Brand Manager – Innovation & Product Strategy

About Us:

ITW Car Care is a division of Illinois Tool Works (ITW), specializing in automotive aftermarket products. The division offers a diverse portfolio of brands such as Rain-X wiper blades, visibility enhancing products, and water repellent treatments, including our 2-in-1 Glass Cleaner. Black Magic to support all your wheel and tire needs including Tire Wet.

Summary:

We are seeking a strategic Brand Manager to lead innovation and product strategy initiatives on ITW’s most important brand. This individual will support the Group Brand Manager in shaping the Wipers growth agenda, including short- and long-term innovation pipeline development, portfolio strategy, CBI planning, and long-range planning support. 

This role requires a consumer-first, data-driven leader who can identify growth opportunities, translate insights into clear business recommendations, and partner cross-functionally to advance initiatives from early opportunity identification through commercialization planning. 

Key Responsibilities:

•  Brand Leadership & Strategy: Support the Group Brand Manager in developing the brand’s long-range strategic roadmap, identifying growth opportunities, category white space, and portfolio priorities that align with business objectives. 

• Innovation Pipeline: Lead the development of the short- and long-term innovation pipeline, including opportunity identification, concept development, business case creation, prioritization, and advancement through the stage-gate process. 

• Portfolio & Product Strategy: Lead product strategy across the Wipers portfolio, including portfolio architecture, assortment opportunities, channel-specific needs, and lifecycle management recommendations. 

• Consumer & Category Insights: Leverage consumer research, syndicated data, shopper insights, competitive intelligence, and category trends to identify opportunities for innovation, trade-up, and incremental growth. 

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner closely with Sales, Finance, Supply Chain, R&D, and external agencies to align plans and move initiatives from early opportunity assessment through commercialization planning. 

• P&L Ownership: Manage the innovation P&L, balancing investment, profitability, and revenue growth. Develop financial models and business cases to evaluate innovation opportunities, including revenue, margin, CBI, investment needs, and commercialization risks.  

• Stakeholder Communication: Effectively communicate brand strategy, performance, and future plans to senior leadership, influencing decision-making across the organization. 

• Entrepreneurial Mindset: Thrive in ambiguity with a solutions-driven approach; challenge the status quo and identify opportunities for breakthrough growth. Demonstrate curiosity, ownership, and the ability to create structure around ambiguous opportunities. 

Requirements: 

• Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Business, or related field (MBA preferred). 

• 5+ years of progressive brand management, product marketing, innovation, or product strategy experience, with a strong track record of developing and advancing new product opportunities. 

• Strong strategic thinking and analytical skills, with the ability to synthesize consumer insights, category trends, syndicated data, financials, and competitive dynamics into clear growth recommendations. 

• Experience with syndicated data such as Circana, formerly IRI, or Nielsen, as well as qualitative and quantitative research used to build consumer intimacy and inform strategy. 

• Strong financial acumen, including experience developing P&Ls, business cases, revenue/margin assumptions, and innovation investment recommendations. 

• Demonstrated experience aligning and leading cross-functional teams across R&D, Supply Chain, Sales, and Finance; excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to present to senior stakeholders and key retail customers. 

• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage and prioritize multiple complex projects simultaneously in a fast-paced environment. 

• Ability to travel up to 25% of time. 

What We Offer: 

• Opportunity to shape the company’s flagship brand with high visibility to senior leadership. 

• Dynamic, collaborative environment where innovation and growth are celebrated. 

• Opportunity to influence the future growth agenda for a leading brand through innovation, portfolio strategy, and long-range planning. 

Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job. 

This job description should not be construed to contain every function/responsibility that may be required to be performed by an incumbent in this position.  Incumbents are required to perform other related functions as assigned. 

The position is based in our Houston, TX, offices and must work in that location.