Product Manager

Job DescriptionThis role combines advanced demand planning and product-level business forecasting with strategic program management to drive revenue-maximizing decisions across retail channels. You will own the end-to-end forecasting process, advise channel leaders on promotional strategies, and lead cross-functional reviews that shape business performance in a fast-paced, data-driven environment.Responsibilities

• Own and manage all forecast inputs, including sales curves, baselines, and promotional lifts, to build forward-looking forecasts based on historical trends and channel-specific adjustments.
• Create comprehensive promotional forecasts, including scenario models that help channel owners evaluate and compare different promotional strategies and make informed strategic decisions.
• Oversee and conduct deep-dive analyses on product performance, including year-over-year comparisons, attainment tracking, and mix shifts, to identify opportunities and risks.
• Provide day-to-day and week-to-week forecasting and sales reporting support to retail sales channel owners, ensuring they have timely, accurate data to guide decisions.
• Develop and execute net-short analyses and manage inventory allocation during end-of-sale planning to limit overhang risk and support healthy product lifecycle management.
• Manage and update all forecasting systems to ensure data accuracy, consistency, and reliability across channels and marketplaces.
• Create and manage detailed workback schedules for each forecasting cycle, holding channel owners accountable for delivering inputs and meeting deadlines.
• Meet regularly with channel owners to review baselines, gather feedback, incorporate changes, and document assumptions for bridging and assumption-tracking purposes.
• Lead recurring forecast inspection meetings with channel owners to review performance against forecast, discuss variances, and align on required corrective or optimizing actions.
• Standardize assumptions and forecasting methodologies across marketplaces, influencing channel owners to adopt consistent processes across emerging and established businesses.
• Own the forecast narrative and final documentation, clearly bridging changes between forecast cycles and explaining variances in a way that is accessible to business stakeholders.
• Lead Global Retail Demand Reviews, presenting insights, recommendations, and forecast outcomes to cross-functional partners.
• Act as both a strategic advisor and a hands-on modeling expert, helping channel leaders design and evaluate different promotional approaches and their impact on units and revenue.
• Use historical data to build future forecasts at daily, product-level specificity, ensuring granular visibility and robust business context for channel and product decisions.

Essential Skills

• 5–7 years of relevant experience working with complex product portfolios, with a minimum of 5 years in roles focused on demand planning, forecasting, and program management.
• Proven expertise in demand planning and forecasting promotional impacts, including calculating lifts and understanding price elasticities.
• Strong background in B2C, finance, or traditional retail industries, with the ability to connect forecasting and planning directly to commercial and strategic outcomes.
• Advanced Excel skills, including comfort with complex models, scenario analysis, and detailed data manipulation to support forecasting and performance analysis.
• Ability to build and interpret unit and revenue-maximizing forecasts, partnering closely with sales channel leads to grow the business strategically through a focused set of products.
• Demonstrated experience in business-focused forecasting roles that prioritize revenue growth and promotional strategy rather than solely inventory optimization or allocation.
• Strong analytical and data analysis skills, with the ability to work at daily, product-level specificity and translate findings into actionable recommendations.
• Solid program management capabilities, including managing forecasting cycles, workback schedules, stakeholder inputs, and strict deadlines.
• High level of motivation and self-direction, with a track record of driving initiatives forward without close supervision.
• Relevant forecasting and demand planning experience in environments that require close collaboration with sales and channel owners.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Four-year college degree is preferred but not required.
• Experience in B2C, finance, and traditional retail industries is highly desirable.
• Strong organizational skills, with the ability to manage multiple forecasting cycles and stakeholder inputs simultaneously.
• Experience working in a global team environment, with the ability to collaborate across time zones and cultures.
• Comfort working under strict deadlines while maintaining accuracy and attention to detail.
• Experience with Anaplan or similar planning tools is a plus.
• Ability to clearly articulate forecast assumptions, methodologies, and variances to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Cross-collaborative mindset, with the ability to influence channel owners and partners to adopt standardized forecasting processes.
• Balanced skill set as both a business advisor and a numbers/model specialist, providing granular insights and practical business context.

Work EnvironmentThis is an onsite role based in either Seattle, WA or San Francisco, CA, working Monday through Friday from approximately 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. You will operate in a fast-paced, cross-collaborative environment that emphasizes data-driven decision-making, global teamwork, and close partnership with retail sales channel owners. The culture is highly analytical yet business-oriented, offering opportunities to work on complex forecasting challenges and participate in global demand reviews. You will use tools such as Excel and potentially Anaplan, and collaborate frequently with stakeholders across marketplaces and business units. The environment supports motivated, self-directed professionals who thrive on ownership, accountability, and building forecasting processes that directly impact business growth, with potential opportunities for long-term conversion depending on performance and fit.

Job Type & LocationThis is a Contract position based out of San Francisco, CA.

Pay and BenefitsThe pay range for this position is $65.00 - $69.00/hr.Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefits available for this temporary role may include the following:

• Medical, dental & vision
• Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital
• 401(k) Retirement Plan – Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available
• Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents)
• Short and long-term disability
• Health Spending Account (HSA)
• Transportation benefits
• Employee Assistance Program
• Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)

Workplace TypeThis is a fully onsite position in San Francisco,CA.

Application DeadlineThis position is anticipated to close on Aug 25, 2026.

About Aston Carter

Aston Carter provides world-class corporate talent solutions to thousands of clients across the globe. Specialized in accounting, finance, human resources, talent acquisition, procurement, supply chain and select administrative professions, we extend the capabilities of industry-leading companies. We draw on our deep recruiting expertise and expansive network to meet the evolving needs of our clients and talent community with agility and excellence. With offices across the U.S., Canada, Asia Pacific and Europe, Aston Carter serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing® Platinum Award winner for both client and talent service.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability, please email astoncarteraccommodation@astoncarter.com for other accommodation options.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Massachusetts Lie Detector: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process, including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.