Product Manager

POSITION SUMMARY: The Product Manager is the primary conduit between the external marketplace and Sunnen Products Company and is key in understanding future market opportunities and in setting the strategic direction of the company’s tooling, abrasive and cutting fluid consumable product lines. The primary role of this position is the global management of these products and services from inception through obsolescence. This includes driving the process of product definition/enhancement, designing strategies to introduce, price and market products, and assuring that internal development efforts result in products and services that meet the needs of our customers.

FUNCTIONS OF THE JOB

Essential Functions

1. Thoroughly understand the needs of the global marketplace and its customers and how the application of Sunnen products and capabilities can develop and deliver solutions.

2. Identify and evaluate new product opportunities.

3. Recommend the creation of new products, enhancements to existing products, and the elimination of products that no longer add value.

4. Define the market requirements and work with the product development and engineering team to translate feature requirements into engineering specifications. This position is responsible for gaining internal sign-off on final product specifications.

5. Work with all internal resources and provide direction to manage the development of the product line from design through manufacture and sale.

6. Develop and coordinate marketing and sales strategies for the release of new products.

7. Provide internal sales leadership with accurate market data to assist in the development of short-term and long-term sales forecasts and targets for each assigned product line. The product manager should understand the general market landscape to inform the sales team regarding global market potential and understand future potential shifts in that market potential.

8. Regularly monitor and understand the global competition and differences in global market regions and apply that knowledge to the management of each product line.

9. Continually evaluate product positioning, product differentiation and competitive threats.

10. Develop and implement pricing and discounting strategies for new and existing products.

11. Routinely evaluate the profitability of products and develop strategies for new and existing products.

12. Develop service and maintenance plans, contracts, warranties and service policies, where applicable.

13. Conduct market research, including competitive analysis, win-loss analysis and product trend analysis.

14. Where applicable, coordinate buy vs. build and product-sourcing decisions through collaboration with engineering, manufacturing and purchasing.

15. Primary resource for managing the consumable product lines and their profitability online within the company’s ecommerce platform.

16. Develop and implement training plans for internal sales force and distributors.

17. Participate in efforts to develop acquisition and alliance opportunities for future product line diversification or enhancement.

Physical/Visual Activities or Demands: (Physical/visual activities or demands that are commonly associated with the performance of the functions of this job.)

1. Must be able to travel 20% to 30% of work time.

2. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit, walk and talk or hear. The employee is occasionally required to reach with hands and arms.

3. The employee must exert up to 25 pounds of force only rarely, and/or a negligible to very light amount of force frequently, to lift, carry, push, pull, or otherwise move objects.

4. Specific vision abilities required by this job include clarity of vision at 20 feet or more as well as 20 inches or less.

Environmental/Atmospheric Conditions: (Environmental and atmospheric conditions commonly associated with the performance of the functions of this job.)

Normal office conditions

POSITION QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS

Education: Requires broad knowledge of a discipline equivalent to a complete college or university education or a combination of education and experience to fulfill the duties of the position.

Experience: Requires five years’ experience in a Product Management or similar position.

Skills and Abilities (Representative but not all inclusive of those commonly associated with this position.)

1. Prior experience managing tooling, abrasive and/or coolant/oils preferred, but not required.

2. Engineering experience and/or manufacturing product management experience preferred.

3. Ability to understand technical information and distill accordingly for various audiences, including tailoring the value proposition and messaging for various audiences.

4. Apply principles of logical thinking to define problem, collect data, establish facts and draw valid conclusions.

5. Ability to interpret instructions furnished in written or oral form.

6. Ability to effectively work and interact with others.

7. Demonstrate in-depth knowledge of appropriate software programs and their effective application to the position.

8. Must maintain high level of cooperation and communication in dealings with others, both internal and external to the company.

Machines, Tools, Equipment and Work Aids (Representative but not all inclusive of those commonly associated with this position.)

Telephone, printer, copier, fax, personal computer/terminal, common & custom application software

Job Type: Full-time

Salary: $81,073.00 to $121,610.00 /year

Experience:

• relevant: 1 year (Preferred)
• Management: 5 years (Preferred)
• Data Collection: 1 year (Preferred)
• Product Management: 1 year (Preferred)

Work Location:

• One location

Benefits:

• Health insurance
• Dental insurance
• Vision insurance
• Retirement plan
• Paid time off
• Tuition reimbursement