Group Category & Marketing Strategy Manager

Group Category & Marketing Strategy Manager Become part of the HARMAN team and work for JBL and Harman/Kardon. Join our Group Category & Marketing Strategy department for the Americas, based in the US. About the Role The Manager, Category & Marketing Strategy provides strategic leadership across multiple teams to drive long‑term growth and category excellence. The role is accountable for developing global marketing and category strategies that align with enterprise objectives, while ensuring regional relevance and commercial impact. What You Will Do Strategic Leadership & Planning Develop global category and portfolio strategies, identifying “big‑bet” growth opportunities through robust segmentation, market analysis, and strategic frameworks. Guide strategic planning cycles, recommending targets, KPIs, brand roles, and budget allocations across categories, brands, and products. Lead the creation of long‑term category strategies adaptable to regional market dynamics and consumer needs. Cross‑Functional Collaboration Act as a trusted business partner to regional Sales and Marketing teams, integrating commercial strategies and market insights into a coherent global marketing strategy. Ensure alignment between regional and global marketing strategies and Harman’s enterprise strategy. Partner with regional marketing teams to translate global strategies into qualitative and quantitative objectives and initiatives. Category Strategy Development Support analysis and distillation of market forces impacting the category today and tomorrow. Identify opportunities that grow the category or enable growth, managing development through tools, processes, and templates; assess attractiveness and attainability of opportunities; integrate these into the BU roadmap. Own creation of opportunity blueprints required to realize opportunities across the marketing mix, informing Category Strategy and HTW strategy. Collaborate with brand teams on strategic initiatives, informing them about market enablers, barriers, competitive forces, and brand growth plans and campaigns. Collaborate with regional category & marketing planning to tailor strategies to local market conditions and ensure fit‑for‑purpose execution. Go‑to‑Market Involvement Represent Marketing in the GTM triangle in early phases of the GTM process. Support HTW drafting with category and consumer insights. Collaborate with GTM team on finalizing HTW strategy and product/pitch deck. Investment & Resource Optimization Design and implement a recommendation framework for global targets and KPIs based on market attractiveness and cost of playing. Co‑manage regional marketing investment balance with regional leaders to optimize long‑term success. Enable regional GMs and marketing leads to prioritize key business challenges and opportunities, driving efficient resource allocation. Marketing Planning & Execution Contribute to annual marketing planning cycles, ensuring strategies are fact‑based, investment‑optimised, and aligned across global and regional teams. Ensure consistent execution and integration of category and portfolio strategies across all touchpoints. What You Need to Be Successful Proven leadership experience in global marketing strategy, category management, or portfolio strategy roles. Strong analytical and strategic thinking skills with the ability to synthesize complex data into actionable insights. Demonstrated success in cross‑functional collaboration and influencing senior stakeholders. Experience influencing multiple teams and driving performance across diverse markets. Excellent communication and presentation skills; ability to translate strategy into compelling narratives. Bonus Points if You Have Leadership experience in B2B2C or premium brand environments, especially in tech industry / consumer electronics. Success in leading teams through cultural integration in fast‑changing business environments. Known for introducing structured frameworks or innovative approaches to resolve entrenched challenges and unlock enterprise value. What Makes You Eligible Understanding that flexibility in working hours is required. Successfully completing a background investigation and drug screen as a condition of employment. Eligibility to work remotely. What We Offer Flexible work environment, allowing for full‑time remote work globally for positions that can be performed outside a HARMAN or customer location. Access to employee discounts on world‑class Harman and Samsung products (JBL, HARMAN Kardon, AKG, etc.). Extensive training opportunities through our own HARMAN University. Competitive wellness benefits. Tuition reimbursement. “Be Brilliant” employee recognition and rewards program. An inclusive and diverse work environment that fosters and encourages professional and personal development. $117,000 - $171,600 Dependent on the position offered, other forms of compensation such as bonuses or commission may be available. Pay is based on a wide range of factors, including skill set, experience, training, location, and business need. Equal Employment Opportunity HARMAN is a proud Equal Opportunity employer. HARMAN strives to hire the best qualified candidates and is committed to building a workforce representative of the diverse marketplaces and communities of our global colleagues and customers. 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. To apply, please visit https://careers.harman.com. #J-18808-Ljbffr