Product Manager

Job Requirements

Why work for us?

Alkegen brings together two of the world's leading specialty materials companies to create one new, innovation-driven leader focused on battery technologies, filtration media, and specialty insulation and sealing materials. Through global reach and breakthrough inventions, we're delivering products that enable the world to breathe easier, live greener, and go further than ever before.

With over 60 manufacturing facilities with a global workforce of over 9,000 of the industry's most experienced talent, including insulation and filtration experts, Alkegen is uniquely positioned to help customers impact the environment in meaningful ways.

Alkegen offers a range of dynamic career opportunities with globe-spanning reach. From production operators to engineers, technicians to specialists, sales to leadership, we're always looking for top talent ready to bring their best. Come grow with us!

Job Description

The Product Manager reports to the Sr. Manager of Product Management and Application Engineering with responsibility to manage the product life cycle from concept to end of life. In this external and internal facing role, the Product Manager will coordinate market intelligence, customer inputs, and product and manufacturing capabilities to identify key needs. The role is responsible for the execution of New Product Introduction, from conceptualization through the Product Development Process into Production Launch and Ramp Up, for all new products and technologies, as well as customer specific programs, within the product portfolio assigned, including product research, market research, competitive analysis, planning, positioning, roadmap development, and product requirements development.

Responsibilities

• Product Marketing Analysis
  • Analyze market data to develop sales strategies, and define product objectives for effective marketing communications plans
  • Create Product Differentiation through assessment of current competitor offerings.
  • Define scope and targets of new product offerings based on customer needs and current market trends.
  • Stay on the forefront of new product ideas and strategize appropriate market plans.
• Product Scope and Risk Management
  • Ensures effective and timely program scope management with emphasis on customer scope changes and execution of the Scope Change and approval process
  • Considers product trade off analysis - balancing cost, time, product capabilities and resources
  • Create product strategy documents that describe business cases, high-level use cases, technical requirements, revenue, and ROI
  • Ensure overall commercial business strategy and segment needs are translated into segment specific strategies and product roadmaps.
  • Implement Product Strategies that align with Corporate Initiatives.
  • Identifies project risks early, develops and executes mitigation strategies
  • Escalates risk with mitigation strategies to the leadership team in a timely fashion
• Product Timeline and Resource Management
  • Creates high quality timing plans that are developed with the product team and effective buy in from all functional areas
  • Ensures adherence to all gate requirements, on-time.
  • Meets all customer due dates, on time with high quality products
  • Drive the execution of all product lifecycle processes for products, including product research, market research, competitive analysis, planning, positioning, roadmap development, requirement developments, and product launch
• Product Integration Management
  • Leads the product team to ensure collaboration and alignment amongst Product Engineering, Operations, Marketing, Sales, Finance, Quality and Purchasing
  • Ensures a high level of integration and collaboration with the plants.
  • Takes an active "go and verify" approach with his / her programs by personally visiting the plants, suppliers, and customers at appropriate intervals
  • Acts as the central communication point for their product family, reporting on status and progress regularly
  • Communicates and negotiates directly with customers on matters pertaining to program timing
  • Translate product strategy into detailed requirements for prototype construction and final product development by Research and Development teams
  • Communicate and execute product business plan and process across cross-functional teams within the company to meet safety, quality, timing, and financial performance.
• Product Cost and Financial Management
  • Ensures that all product financial targets (EBIT) and budgets are met
  • Verifies that the Capital Plans and Business Cases are reasonable and achievable
  • Ensures that effective and logical financial roadmaps are executed
• Product Quality Management
  • Ensure that quality objectives and roadmaps are developed and executed by the product teams
  • Ensures that all quality objectives are met for assigned product families
• Product Procurement Management
  • Ensures sourcing on time with high quality suppliers
  • Ensures appropriate completion of Make versus Buy decisions
  • Ensures on time PPAP of purchased components
  • Drive the execution of all product lifecycle processes for products, including product research, market research, competitive analysis, planning, positioning, roadmap development, requirements development, and product launch

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering or other technical degree; MBA is a plus.
• Proven experience with elements of APQP and Product Development Process.
• Experience working within a cross-functional team.
• Previous experience in automotive, preferably in exhaust systems or emissions control technologies.
• Communication skills both oral and written.
• Capable of standing for extended periods and lifting light loads.
• Located in the Detroit, MI or Buffalo, NY area.
• Up to 50% travel required: Customer Locations and R&D/Manufacturing Sites.

If you are interested in being part of a world class organization here at Alkegen then we would love to hear from you.

At Alkegen, we strive every day to help people - ALL PEOPLE - breathe easier, live greener and go further than ever before. We believe that diversity and inclusion is central to this mission and to our impact. Our diverse and inclusive culture drives our growth & innovation and we nurture it by actively embracing our differences and using our varied perspectives to solve the complex challenges facing our changing and diverse world.

Employment selection and related decisions are made without regard to sex, race, ethnicity, nation of origin, religion, color, gender identity and expression, age, disability, education, opinions, culture, languages spoken, veteran's status, or any other protected class.