WasteLAB & Sustainable Product Manager- Marketing - (req70539)
Sterling Kohler, Madison, WI, United States
WasteLAB & Sustainable Product Manager‑ Marketing
Work Mode: Onsite
Location Onsite – Kohler, WI
Opportunity Kohler Co. is seeking a WasteLAB & Sustainable Product Manager – Marketing to lead the product, category, and commercialization strategy for WasteLAB, while also supporting broader sustainable product strategy across the portfolio, in partnership with the Kohler KBA & KBI businesses.
This role operates at the intersection of product management, product marketing, and category strategy with a 70/30 focus:
70% WasteLAB product management, category strategy and marketing, with direct accountability for shaping how WasteLAB products are clearly differentiated, commercially viable, market‑relevant, positioned, and brought to market
30% enterprise sustainable product insights and strategy support
This role partners closely with the Business Development Manager, Sustainable Living, Product Management, Category Management, Engineering, Operations, Sales, and Marketing teams, to ensure sustainable product insights, competitive intelligence, and market trends inform product decisions and commercialization strategies.
This is a high‑impact role operating in a startup‑like environment within Kohler, requiring strong strategic thinking, hands‑on execution, and cross‑functional influence.
Role Summary The Sustainable Product & WasteLAB Manager – Marketing is responsible for:
Driving WasteLAB product and category strategy, go‑to‑market execution, and sales enablement
Providing sustainable product insights, competitive intelligence, and market perspective to support enterprise sustainable product strategy
Translating sustainable product innovation into clear, market‑ready value propositions
This role does not own P&L, but is accountable for strategic influence, commercialization effectiveness, and revenue‑driving outcomes, particularly for WasteLAB and sustainable products across regions and businesses.
Key Responsibilities WasteLAB Product & Category Strategy (70%) Focus: Strategy, commercialization, and growth
Develop and own the multi‑year product and category strategy for WasteLAB
Identify growth opportunities, portfolio gaps, and category expansion ideas
Partner with the Business Development Manager to align WasteLAB strategy and broader sustainable product priorities
Support prioritization decisions across new products, distribution partners, merchandising and sales training
Outcome: Focused, market‑driven WasteLAB strategy that supports growth and differentiation.
Enterprise Sustainable Product Strategy (30%) Focus: Insight, intelligence, and strategic partnership
Gather and synthesize competitive intelligence, market trends, and customer insights related to sustainable products
Identify white‑space opportunities, portfolio gaps, and emerging sustainability trends
Partner with the Business Development Manager, Sustainable Product Strategy to bring forward insights to inform enterprise sustainable product strategy and support portfolio and investment discussions
Collaborate with Category & Product Management and Sustainable Living teams to ensure sustainability insights are integrated into broader product strategy conversations across regions and businesses
Outcome: Enterprise sustainable product strategy is informed by market‑relevant, competitive, and customer‑driven insights.
Product Roadmap & New Product Development
Partner with Product Management, Engineering, R&D, and Industrial Design to:
Define product requirements
Develop and execute product roadmap for WasteLAB. Partner with regions and businesses to inform sustainable product priorities
Embed sustainability and circularity principles into WasteLAB products
Provide voice‑of‑customer and market insights throughout the NPD process
Support trade‑off decisions related to performance, cost, manufacturability, and sustainability outcomes
Product Marketing & Go-to-Market Strategy
Lead marketing strategy for WasteLAB products (non‑plumbing categories), including:
Positioning and value propositions
Messaging and differentiation
Go‑to‑market and launch planning
Distribution partner product training and merchandising
Partner with Kohler Marketing, Category, Product Management and Sustainable Living teams to ensure WasteLAB launches (plumbing categories) are supported with:
Purpose‑driven storytelling
Credible sustainability claims
Clear customer value articulation
Product training and merchandising (samples, displays)
Partner with kitchen and bath marketing team to develop product launch communications and campaign content for WasteLAB, or Sustainable Living initiatives, as needed.
Category Performance & Market Insights
Monitor and analyze WasteLAB category performance, including:
Market trends
Competitive landscape
Customer and channel feedback
Partner with sales teams to identify growth opportunities and actions
Contribute insights to long‑range planning and portfolio optimization for enterprise sustainable product development
Support customer‑service on existing and future orders and samples, as needed
Sales, Showroom & Partner Enablement
Develop and deliver sales enablement and training for:
Field sales teams
Kohler Signature Stores and showrooms
Key partners
Architects, Designers (residential/commercial/hospitality), and luxury builders
Travel to key markets to train architects and designers on CEUs and sustainable products; partner with Kohler sales team on key market initiatives.
