The purpose of the Product manager is to look after all aspects of the product ranges sold and manufactured by Lubrizol Fluid Enfineering within Europe. This can be split into three areas Product , marketing and marketing communications and Sales support activities for the European region
Product Support
Develop product positioning, value proposition and messaging to differentiate the product line from competitors.
Management of assigned product line (s), including:
+ Ensure volume forecasts are consistent with market trends.
+ Provide market management (product, pricing, promotion)
+ Price/volume decision making, monitor product margins. Develop and manage an efficient pricing structure that ensure business targets are met
Develop tools to allow the product portfolio to be optimised
Be responsible for Competitor analysis, and comparative performance claims
Co-ordinate the route to market approaches to fore fill customer needs
Working closely with account teams ensure customer needs are met
Support the annual STRAP process with product line volume input
Working closely with technology ensure claims and approvals are maintained in region
Manage the product lifecycle of the product line in region from ideation to product launch, ensuring on time delivery and profitability
Collaborate with Operations, Procurement and Supply Chain to manage asset and operational decisions in support of the product line.
Support the R&D team in the development of new products or improve existing ones.
Work closely with technical deployment to ensure technical needs are understood
Share best practice with other regions
Marketing Communications & Marketing
Collaborate with Marketing group to develop market communications, internal communications, and all promotional programs for the region
Develop, communicate, and implement the regional product line strategy.
Collaborate with Strategic Marketing Manager to develop a deep understanding of customer needs, market trends, and competitive landscape to guide product development and positioning.
Champion marketing concepts and techniques to correctly position Lubrizol's strategy and resources Support implementation of marketing plans to generate awareness and demand for the products.
Development of market specific marketing materials
Sales Support
Collaborate with regional sales team to drive activity necessary to execute growth targets and achieve the annual sales plan
Attend customer meetings in support of the account manager
Provide product line support to Lubrizol sales and segment at key accounts with customer visits, presentations, training and commercial support for technical projects
Understand customer and competitor's value propositions, strengths and weaknesses and identify threats; convert market changes into opportunities for growth
Provide timely technical services to sales and customers by working with the Technology Deployment team
Assist sales team on contract management with valuable competitive product, pricing and margin analysis.
Qualifications:
Proven experience in product management expertise in an industrial environment
Strong communication and presentation skills
Ability to manage multiple stakeholders and build strong relationships.
Familiarity with performance metrics and KPIs.
Willingness to travel within Europe (20%) as required.