Product Manager at Sherwin-Williams

Job Description

This position is flexible in location within the EMEAI Region.

The Product Manager is responsible for product strategy, development, and release plans to drive profitable growth, market share, and consumer awareness. This responsibility will exist throughout the product life cycle from initial idea through development, launch, ongoing operations and expansion of product on a global platform. In addition to EMEA, scope of this position will include global distribution of our product lines in Australia, Asia, North and South America.

The Product Manager is part of the Marketing department that is responsible for the full product offer as being produced at the SW location in Lelystad and supplied around the globe. Product Management departments of SW Automotive Division of the various regions are closely cooperating and aligned. Product Management makes sure that there is a profitable product offer that is meeting customer need, is technical sound and sustainable to meet company (financial) targets now and in the future.

This role will work alongside the wider marketing department, to develop go to market propositions, campaigns and materials to support our aggressive growth plans. They will also engage with our sales teams, ensuring product launch plans are executed successfully, forecasts are prepared and that teams have the knowledge and support to go to market successfully.

Responsibilities

New Product Development

Manage new product development through established stage gate process
Develop new products and assist on commercialization process
Manage field testing of developmental prototypes
Deliver pro-forma including product sales and profit objectives, including forecasts
Monitor new product sales and profit budget achievement against their NPD pro-forma

Priority setting

Gather and prioritize product and customer requirements
Define the product innovation strategy and road map for short-term and long-term objectives
Perform global market research and product specifications

Brand support

Define the brand vision and strategy
Implement new product growth strategy globally
Coordinate product demonstrations to key customers

Portfolio management

Develop and monitor budgets; coordinate quantitative deep dives on to improve the product portfolio
Assess potential product expense cost reduction
First point of contact at marketing for product related technical and quality questions
Support quality issues and complaints on product and packaging

Phase out

Maintain a healthy product portfolio
Realize high-impact product rationalizations
Define a rationalization plan for pro-active portfolio management

Contacts inside and outside the organization

Cross function collaboration with global sales teams, production, R&D, and technical support
Work closely with regional and global managers
Understand customer needs by contacting technicians, market managers, and customers
Work with outside support and information vendors (universities, third party labs, toll manufacturers/fillers, third party testing facilities, raw material suppliers, etc.)

Insights

Develop expert knowledge of the markets, categories and products – be the ‘go to’ authority
Closely monitor competitor ranges, strategy, pricing architecture and strengths and weaknesses
Develop knowledge of the end users for a specific product category alongside the brand comms team

Training, Shows, Webinars

Assist with product training both internally and externally
Work with Manager of the Technical Team on content and demos as needed
Support trade shows

Qualifications

Minimum Bachelor Degree in relevant discipline
Experience in working for global company/ international environment.
Preferred: Five to ten years of experience in (operational) Product management
Knowledge of Vehicle Refinish / Collision Industry or the Commercial Vehicle Industry
Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook)
Presentation and communication skills
Preferred: Experience with ERP software (Oracle & OPTIVA), Experience with Office Access
Please be aware that you can apply for any internal job offer after minimum one year in current role having previously informed your manager.

Please read the How to apply internally guidelines before handing in your application

All internal employees when applying for a role are required to upload their updated C.V and their last 2 appraisals (which can be retrieved from HR Cloud).***

About Us

At Sherwin-Williams, our purpose is to inspire and improve the world by coloring and protecting what matters. Our paints, coatings and innovative solutions make the places and spaces in our world brighter and stronger. Your skills, talent and passion make it possible to live this purpose, and for customers and our business to achieve great results. Sherwin-Williams is a place that takes its stability, growth and momentum and translates it to possibility for our people. Our people are behind the strength of our success, and we invest and support you in:

Life … with rewards, benefits and the flexibility to enhance your health and well-being

Career … with opportunities to learn, develop new skills and grow your contribution

Connection … with an inclusive team and commitment to our own and broader communities

It’s all here for you… let’s Create Your Possible

Eligibility to Work

You will need to provide proof of right to work. It is a condition of any offer of employment we make to you that you have the permission to work in the country for the role for which you are applying for.

Equal Opportunity Employer

An equal opportunity employer, all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against based on race, colour, religion or belief, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, ethnic or national origin, disability, age pregnancy or maternity, marital or civil partner status, or any other protected characteristic prohibited by law.

Please be aware, Sherwin-Williams recruiting team members will never request a candidate to provide a payment, ask for financial information, or sensitive personal information like national identification numbers, date of birth, or bank account numbers during the application process.