Associate Product Manager

About the role

The Associate Product Manager is responsible for both product planning and product marketing. Under the direction of the Product Manager, this position manages products throughout the product lifecycle, gathering and prioritizing product and customer requirements, and works closely with engineering, procurement, operations, and program management to deliver winning products. This individual will also work with sales, marketing, service, and support to ensure revenue, profit, and customer satisfaction goals are met, while ensuring product and marketing efforts support the company’s overall strategy and goals.

Responsibilities

• Set pricing to meet revenue, profitability, and market share goals.
• Determine customer needs and desires by conducting or specifying the appropriate marketing research.
• Conduct pricing analysis and recommendations and monitor competitive activity to ensure competitiveness in the market.
• Assess product market data by calling on customers with field salespeople, actively participating in tradeshows and other customer-facing events, and evaluating sales call results.
• Grow product line vitality through impactful new product development, including:
  • Scope and define new product development projects, and actively participate in team tasks during development.
  • Lead product launch activities and drive sales by promoting products post-launch.
• Monitor sales trends for key products and assist Planning with demand forecasts to maintain the optimum balance of achieving target service levels while maintaining appropriate inventory levels.
• Develop the core positioning and messaging for products.
• Support the development of marketing documents, technical publications, tradeshow displays, POP, photography, videos, website, training materials, and other marketing assets.
• Conduct internal and external product trainings.
• Occasional time spent in a manufacturing environment that includes noise, heavy industrial equipment, and moving vehicles.
• Up to 25% travel, including some weekends.

This position has no direct reports.

Requirements

• Minimum of two years of relevant experience in marketing, sales, operations, purchasing, or engineering.
• Experience in marketing products to the foodservice industry is a plus.
• Engineering experience is preferred but not required.
• Project Management experience.
• Bachelor’s degree in Business or related field.

Skills

• Analytical: Synthesizes complex or diverse information; collects and researches data; uses intuition and experience to complement data; designs workflows and procedures.
• Comfortable with a myriad of analytical tools and applications; capable of managing market research projects.

Core Values

• Take Ownership: Our intention is to match our actions with our words, building trust with others. We are united in taking responsibility for the success of Vollrath as a whole.
• Empower Action: Our intention is to create a workplace where every member can thrive in their growth and contributions with excitement, confidence, and psychological safety. We support each team member with resources and tools to strengthen collaboration and performance.
• Treat All People With Respect: Our intention is to recognize the diverse experiences, styles, and backgrounds of others, treating everyone with dignity. We aim to foster an inclusive culture where all team members can be their authentic selves and feel safe in voicing their perspectives.
• Life Beyond Work: Our intention is to care for the well-being of every individual we engage with, understanding them as a whole person. We strive to keep people mentally and physically safe, sending each person home in a condition to build a fulfilling life beyond work. We encourage balance, allowing our colleagues to pursue their passions.
• Commitment to Those Who Count on Us: Our intention is to drive innovation and practical solutions through understanding the needs of our coworkers, customers, owners, and communities. We are dedicated to proactively addressing those needs and delivering results.