PRODUCT MANAGER
Reports to: Vice President of Sales & Marketing
Job Summary
Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in an engineering discipline
- Minimum of 10 years of experience in custom machinery design, product line management or project management.
- Extensive understanding of technology and applications
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills
- Excellent interpersonal skills
- Excellent computer skills including a strong working knowledge of Microsoft Office products including Microsoft Project.
- Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced environment, ability to manage multiple priorities and maintain a positive, calm and professional attitude with customers and fellow team members.
- Leadership skills to set team objectives, lead design reviews, monitor overall project schedule along with excellent record keeping.
- Lead by example always portraying the Company in a highly professional manner both within and outside of the office and display highly ethical behavior and good judgement.
- Prior experience in the food or pharmaceutical capital equipment markets preferred.
- AutoCAD or 2-D drafting preferred.
Primary Duties:
1. Product Line Management
- Lead application/concept review meetings
- Lead internal kickoff meetings for all projects
- Organize and lead all design reviews
- Participate in and support product line development
- Maintain accurate price sheets and proposal shell documents
- Maintain 3rd party file folders
- Coordinate all film tests
- Actively participate in weekly production meeting and provide feedback to sales team
- Create hand samples
- Attend and participate in sales effort at trade shows
- Attend and participate in customer meetings with Regional Sales Managers as required
2. Proposals (Formal and Budgetary)
- Review Request For Proposal information and price sheet submitted by Regional Sales Manager or VP of Sales & Marketing for each potential project for application and accuracy.
- Work with Sales Assistant to prepare proposals
- Manage/direct customer specification review process (Most mechanical and electrical specification reviews to be done by others)
- Obtain 3rd party proposals for all 3rd party equipment
- Review proposal price, lead time and efficiency statements with Vice President of Sales & Marketing for custom projects.
- Create or request proposal drawings
3. Project Management for Major Projects
- Become primary internal point of contact over the period from the Kick-off meeting until engineering completion and remain primary point of contact until Site Acceptance after installation; sales person is involved at a decreasing level over the period from the Kick-off Meeting until engineering release.
- Administer Sales Order revision process (“standard” changes directly to customer; “specials” after consulting with VP Sales & Marketing)
- Obtain product and film samples for engineering evaluation and for machine testing
- Manage 3rd party equipment sourcing
- Provide timely customer feedback/input to engineering
- Ensure floor plan and label drawing customer approvals are received
- Actively facilitate timely project communication and problem resolution by and between departments to ensure Projects remain on schedule
- Provide timely and frequent communication and feedback to VP Sales & Marketing, sales person, and customer (respond always within 24 hours, usually much quicker, even if it is “I received the request and will get back to you by ___”).
- Maintain accurate and complete sales order files
- Work with Project Manager to Agree on a Project Open Issues communication tool for the organization
- When useful, create a Gantt chart or some similar tool for Project schedule monitoring and communication within the organization; when required by customer, provide the Gantt chart for their Project
- Schedule design reviews with customers
- Technical contribution to new designs and customer specials
- Coordinate with accounting to ensure that invoices are sent out at the proper milestones
- Create and/or manage validation documents (IQ/OQ etc.) if any
- Create and validate risk assessments when required by customer
- Ensure Projects are built, tested, and meet order requirements
- Communicate FAT schedule with customer and sales so both can attend if desired
- Schedule and lead FAT, maintaining and ensuring completion of punch list action items; backup priority for FAT leadership is Sales Person for contract and VP Sales & Marketing
- Verify safety inspections, video, and photos are completed before Project shipping
- Coordinate equipment shipment with the Traffic Coordinator.
- Coordinate Post-Shipment problem resolution activities until Site Acceptance is received; travel to customer site when necessary
4. Contribute as necessary/appropriate to Product Line Technical Documentation
- Operator and Controls Manuals
- Training materials (PowerPoints, videos, etc.)
5. Any other duties assigned by the Vice President of Sales & Marketing
Please send resume to: