Global Product Manager

Position Objective: The Global Product Manager Blasthole/Blasthole product portfolio is responsible for developing and implementing the strategic marketing plan for the assigned products within the respective product line to grow global sales, market share, and gross profit.

Mission: Create the Mid-range Blasthole product portfolio for the future while maintaining and improving the current product base to secure market leading position. Bring competitive and innovative productivity solutions to customers to address their needs.  Provide Customer Centers and RBMs with product expertise and marketing tools for the product range. Drive the agreed strategy for the product range and take ownership of new and current products.

KPIs: revenue, market share, product cost, and consolidated profit of product line; time to market of new products. In addition, other divisional, functional, and individual KPIs as needed.

Product Marketing:

Monitor key industry trends and conduct market surveys. Interpret/Summarize information about present and future customer needs.

1. Research competition and analyze to ensure future competitive product development. Maintain an up-to-date portfolio of competitor information including equipment specs, pricing, market activities, and market share. Set strategic direction, prioritize, and innovate:

• Understand ambition and priorities by segment – and turn them into an execution plan
• Come up with and drive innovative ideas leading throughout the organization
• Understand (product) performance and apply the right levers to drive it e.g. data-driven decisions

2. Product Development & Marketing Strategy

Champion new product development programs, including voice of the customer research, establishing target costs, and creating the master specification and project justification. Actively participate in project meetings and coordinate the product launch.

• Manage product portfolio of a competitive range of equipment
• Define product application range and specifications
• Ensure competitive product positioning
• Ensure and maintain cost and price positioning in line with company and product line objectives
• Research customer needs through field visits, focus groups, and surveys
• Participate in the product engineering process
• Plan and implement product introductions
• Take ownership of Nanjing products and work with Nashik product managers to develop their local product and marketing strategy.

3. Commercial:

• Formulate customer problems/needs.
• Develop and articulate customer value propositions.
• Implement a valued calculation approach
• Develop robust business cases – and make the right recommendations based on them
• Independently make business-oriented recommendations and decisions
• Lead execution on schedule, in budget, and to deliver target outcome

4. Develop & maintain product presentation and support material:

• Product presentations highlighting features & benefits and advantages
• Product brochures
• Specification packages
• Competitive product summaries

5. Define & implement product promotion strategy

• Define global advertising focus & placement strategy
• Suggest ad content and review layout
• Develop and implement special incentive programs
• Plan and implement product introductions
• Develop special interest editorial pieces & success stories for publication

6. Trade show participation

• Schedule rigs and coordinate availability in line with the marketing strategy
• Prepare rigs & booth, organize pre-show meeting and training
• Attend shows and related functions

• Join and attend trade associations and meetings

Sales Support:

Support the global distribution network in their sales and marketing efforts:

• Respond to product and application inquiries
• Preparation of major quotations & PMUs
• Product application studies and sales support material
• Evaluate and approve special pricing
• Plan and host customer visits
• Training of distribution network and customers
• Plan and conduct technical product and application training
• Prepare training programs and materials for the sales force and customers

Product Flow and Order Management:

• Manage product planning, forecasting & order processing input
• Collect sales prospects
• Define and manage production requirements to meet demand
• Configure each rig
• Populate the “Block Chart”; attend “Block Chart” meetings; prepare inputs
• Manage order processing input and maintenance
• Review every order for technical correctness and completeness
• Review and approve prices on each rig order
• Create a “PMU” for every rig order entered
• Attend order review sessions and participate in order maintenance & correction
• Update distribution network of order progress and arising issues

People Management:

• It is expected that the Product manager will assume the role of Manager of one or more Leadership Development Programme participants and/or interns when completing respective Marketing department assignments from time to time.

Communication Responsibilities:

It is expected of the product manager to be the communication link and facilitator between marketing and internal departments, as well as the distribution network. It is expected of the product manager to work cooperatively with all parties. Typical communication partners are:

• Distribution network (sales companies, distributors)
• Customers
• Order entry
• Engineering
• Manufacturing
• Communications
• Finance

• Logistics
• Marketing

Provide management with reports on product-related marketing, development, order activities, forecasting, etc.

Collect, maintain, and communicate:

• Orders pending/won/lost report
• Quote log and file system
• Competitive intelligence
• Interact with the distribution network on all order and product-related matters.
• Conduct field visits and build key distribution and customer relationships.

Training & Skill Development:

• Maintain a high level of product and product application knowledge.
• Participate in annual meetings & training.