Company / Location Information
A.O. Smith is a global leader applying innovative technologies and energy-efficient solutions to products manufactured and marketed worldwide. The company is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of residential and commercial water heating equipment and boilers, as well as a manufacturer of water treatment products for residential and light commercial applications. A. O. Smith is headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with approximately 12,000 employees at operations in the United States, Canada, China, India, Mexico, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom.
Primary Function
The Senior Manager, Channel Marketing is responsible for the strategic leadership, development, and execution of integrated marketing strategies across wholesale and retail sales channels. This role serves as the primary marketing leader for channel initiatives, ensuring alignment with business objectives, customer needs, and overall corporate strategy. The position leads channel marketing efforts across multiple brands and customer segments, partnering closely with Sales, Brand Marketing, Digital Marketing, Product Management, Engineering, Customer Service, Training, and key customer stakeholders. Success in this role requires strong strategic thinking, customer-centric planning, team leadership, and the ability to translate market insights into measurable business growth.
Responsibilities
Channel Strategy & Business Growth
• Lead the development and execution of wholesale and retail channel marketing strategies that drive revenue growth, customer engagement, & market share.
• Establish annual channel marketing plans aligned with corporate objectives & customer priorities.
• Identify growth opportunities through market analysis, customer insights, & competitive intelligence.
• Collaborate with Sales leadership and key customers to develop joint business & marketing plans.
Customer & Market Insights
• Lead market research initiatives to understand field needs, buying behaviors, & path to purchase.
• Oversee competitive intelligence efforts and communicate actionable insights to stakeholders.
• Translate research findings into strategic recommendations that improve channel performance & customer experience.
Marketing Communications & Campaigns
• Direct the development and execution of integrated omni-channel marketing programs across retail & wholesale channels.
• Ensure consistent and effective communication of new products, promotions, and brand initiatives.
• Oversee creation of customer-facing marketing assets including literature, digital content, merchandising, packaging, signage, advertising, events, & promotional materials.
• Drive expansion of digital marketing capabilities to support customer onboarding, engagement, & retention.
Channel Execution & Customer Engagement
• Lead co-op marketing programs, customer promotional initiatives, trade shows, customer events, & channel-specific campaigns.
• Partner with customer marketing teams to maximize program effectiveness & ROI.
• Support online merchandising efforts and optimization of digital customer experiences.
Team Leadership & Cross-Functional Collaboration
• Develop and mentor channel marketing team members through coaching, performance management, & capability building.
• Facilitate cross-functional alignment to ensure resources & priorities support channel objectives.
• Build strong relationships across the organization to accelerate execution & drive results.
Financial Management
• Develop, manage, & optimize channel marketing budgets.
• Evaluate program effectiveness & marketing ROI.
• Ensure resources are allocated to initiatives with the greatest strategic & commercial impact.
Qualifications
• Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Business, Communications, or a related field.
• 5+ years of progressive marketing experience, including channel, trade, customer, or brand marketing.
• Demonstrated experience leading cross-functional teams & influencing stakeholders across functions.
• Experience developing and executing integrated marketing & communication strategies.
• Knowledge of both B2B and B2C marketing principles & practices.
• Strong analytical capabilities with experience leveraging market research & business insights.
• Experience managing budgets & marketing investments.
• Excellent presentation, communication, & relationship-management skills.
• Advanced Microsoft Office proficiency, particularly PowerPoint & Excel.
We Offer
Competitive compensation package and comprehensive benefits plans which include medical and dental insurance, company-sponsored life insurance, retirement security savings plan, short- and long-term disability programs and tuition assistance.
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ADA Statement & EEO Statement
In developing this job description care was taken to include all competencies needed to successfully perform in this position. However, for Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) purposes, the essential functions of the job may or may not have been described for purposes of ADA reasonable accommodation. All reasonable accommodation requests will be reviewed and evaluated on a case-by-case basis. We consider all applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, gender identity and expression, marital or military status.
We also provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and applicable state and local law.