Product Manager

Description

The company has supplied fluid-handling equipment since 1892 and employs more than 2,000 people, with manufacturing in North America, Europe and China and sales offices worldwide. Its products include loading and unloading systems for bulk products, railcar and tank-truck valves, gauging and tank-monitoring systems, automated storage-terminal controls, and regulators, valves, vaporizers, vacuum-jacketed piping and gas-handling systems for cryogenics and industrial gases. The company is part of the Clean Energy & Fueling segment of the company.

The role can be based in Elon, NC, Allentown, PA or Ball Ground, GA. It is an onsite position in Elon, NC, reporting to the Director of Product Management. The team is looking for a strategic, action-oriented, process-minded and analytical person who goes the extra distance for customers, communicates briefly and clearly with customers and senior leaders, and works well in a fast-moving setting.

The product manager turns the product vision for the Clean Energy & Fueling portfolio into new products by converting customer needs into ranked innovation roadmaps and taking those products to market.

Responsibilities

• Own the P&L, including strategic planning, yearly strategy rollout and budget.
• Track financial results for each product line in every market segment, including bookings and gross profit, and manage the effects of product line and regional mix.
• Lead new product development core teams and keep work aligned with market and product requirements from pre-concept tollgate through the development cycle.
• Bring the voice of the customer and the voice of the business to core teams, and lead market discussions at monthly Product Planning Group meetings to weigh risks and trade-offs.
• Champion the customer by finding pain points and user needs, making sure products solve real problems in attractive segments.
• Carry out market and customer research to understand problems, needs and challenges, then work with a cross-functional team to turn them into solutions.
• Visit customers to gather feedback on company products and services.
• Study competitors' product offerings, performance claims, market positioning and sales approaches, then build action plans to grow the portfolio and gain share.
• Raise marketability and profitability by defining a detailed value proposition, finding competitive differences and building on them.
• Find new business opportunities for new and existing products, and build sales tools that help commercial staff target the right customers and applications, answer needs, and handle objections and competitive threats.
• Build and present business cases for new product development, including the file, the process, market requirements and product definitions.
• Help create and maintain a streamlined roadmap, Incremental Pipeline Value (IPV) and metrics that match the strategic plan.
• Run product life cycle management, SKU rationalization and obsolescence processes.
• Manage all commercial aspects of the CES portfolio, including brand, pricing, promotion and service levels.
• Build, run and update pricing strategies that maximize profit, stay competitive and fit product life cycle goals.
• Support marketing plans, including product launches, sales tools, and customer and industry communications.
• Keep customers informed and work closely with Commercial, R&D, Operations and other key groups.

Requirements

• A bachelor's degree in marketing, communications, engineering or business.
• Five years of product management experience with steadily growing responsibility.
• Experience working in a continuous improvement environment with a process-driven approach.
• Strong communication skills and the ability to work with sales, marketing, R&D, engineering, manufacturing, legal and finance.
• The ability to manage several projects and priorities at once.
• The ability to turn market, customer and application requirements into clear product design features and marketing, sales and pricing strategies.
• Good knowledge of cryogenic and industrial gas markets.
• Advanced skills in the Microsoft Office Suite, plus Salesforce.com and Adobe products.
• Proven experience managing databases and proficiency in product or project management software.
• Proficiency in MRP/ERP systems.
• Up to 30% travel, mostly domestic, with occasional international trips.

Conditions

Onsite in Elon, NC, or based in Allentown, PA or Ball Ground, GA, as stated above.

Discretionary bonus based on performance metrics and other criteria in the applicable bonus plan.

Pay is set using factors such as responsibilities, experience, education or training, location and key skills.

Equal-opportunity policy: applicants are considered without regard to non-job-related factors.

Benefits

• Eligibility for a discretionary bonus.
• Total Rewards package that includes pay.