What are the responsibilities and job description for the Americas Product Manager Plastics position at Vibrantz Technologies?
About Vibrantz Technologies
Vibrantz Technologies (“Vibrantz” or “Company”) is a leading global provider of specialty chemicals and materials solutions whose purpose is to bring color, performance and vibrancy to life. Every day, our employees, the products we make, and our valued customer partnerships are inspired by this purpose. Serving customers globally, our innovations are trusted in a variety of advanced materials, color solutions and performance coatings applications to enhance the hue, functionality, safety and environmental footprint of everyday consumer products. Our key competencies in particle engineering, glass and ceramic science and color technology enable benefits like more durable vehicles and batteries, easier-to-clean appliances, energy efficient roof tiles and bricks, stronger and more decorative glass, and eco-friendly paints. Headquartered in Houston, Texas, Vibrantz has over 60 manufacturing facilities and sales offices on six continents and employs roughly 4,000 individuals. We are building a strong, shared culture that is rooted strongly in our six core values that focus on safety, our people, customers, excellence in all we do, environmental stewardship, and integrity, ethics, and trust. And we are intent upon fostering a workplace that engages employees’ heads, hands and - uniquely - their hearts.
Vibrantz is owned by American Securities, a leading U.S. private equity firm that invests in market-leading North American companies with annual revenue generally ranging from $200 million to $2 billion and/or $50 million to $200 million of EBITDA. American Securities and its affiliates have approximately $23 billion under management and are based in New York with an office in Shanghai.
For more information, please visit
www.vibrantz.com
and www.american-securities.com
.
Job Function
This position is responsible for managing the product lines we sell in the Plastics industry within the Americas region, focusing on Thermoset dispersions and Pigments for Thermoplastics. The role involves defining and executing segment strategies with the ultimate goal of accelerating sales growth and increasing profitability in the region.
The ideal candidate will have a deep understanding of market dynamics and needs, current and emerging technologies, our value proposition and positioning against competitors, our broad product portfolio and technical/commercial advantages, key market opportunities, and cost drivers impacting efficiency.
The candidate will define the segment strategy in collaboration with the Business/Sales and Technical teams to drive sales growth, increase profitability, and enhance customer loyalty to Vibrantz.
Responsibilities include product portfolio management, product rationalization, new product launches, providing technical/commercial content, training Sales teams (and Distributors) on products and applications, managing key partnership relationships, and generating new business opportunities. The candidate will work closely with Business/Sales and Technical teams to bring these opportunities to closure.
Key metrics for this role include revenue, profitability, cross-selling, successful initiatives across regions, share of wallet capture in key customers, new product launches, and new customer developments. This position will collaborate with members of Business/Sales, R&D/Applications, Operations (Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Sourcing, Product Stewardship), and Communications.
Major Areas of Responsibility
- Work with all stakeholders to establish, refine, and own the region’s Dispersions for Thermosets and Pigments for Thermoplastics.
- Responsible for optimizing the product lines profitability and efficiency (service and working capital metrics).
- Manage product life cycle and utilize a product rationalization process.
- Project Management. Work collaboratively with Business/Sales, Technical, Supply Chain, Procurement and Operations to achieve desired outcomes.
- Select appropriate and attend Trade Shows to promote products and company, working with Communications.
- Collect and compile market and competitive information to become our internal reference in Plastics Americas and an industry reference.
- Work with Communications and Technical to assure promotional materials are aligned with strategies and are accurate.
- Lead product promotion efforts. Work with Sales and Communication in the development and execution of product promotion plans.
- Collaborate with Technology to drive product innovation for Vibrantz such that our products offer more value than competitive alternatives.
- Work with key stakeholders at strategic customers. Develop relationships with key customer leadership to engage in alignment of products and future needs.
- Support Sales and Customer Support team with product training and recommendations.
- Be the go-to person for thermosets and thermoplastics product related questions.
- Work closely with Sales and R&D to see that product changes are developed in line with customer expectations.
- Lead proven understanding of plastics markets with leadership, ability to work externally with key customers, business partners, and key internal stakeholders
- Development of growth plans for new products or innovations inclusive of marketing plans and pricing strategy including all pricing, promotion, SoW, and positioning
- Responsible for effective communication of product discontinuation / replacement with key customers in a fashion that results in acceptable customer satisfaction and continued partnership.
- Track, analyze and report status of Plastics Americas opportunities thru Sales Force.
Requirements
- Bachelor's degree in technical field (Engineering, Plastics, Materials, Chemistry, Physics), preferred. Alternatively, a Bachelor's degree in Marketing or Business may be considered if the candidate has extensive experience in B2B technical product management.
- 5 years direct B2B technical marketing or technical sales experience,
- 3 years in a strategic marketing role, preferred,
- 3 years min experience in Thermosets (preferred) or Thermoplastics.
Location
Ashtabula, OH
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Vibrantz Technologies Inc. (“Vibrantz”) is an equal opportunity employer and complies with all applicable federal, state, and local fair employment practices laws. Vibrantz strictly prohibits and does not tolerate discrimination against employees, applicants, or any other covered persons because of race, color, religion, creed, national origin or ancestry, ethnicity, sex, gender, age, physical or mental disability, genetic information, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state, or local law.