Partner with showrooms to elevate:
WasteLAB product knowledge
Selling techniques and customer conversations
Support A&D education to increase awareness, specification, and adoption of WasteLAB products and broader sustainable product knowledge
Cross-Functional Collaboration
Serve as a key connector across:
Business Development (Sustainable Product Strategy)
Product and Category Management
Engineering
Marketing and Communications
Sales and Showroom teams
Influence without direct authority in a matrixed environment
What Success Looks Like
A clear, market‑driven WasteLAB product and category strategy
Successful launch and commercialization of new WasteLAB products
Strong alignment between WasteLAB and enterprise sustainable product strategy
Sales and showroom teams confident in selling and specifying WasteLAB products
Measurable contribution to WasteLAB revenue growth and visibility
Sustainable product strategy is informed by strong competitive and market insights
Skills/Requirements
Bachelor’s degree required; MBA preferred
8+ years of experience across product management, product marketing, category management, or strategy
Experience working in consumer products, home improvement, or sustainability‑driven product innovation
Background in sustainable product strategy is desired, but not required
Experience in start‑up business culture
Strong strategic, analytical, and communication skills
Ability to operate in a fast‑moving, ambiguous environment
Passion for sustainability, circularity, and innovation
Applicants must be authorized to work in the US without requiring sponsorship now or in the future.
We believe in supporting you from the moment you join us, which is why Kohler offers day 1 benefits. This means you’ll have access to your applicable benefit programs from your first day on the job, with no waiting period. The salary range for this position is $119,950 - $186,550. The specific salary offered to a candidate may be influenced by a variety of factors including the candidate’s experience, their education, and the work location. In addition, this position is eligible for a performance bonus/variable incentive compensation.
Why Choose Kohler? We empower each associate to #BecomeMoreAtKohler with a competitive total rewards package to support your health and wellbeing, access to career growth and development opportunities, a diverse and inclusive workplace, and a strong culture of innovation. With more than 30,000 bold leaders across the globe, we’re driving meaningful change in our mission to help people live gracious, healthy, and sustainable lives.
About Us It is Kohler’s policy to recruit, hire, and promote qualified applicants without regard to race, creed, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, national origin, disability or status as a protected veteran. If, as an individual with a disability, you need reasonable accommodation during the recruitment process, please contact kohlerjobs@kohler.com. Kohler Co. is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.
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Location Onsite – Kohler, WI
Opportunity Kohler Co. is seeking a WasteLAB & Sustainable Product Manager – Marketing to lead the product, category, and commercialization strategy for WasteLAB, while also supporting broader sustainable product strategy across the portfolio, in partnership with the Kohler KBA & KBI businesses.
This role operates at the intersection of product management, product marketing, and category strategy with a 70/30 focus:
70% WasteLAB product management, category strategy and marketing, with direct accountability for shaping how WasteLAB products are clearly differentiated, commercially viable, market‑relevant, positioned, and brought to market
30% enterprise sustainable product insights and strategy support
This role partners closely with the Business Development Manager, Sustainable Living, Product Management, Category Management, Engineering, Operations, Sales, and Marketing teams, to ensure sustainable product insights, competitive intelligence, and market trends inform product decisions and commercialization strategies.
This is a high‑impact role operating in a startup‑like environment within Kohler, requiring strong strategic thinking, hands‑on execution, and cross‑functional influence.
Role Summary The Sustainable Product & WasteLAB Manager – Marketing is responsible for:
Driving WasteLAB product and category strategy, go‑to‑market execution, and sales enablement
Providing sustainable product insights, competitive intelligence, and market perspective to support enterprise sustainable product strategy
Translating sustainable product innovation into clear, market‑ready value propositions
This role does not own P&L, but is accountable for strategic influence, commercialization effectiveness, and revenue‑driving outcomes, particularly for WasteLAB and sustainable products across regions and businesses.
Key Responsibilities WasteLAB Product & Category Strategy (70%) Focus: Strategy, commercialization, and growth
Develop and own the multi‑year product and category strategy for WasteLAB
Identify growth opportunities, portfolio gaps, and category expansion ideas
Partner with the Business Development Manager to align WasteLAB strategy and broader sustainable product priorities
Support prioritization decisions across new products, distribution partners, merchandising and sales training
Outcome: Focused, market‑driven WasteLAB strategy that supports growth and differentiation.
