

• Exhibit organizational understanding of /establish foundational best practices for working with primary collaborators' functions/outputs
• Exhibit mastery of personas, buying cycle, funding streams, and market intelligence feeds
• Co-develop product and competitive landscape training plan and timeline
• Participate in all primary cross-functional meetings
• Gain access to/understanding of foundational internal data/reports

Within your first year, you'll:

• Exhibit mastery of current supplemental portfolio products and competitive landscape
• Exhibit mastery of Lifecycle Management stages/appropriate product marketing functions
• Exhibit mastery of Go To Market strategic planning (Small, Medium, Large)
• Provide appropriate print/digital marketing requirements for one product launch
• Provide appropriate product positioning documents for one product launch
• Provide appropriate sales enablement content for two product launches
• Provide appropriate campaign channel content for three campaigns (new or renewal)
• Exhibit mastery of identified internal data/reports and their respective utilization

Supervisory Responsibilities:

None

Education and Experience:

• Have a Learner Mindset
• 2-5 years of previous experience supporting projects related to instructional solutions; expertise with both print and digital products preferred.
• Experience and understanding of K-12 education; teaching and/or administration experience preferred.
• Bachelor's degree in Education, Marketing, or Business required.
• Confident, curious, objective, motivated, collaborative communicator who thrives in evolving market conditions.
• Proven ability to analyze, summarize, and synthesize varied inputs into an engaging and compelling narrative.
• Must think and act constructively while demonstrating the hands-on skills to deliver high-quality products and services.
• Proven ability to influence and negotiate across functional teams.
• Previous experience/training with a Lifecycle Management process/framework preferred.
• Previous experience/training with Go-To-Market process/framework preferred
• Strong working experience with Microsoft Office tools

Physical Requirements:

• Prolonged periods sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
• Must be able to lift up to 15 pounds at times.

Reasonable Accommodation Notice: Federal law requires employers to provide reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals with disabilities. Please tell us if you require a reasonable accommodation to apply for a job or to perform your job. Examples of reasonable accommodation include making a change to the application process or work procedures, providing documents in an alternate format, using a sign language interpreter, or using specialized equipment.

If you don't meet every requirement listed, we encourage you to apply anyway. Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every qualification. We are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive and authentic workplace, so if you are drawn to this role and your past experiences do not align perfectly to the job description, we encourage you to apply.