Product Marketing Manager, PFG

ABOUT THE POSITION   

Our mission at Columbia Sportswear is to unlock the outdoors for everyone. 

We are looking for a passionate and strategically minded Product Marketing Manager, PFG (Performance Fishing Gear) to lead category and product marketing initiatives for one of Columbia's most iconic businesses. This role is ideal for someone with a strong track record of success in consumer and product marketing, a deep passion for fishing culture, and an authentic understanding of the communities, consumers, and industry that make fishing a way of life. 

More than a marketer, this individual will serve as an expert on the fishing consumer. They will understand the unique motivations, behaviors, media habits, and cultural influences that drive engagement across both serious and recreational anglers. This person should live and breathe the fishing industry, maintaining a pulse on emerging trends, key influencers, tournament circuits, guide networks, conservation efforts, specialty retailers, and the broader cultural moments shaping the category. 

This role will reflect the voice of the angler throughout the seasonal planning process, shaping category strategies that authentically resonate with target audiences, further establishing Columbia PFG as a trusted brand in fishing apparel and footwear.  

HOW YOU’LL MAKE A DIFFERENCE 

• Fishing Consumer Expertise & Advocacy: Serve as Columbia's marketing expert on fishing consumers, championing the voice of anglers throughout the seasonal and long-term planning process. Develop a deep understanding of consumer needs, motivations, participation trends, and lifestyle behaviors across freshwater, saltwater, inshore, offshore, tournament, and recreational fishing communities. 

• Category Marketing Strategy: Develop category-specific marketing strategies and seasonal recommendations that support business objectives, brand priorities, and commercial opportunities across the Performance Fishing Gear business. 

• Fishing-Focused Product Positioning: Craft compelling product narratives that highlight performance, protection, innovation, functionality, and style for fishing consumers. Translate technical product benefits into meaningful consumer stories that reinforce Columbia's credibility on and off the water. 

• Consumer & Cultural Insights: Continuously monitor fishing participation trends, consumer behaviors, cultural shifts, media consumption habits, regional dynamics, and competitive activity to inform strategy and decision-making. Maintain a strong understanding of the Southeastern fishing consumer and the evolving fishing landscape across North America and the globe. 

• Go-to-Market Leadership: Drive seasonal GTM strategies for PFG, ensuring alignment across product, brand, commercial, and channel teams. Help identify key storytelling opportunities, product priorities, athlete and ambassador moments, retail activations, and marketing investments. 

• Community & Industry Connectivity: Cultivate strong relationships across fishing communities, athletes, tournament organizations, guides, content creators, conservation groups, specialty retailers, and industry partners. Leverage these relationships to strengthen consumer understanding and category credibility. 

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work closely with Consumer Insights, Product Creation, Partnerships, Product Line Managers, Designers, Merchants, and Digital Marketing to ensure cohesive and authentic marketing. 

• Campaign Guidance: Provide strategic direction and category expertise that informs campaign briefs, storytelling development, channel strategies, and consumer engagement efforts. 

• Performance Analysis: Track product and campaign performance, consumer feedback, and sell-through data to refine future strategies. 

YOU ARE

• A passionate angler who authentically participates in and deeply understands fishing culture  

• Deeply connected to fishing communities and knowledgeable about the consumers, trends, brands, athletes, creators, and influencers shaping the industry  

• A strategic marketer who translates consumer understanding into actionable business and marketing recommendations  

• A strong storyteller who can connect product benefits, consumer motivations, and brand opportunities into compelling narratives  

• A collaborative leader who can influence cross-functional teams and stakeholders  

• Comfortable balancing consumer insights, data, marketplace trends, and intuition to make informed recommendations  

• Naturally curious and culturally connected, always seeking to understand what's next in the fishing industry and where consumers are spending their time  

• An effective communicator and presenter capable of influencing stakeholders at multiple levels of the organization 

YOU HAVE 

• Deep knowledge of fishing culture, communities, events, tournaments, athletes, industry leaders, and influential brands  

• Strong understanding of the fishing consumer, particularly within the Southeastern United States  

• Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Business, Communications, or related field  

• 8+ years of professional experience in consumer marketing and/or product marketing, preferably in outdoor, sporting goods, fishing, hunting, apparel, footwear, equipment, or adjacent industries  

• Experience developing consumer-centric marketing strategies informed by marketplace trends, consumer insights, and category expertise  

• Experience with technical product storytelling and performance-focused marketing  

• Knowledge of fishing retail channels, including specialty fishing retailers, sporting goods retailers, and direct-to-consumer business models  

• Experience working with athletes, ambassadors, creators, sponsorships, partnerships, and community-based marketing programs  

• Excellent communication and presentation abilities  

• Data-driven with experience using analytics, data, and presentation tools (e.g., Excel, PowerPoint, consumer insights platforms, etc.)  

• Knowledge of product development, merchandising, and insight-driven marketing