Johannesburg: Product Manager – Cooling Solutions posted by Unique Personnel Ltd

Purpose of Position: Manage and market Cooling Systems/Solutions products for the Company, communicating with existing customers, gathering market intelligence, and benchmarking against the competition to know what to offer and in what quantities. Support colleagues and customers with these products to ensure targets are obtained. Products include all backup power electrical equipment and accessories or associated products around back-up power applications. Key Responsibilities: Identify the right products that the Company should be providing for the local market and decide whether the Company should look at keeping local stock in what quantities. Once stock levels have been selected, ensure stock levels are correct in stores for the above. Help identify markets, customers and applications that salespeople should focus on aligning with the Company’s overall strategy, then communicate this to the sales team. Provide sales type training for internal and external customers, via the supplier and by self, and maintain a database with all this training for new and existing sales team to refer to at any time. Support salespeople with/on shows, demos and presentations for responsible products. Looking at cut-through samples for the training centre and working demos that can be used for shows and training and customer factory visits. Keep up to date with competition activities, products, pricing, market demands and communicate this to both the Company’s sales team and suppliers. Maintain relations with suppliers of responsible products and accessories for pricing, special pricing on projects or large orders, marketing materials, presentations, software, apps, technical documents, demos, technical support, training materials and warrantee issues and claims. Create a database folder with only the latest documents in to ensure no older data can be used by anyone in the company, then communicate changes as and when they happen via e-mail and weekly sales meeting to keep all in the loop. Older files must be deleted when replaced with newer files Facilitate resolving product issues with suppliers as and when required and then communicate learning with the rest of the team once issues have been resolved. Goes hand in hand with Warrantee claims and management. All these issues should be reported to the Product Manager and the Product Manager should keep a database for ISO9001 and pick up trends in product failure. Arrange product launches with suppliers, marketing and the sales team / customers. This could also be for relaunching new markets the Company may want to give a big push to or that our supplier may be interested in. Assist customers with technical issues when field service people are not present, but telephonically, on site as a last resort or to collect data to better understand and communicate problems back to suppliers. Prepare support tools and check lists for the sales team to assist them with sizing and selecting the right equipment for their customers applications, then train the team on the location and use of these tools. Assist the sales team with technical specifications in quotes and tenders to ensure the solution we put forward meets the technical requirements and application needs. This includes helping the salespeople look at all the options for the applications and understand the advantages and disadvantages so the sales team can put a strong value proposal forward. Attend the weekly sales meeting to communicate above to the sales team, listen to the opportunities and challenges salespeople are having or may be busy with where the product manager can offer support and advice to help secure the opportunity, and then share this info with the supply and pull the supplier in where needed Have a monthly meeting with the service manager looking after relevant product ranges to ensure we are up to date with any product issues and problems even if the product manager is not directly involved with the resolution. These issues should be recorded in the warrantee database, claimed or not, and then communicated to the supplier in the monthly meeting as part of the agenda. Have a monthly meeting with the supplier to communicate all the relevant above and keep record via minutes of these meetings for IS90001. To support the essential functions above the meeting agenda should include the following: A clear picture of the products new and existing that the Company will be pushing to support the business and chosen market segment. This allows the supplier to better align their market strategy and partner structure to make sure they get the coverage they need. Look at stock together and orders that need to be placed for stock and other projects. Ensure the Company can get faster updates on deliveries, and that pricing is correct. Discuss training and customer events with the supplier and any support the Company may need. Technical presentations. Share competition data both collected directly or through info collected and shared by the Company’s sales team in weekly meetings. Ensure all support documentation is up to date, marketing, technical, pricing, presentations, training, videos etc. Discuss product problems, applications, issues, delivery challenges and warrantees. Cross reference support tools and check sheets designed by the Company with suppliers as to improve them with suggestions from suppliers or adding tools and data they already have. Update the suppliers with all the big opportunities the Company is busy with from the info in the weekly sales meetings and CRM. This should be a standard sales force report published monthly by each product manager. Supplier to aid the Company in much the same way product manager offers assistance to sales team on opportunities in the weekly sales meetings Get the Company’s products and company specified at all the relevant consultants directly or via the sales team. Take accountability of the company target for the products in your product range i.e. Cooling Systems/solutions products through direct sales done and created on your own and through the sales team. Specialized Knowledge, Qualifications and Skills (Soft, Technical and System): B-Tech or National diploma in electrical/mechanical engineering or similar qualification relevant to Cooling Systems/solutions products and applications required to sell. Product Management experience with Cooling Systems/solutions products and applications Must be comfortable speaking and presenting to large audiences as well as writing professional business letters and e-mails. Must have good listening skills and questioning techniques to get all the required info to identify and verify the customers needs and find the best options to meet the needs. Skilled in adapting communication techniques to specific customers personalities and frame of mind to manage calm and heated situations, ask open and probing questions, paraphrase to clarify understanding and articulate oneself. (Gentle on people but firm on stance) Technical knowledge of Cooling Systems/solutions, back-up power equipment and systems, control & maintenance, and the application thereof. Good understanding of the market and root to customers Good knowledge of all relevant IEC standards In-depth knowledge of Microsoft packages especially that of MS Excel Additional Information: Valid drivers license and own transport Must be willing to travel and have a valid passport Self-motivated with the ability to use initiative and operate with minimal supervision Although formal training will be given, and the aptitude to learn and ask questions without formal training This job will from time to time require entertainment from customers outside of business hours and it is expected that all sales and sales support people will be involved in these activities. Not getting involved in any unethical business practices. Team culture / dynamics: Self-motivated and independent, helpful and supportive, competitive for opportunities.