Enterprise Sustainable Product Strategy (30%) Focus: Insight, intelligence, and strategic partnership
Gather and synthesize competitive intelligence, market trends, and customer insights related to sustainable products
Identify white‑space opportunities, portfolio gaps, and emerging sustainability trends
Partner with the Business Development Manager, Sustainable Product Strategy to bring forward insights to inform enterprise sustainable product strategy and support portfolio and investment discussions
Collaborate with Category & Product Management and Sustainable Living teams to ensure sustainability insights are integrated into broader product strategy conversations across regions and businesses
Outcome: Enterprise sustainable product strategy is informed by market‑relevant, competitive, and customer‑driven insights.
Product Roadmap & New Product Development
Partner with Product Management, Engineering, R&D, and Industrial Design to:
Define product requirements
Develop and execute product roadmap for WasteLAB. Partner with regions and businesses to inform sustainable product priorities
Embed sustainability and circularity principles into WasteLAB products
Provide voice‑of‑customer and market insights throughout the NPD process
Support trade‑off decisions related to performance, cost, manufacturability, and sustainability outcomes
Product Marketing & Go-to-Market Strategy
Lead marketing strategy for WasteLAB products (non‑plumbing categories), including:
Positioning and value propositions
Messaging and differentiation
Go‑to‑market and launch planning
Distribution partner product training and merchandising
Partner with Kohler Marketing, Category, Product Management and Sustainable Living teams to ensure WasteLAB launches (plumbing categories) are supported with:
Purpose‑driven storytelling
Credible sustainability claims
Clear customer value articulation
Product training and merchandising (samples, displays)
Partner with kitchen and bath marketing team to develop product launch communications and campaign content for WasteLAB, or Sustainable Living initiatives, as needed.
Category Performance & Market Insights
Monitor and analyze WasteLAB category performance, including:
Market trends
Competitive landscape
Customer and channel feedback
Partner with sales teams to identify growth opportunities and actions
Contribute insights to long‑range planning and portfolio optimization for enterprise sustainable product development
Support customer‑service on existing and future orders and samples, as needed
Sales, Showroom & Partner Enablement
Develop and deliver sales enablement and training for:
Field sales teams
Kohler Signature Stores and showrooms
Key partners
Architects, Designers (residential/commercial/hospitality), and luxury builders
Travel to key markets to train architects and designers on CEUs and sustainable products; partner with Kohler sales team on key market initiatives.
Partner with showrooms to elevate:
WasteLAB product knowledge
Selling techniques and customer conversations
Support A&D education to increase awareness, specification, and adoption of WasteLAB products and broader sustainable product knowledge
Cross-Functional Collaboration
Serve as a key connector across:
Business Development (Sustainable Product Strategy)
Product and Category Management
Engineering
Marketing and Communications
Sales and Showroom teams
Influence without direct authority in a matrixed environment
What Success Looks Like
A clear, market‑driven WasteLAB product and category strategy
Successful launch and commercialization of new WasteLAB products
Strong alignment between WasteLAB and enterprise sustainable product strategy
Sales and showroom teams confident in selling and specifying WasteLAB products
Measurable contribution to WasteLAB revenue growth and visibility
Sustainable product strategy is informed by strong competitive and market insights
Skills/Requirements
Bachelor’s degree required; MBA preferred
8+ years of experience across product management, product marketing, category management, or strategy
Experience working in consumer products, home improvement, or sustainability‑driven product innovation
Background in sustainable product strategy is desired, but not required
Experience in start‑up business culture
Strong strategic, analytical, and communication skills
Ability to operate in a fast‑moving, ambiguous environment
Passion for sustainability, circularity, and innovation
Applicants must be authorized to work in the US without requiring sponsorship now or in the future.
We believe in supporting you from the moment you join us, which is why Kohler offers day 1 benefits. This means you’ll have access to your applicable benefit programs from your first day on the job, with no waiting period. The salary range for this position is $119,950 - $186,550. The specific salary offered to a candidate may be influenced by a variety of factors including the candidate’s experience, their education, and the work location. In addition, this position is eligible for a performance bonus/variable incentive compensation.
Why Choose Kohler? We empower each associate to #BecomeMoreAtKohler with a competitive total rewards package to support your health and wellbeing, access to career growth and development opportunities, a diverse and inclusive workplace, and a strong culture of innovation. With more than 30,000 bold leaders across the globe, we’re driving meaningful change in our mission to help people live gracious, healthy, and sustainable lives.
About Us It is Kohler’s policy to recruit, hire, and promote qualified applicants without regard to race, creed, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, national origin, disability or status as a protected veteran. If, as an individual with a disability, you need reasonable accommodation during the recruitment process, please contact kohlerjobs@kohler.com. Kohler Co. is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.
#J-18808-Ljbffr