Product Manager - ICO Building Products

Now it the time to Join A Winning Team! AkzoNobel name Top Employer 2021!

AkzoNobel has a passion for paint. We're experts in the proud craft of making paints and coatings, setting the standard in color and protection since 1792. Our world class portfolio of brands - including Dulux, International, Sikkens and Interpon - is trusted by customers around the globe. Headquartered in the Netherlands, we are active in over 150 countries and employ around 34,500 talented people who are passionate about delivering the high-performance products and services our customers expect.

Job Purpose

• Manage and strengthen the segment product portfolio in line with the segment strategy and market trends.
• Ensures that the product group matches customer needs and supports the development of new or replacement products and manages their launch into the market; manages the withdrawal of unwanted or obsolete products.
• Responsible for ensuring collaborative approach at PCU level; focal point of product management for the region, segment or category.

Key Responsibilities

1. Product Portfolio Management

• Lead the product line management and efforts in defining the strategy for new category/product opportunities. Create business cases and strategies for new products, segments, countries. Develop, communicate, and implements strategic portfolio plans.
• Gather and analyze data, prioritize market trends and direction, analyze and maintain key performance indicators to measure overall health of the product line. Monitors marketplace for competitive moves. Works with cross functional teams to develop internal and external competitive analysis and selling-against guides.
• Develops and executes portfolio plans in line with strategy; to provide clarity and guidance on new product development; introduction; global development or local optimization; as well as rationalization & discontinuation of existing products
• Responsible to manage the life cycle of the product portfolio by bridging the organizations commercial and RD&I teams, ensuring market needs are fully defined and communicated into the product development processes.
• Leads the Stage Gate process; coordinates project development by ensuring alignment of the Stage Gate process with market inputs and business strategy. Provide Stage Gate projects with outward focused inputs. Maintains active product profiles aligned with current market inputs.

2. Product Positioning & Commercialization

• Responsible for launch of new products through coordination with multi-disciplinary teams. Drive product launch planning and provide guidance to the cross-functional product launch team to complete all required preparation and launch activities.
• Coordinates product introduction and market exploitation with the Marketing and Sales organizations to ensure maximum penetration and provides guidance on specific product selection versus customer requirements.
• Guide new product development and/or modifications of a product or product line to achieve the goals set by Sales/Marketing and in line with the budget
• Ensure market potential by working with Marketing to establish pricing targets and market strategies, estimate potential sales, introduce market and distribution/channel issues. Review and maintain pricing programs to maximize profitability.

Key Responsibilities Cont.

3. Product related Communication

• Develop & implement high impact / differentiated product positioning and messaging to the internal organization and external customers; message strategy, planning and deliverables
• Ensures creation of high-impact sales tools and customer retention tools such as white papers, newsletters, presentations, product demos

4. Market Insights; Strategy & Innovation

• Develop plans and projects for market-research.
• Utilize and interpret internal/ external market information related to products to understand customer needs and presents conclusions and recommendations for strategy

5. Compliance & HSE

• Be familiar with and ensure compliance with applicable policies and procedures related to personal conduct and HSE standards
• Develops & implements action plans in line with PSRA guidance to ensure that TDS/SDS/labels and NPD/NPI are compliant with legal requirements of destination markets. Manages product master data.

Job Requirements

• Experience of 5+ years in either R&D, Manufacturing, Marketing with additional experience as a Product Manager for at least 3 years
• University qualification in business; marketing; engineering or chemistry
• Sound understanding of Project Management & Program Management and Customer and Supplier relationships
• Excellent written and verbal communication
• Proven ability to develop product and marketing strategies and effectively communicate recommendations to executive management
• Developed business acumen and strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Skilled at working effectively with cross functional teams in a matrix organization
• Comfortable executing product plans and in engaging key internal and external customers
• Commercially astute and technically strong with excellent business analysis skills too.
• Results focused, excellent communicator who enjoys a collaborative working style.

Level of autonomy

• Showcase organizational acumen
• Solid interpersonal and influencing ability
• Proactive, robust and pragmatic approach
• Problem solving approach

Competencies

Accepting Direction
Accepting Responsibility
Acquiring Information

AkzoNobel is an equal opportunity employer. In accordance with applicable laws, we prohibit discrimination against any applicant or employee based on any legally-recognized basis, including, but not limited to: race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, lactation, childbirth or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, age, national origin or ancestry, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, genetic information (including testing and characteristics), veteran status, uniformed servicemember status or any other status protected by federal, state or local law.

Requisition ID: 14136

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: Up to $97,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Disability insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Employee discount
• Flexible schedule
• Flexible spending account
• Health insurance
• Health savings account
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Parental leave
• Professional development assistance
• Referral program
• Relocation assistance
• Retirement plan
• Vision insurance

Supplemental Pay:

• Bonus pay

Ability to commute/relocate:

• Nashville, TN 37214: Reliably commute or willing to relocate with an employer-provided relocation package (Required)

Education:

• Bachelor's (Required)

Experience:

• Research and Development: 5 years (Required)
• Direct marketing: 5 years (Preferred)
• Chemistry, manufacturing & controls: 5 years (Required)

Work Location:

• One location

Work Remotely:

• Temporarily due to COVID-19

Work Location: One location