Global Go to Market Category Director

A Career at HARMAN

As a technology leader that is rapidly on the move, HARMAN is filled with people who are focused on making life better. Innovation, inclusivity and teamwork are a part of our DNA. When you add that to the challenges we take on and solve together, you’ll discover that at HARMAN you can grow, make a difference and be proud of the work you do every day.

About the Role

As the Global Go-To-Market Category Owner, you will be driving the global Go-to-Market (GTM) and Product Launch strategy across all SBU Regions and Business Units for the assigned category. You will ensure the success of new product launches within a single category across multiple brands at HARMAN, driving programs aligned with SBU-level business objectives and guaranteeing the business goes to market with the right Product, Price, Place, and Promotion (4P). You will be leading the strategic planning, execution, and oversight of product launches in a specific product category across all Harman global markets. This position is the central hub that will orchestrate, guide, and compel collaboration among the Product, Marketing, and Sales functions, and deliver category expertise to ensure strategic goals are achieved through the go-to-market process, from start to finish.

Your Team

This position will report into the Global Go-To-Market Owner and will be an individual contributor.

What You Will Do

Go-To-Market Strategy

• Lead the development and execution of the GTM strategy and processes for assigned categories, ensuring alignment with Divisional and SBU-level strategic direction, including market positioning, pricing, and assortment planning.
• Contribute GTM insights to strategic planning exercises, helping shape category-level “Where to Play” decisions and ensuring GTM plans support SBU, BU, and regional business goals.
• Own the development of category budget allocation and tiering frameworks for product launches, recommending trade-offs and ensuring consistency with corporate priorities and global frameworks.
• Develop a complete understanding of disparate strategies from all corners of the Triangle for the assigned category and act as the primary feedback loop for strategy refinement throughout the GTM triangle – while you do not own the strategy, you have a critical voice to ensure it is a good strategy. Do not hold back.
• Drive collaboration between Marketing and Sales teams, ensuring a unified approach to launches, and act as a key link between the Regional and the Global GTM team to secure alignment.
• Manage the silos and politics between existing segments of the organization and proactively address the alignment between global and regional teams, supporting forecasting and target-setting processes.
• Coordinate deployment of GTM resources as aligned with the GTM owner to priority launches, ensuring teams are equipped to deliver impact.
• Leverage SBU and category expertise to aid in navigation of the GTM Triangle complexities to enable smooth collaboration across functions and geographies.
• Own, drive, and manage end-to-end process with the Global Product & Pitch Deck, shaping how the value proposition is articulated by bringing in consumer, market, and retail insights via strategic triangulation from the senior cohort teams.
• Ensure the regional Sales perspective is fully represented in Category “How to Win” strategies, working alongside Marketing.
• Manage and influence cross-functional teams (Product, Marketing, Sales) to guarantee all go-to-market projects are delivered in full and on time.

Strategy

• Be the category captain driving and contributing to the analysis of all relevant knowledge about the category, consumers, and business that will help ground how to win category strategies in data & insights
• Co-develop with Marketing counterparts the How To Win Strategy for own categories and guarantee input from Sales & Product counterparts
• Own the Global Product & Pitch Deck, clearly articulate the reasons for the new product to exist from a business, category & consumer perspective, crystallizing its value proposition and determining the critical strategic pillars for its success as well as financial viability.
• Act as a senior advisor on GTM matters for the category, providing recommendations to Division, SBU, and GTM leaders and supporting enterprise-wide decisions.
• Resolve GTM issues for assigned categories that span brands and regions, escalating to GTM leadership when necessary to ensure timely decisions.
• Make certain the strategy is aligned with GM, senior commercial, marketing, the BU, Product Planning, and Strategy leadership to ensure best-in-class launches.
• Mentor leaders and collaborate with adjacent functions to embed GTM excellence across the organization.

Planning & Execution

• Partner with the global Insights & Analytics team to incorporate competitive intelligence into GTM planning, including market trends, audience insights, and messaging strategies.
• Unequivocal ownership of the Global GTM Activation Plan Blueprint, working together with GTM leadership, BU leadership, regional counterparts, and global Marketing & Sales to develop a sharp, compelling plan for product launch that contemplates the 4Ps.
• Facilitate the collaboration between regions and the exchange of best practices so that great ideas can easily travel within Harman and siloed politics can be managed.
• Aggregate product launch performance results globally to derive learnings and identify and disseminate best practices.

What You Need to Be Successful

• A bachelor's degree in business, marketing, or a related field is required with a master's degree preferred.
• 10+ years of experience in GTM strategy, category management, or a related field
• In depth international experience and a proven ability to work cross culturally Experience in the relevant industry and with B2B or B2C models is also valuable.
• Proven track record of successful product launches and category excellence, P&L ownership and financial acumen a plus
• Demonstrated understanding of developing product communication strategies, product user experience and persuasive marketing techniques to drive engagement with new or existing customers
• Presents interests in ways that foster the understanding and resolution of problems. Seeks to understand others’ interests. Gains other parties’ trust by being honest, respectful, and sensitive to their needs. Knows when to be gentle and when to be assertive and acts accordingly. Avoid ultimatums.
• Ability to set priorities, focus energy and resources, strengthen operations, ensure that employees and other stakeholders are working toward common goals, establish agreement around intended outcomes/results, and assess and adjust the organization’s direction in response to a changing environment.
• Paramount are superior communication skills; a deep understanding of the business, business, and consumer needs; the capacity to analyze data and act on insights; and the ability to work up, down and across the company.
• Collaborative, curious, believes in lifelong learning and critical thinking as key attributes. Transparent to a fault and naively positive
• Proven history of setting an agenda – the ability to identify an organizational need and build strategies & plans to address; the ability to bring a sense of clarity and direction within potentially ambiguous contexts.
• The ability to collaborate effectively as a team towards a common goal, sharing knowledge and responsibilities while fostering teamwork and building a positive team dynamic.

Bonus Points if You Have

• Natural curiosity and interest in consumer technology and audio market
• Ability to diplomatically manage challenging or tense interpersonal situations fairly, regardless of personal biases or beliefs.
• Experience managing multi-million-dollar budget(s).
• Demonstrated success in leading teams through cultural integration in fast-changing business environments.
• Prior experience working with a cross-functional global organization.

What Makes You Eligible

• Willing to travel up to 25% both domestically and internationally,
• This role is eligible to work remotely full-time with occasional trips into Northridge, CA, Amsterdam, and Shenzhen, China (1 week notice) office locations when required.
• Due to the nature of global infrastructure, you understand that flexibility in working hours is required.
• Successfully complete a background investigation and drug screen as a condition of employment post-offer.

What We Offer

• Competitive wellness benefits and 401K Retirement Savings plan.
• An inclusive and diverse work environment that fosters and encourages career development opportunities.
• Flexible work schedule with a culture encouraging work-life integration and collaboration in a global environment.
• Professional development opportunities through HARMAN University’s business and leadership academies and extensive course catalog.
• Tuition Reimbursement.
• Access to employee discounts on world-class HARMAN products (JBL, Harman/Kardon, etc.).
• “Be Brilliant” employee recognition and rewards program.
• An inclusive and diverse work environment that fosters and encourages professional and personal development.

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HARMAN is proud to be an Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, or other applicable legally protected characteristics.