Product Marketing Manager, Curriculum

Vernon Hills, IL

About hand2mind:

Trusted by teachers for more than 50 years, hand2mind creates engaging, classroom-tested materials that empower students to learn by doing. Voted one of the Chicago Tribune’s Top Workplaces in 2020 and 2021, we’re a 150-person strong, family-owned company on a mission to bring learning to life. In addition to high-quality, hands-on learning materials for the classroom like VersaTiles® and Cuisenaire Rods®, we also develop educational toys and activity kits for the home that make learning math, reading, and STEM fun and interactive. We pride ourselves on having a thriving culture and a diverse, creative atmosphere. Come join our award-winning team today!

Position Description:

The individual hired will be responsible for driving the Product Marketing strategy for Curriculum products in the U.S. School market including strategic planning, product launches, and annual plans. We are experiencing strong growth in awareness and market share gains which presents a significant opportunity for the brand to access large groups of new-to-brand consumers. We are looking for a dynamic, performance-based change agent interested in forging new inroads in expanding markets. We have a modern open office environment, family business values and a strong culture that has 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.

Responsibilities and expectations within the first year:

Lead the development of annual marketing plans for Curriculum products (Math, Science, Literacy, SEL, Early Childhood), including seasonal strategies, new product support, and base business development.
Work cross-functionally with Product Development, Brand Communications, and Shared Services peers to execute annual marketing plans.
Oversee new product launch plans for Curriculum, including positioning, messaging, packaging, pricing, other marketing collateral, and School Sales team training.
Lead insights-driven market research process to grow the brand’s equity with target audiences and inform annual product development.
Oversee Author Relations for hand2mind authors, including recurring check-ins, business development, royalty reporting, and co-marketing activities.
Monitor and report on product performance, using data to inform strategy changes throughout the year.
Manage the annual budget for Curriculum, ensuring that resources are allocated effectively to execute against strategy.
Develop sales resources to support School team by providing insights for sell-in.

What we’re looking for:

Bachelor’s degree in Education, Marketing, or related field
5+ years experience

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.

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