Associate Product Manager-Manufacturing

Associate Product Manager-Manufacturing

SW Chicago Suburbs Ref # 902

Do you have strong marketing or product management experience from a manufacturing, hard goods or construction environment? Are you process oriented? Enjoy managing up to 10 simultaneous projects? Do you enjoy working with R+D, purchasing, supply chain, operations and plant management? Expert on Excel?

Here’s your opportunity to use marketing or product management expertise to help launch projects/products in a planned timeline. Ideal candidate has strong organizational skills and can bring process management skills to the dept.

Able to commute to the SW suburbs of Chicago? One of our favorite clients is growing and is hiring!

POSITION OVERVIEW:

Reports to Marketing Manager – Flooring for Global Construction Products. Associate Product Manager will be accountable for successful delivery of key commercialization initiatives for Construction Products. Product Manager will collaborate & coordinate with all functions including Sales, Technical, R&D, Supply Chain, Marketing, etc. Will define scope, manage expectations, work with different stages of product development, create timelines and achieve deliverables.

Role scope includes product management for:

• New product commercialization initiatives. 
• Product improvement, extensions, value engineering and rationalization initiatives. 
• Product expansion across new distribution channels (wholesale, retail, OEM, industrial). 
• Stages of product development 
• Re-formulation of existing products for new products 
• Other projects as assigned.

Key Responsibilities:

30% manage products

20% manage warranty processes

20% Stage Gate projects

30% miscellaneous.

• Be an integral member of marketing team
• Lead teams to achieve deliverables of Stage Gate process.
• Ensure team preparedness for product Stage Gate reviews. 
• Promote collaborative and engaged teams to accomplish business objectives. 
• Create and execute project plans. 
• Track, report and revise to meet changing needs and requirements. 
• Identify resources needed for teams and assign individual responsibilities. 
• Establish clear project goals, roles and responsibilities. 
• Communicate regularly with team members, key stakeholders & management on progress, project risks, potential solutions & expected outcomes. 
• Develop contingency plans. 
• Minimize obsolescence costs. 
• Manage component resource number creation. 
• Manage customized warranty process. 
• Facilitate effective team meetings. 
• Resolve and/or escalate issues in timely fashion. 
• Facilitate problem solving sessions for teams, as necessary. 
• Communicate effectively with project teams to identify needs and evaluate alternative solutions. 
• Review project schedules with all staff that will be affected by project activities; revise schedules as required. 
• Document project activities and ensure they are properly maintained and accessible to project teams, stakeholders and management. 
• Establish communication schedule to update stakeholders including appropriate staff on the project’s progress.

Background:

• Bachelor’s degree. 
• 5+ years’ experiencewithmarketing or project management,including expertise executing multiple projects simultaneously. 
• Solid understanding of manufacturing processes and construction products markets. 
• Demonstrated ability to effectively lead cross functional teams.
• Proven skills with project management methodologies (develop project charters, define and manage scope, build timelines, communicate plans, and manage cost and risks). 
• Strong (Advanced a plus) Excel and PowerPoint skills (MS Project also recommended). 
• Work with pivot tables Proven ability to deliver high-quality projects on tight schedules. 
• Able to review and analyze data. 
• Strong and effective decision-making skills. 
• Able to build strong relationships, engage and influence others. 
• Strong verbal, written and interpersonal skills, positive attitude. 
• Able to foster teamwork, work collaboratively and effectively with others to set goals, solve problems, and make decisions. 

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Experience in the flooring industry, insulation and/or HVAC market.