Product Specialist
About the role
Materion Precision Optics offers its customers tailor-made technical solutions based on complex production processes and products. This role requires a Product Specialist who will drive the strategy of the optical filter products to enhance business growth and strengthen market presence in Life Science and Industrial markets. The team of Product Managers and the Commercial Director will support this role.
Responsibilities
Develop competitive quotes and gross margin expansion based on the assessment of fit between customer needs and MPO product portfolio.
Clarify customer specifications and verify needs, prepare them in a structured manner, and transmit to Operations.
Support Operations and T&I with open questions and clarification needed to prepare the cost calculation.
Interface between sales/customer project manager/customer and operations during the product life cycle (quotation phase, orders, after production, and product phasing out).
Develop and drive product portfolio (market share, VA, Gross Margin) from a global market (penetration) perspective and gain global market share in line with Market Segment and Business Unit Strategy.
Strategic Customer Management under the direction of the Commercial Director (understand customer corporate strategy and embed into Materion commercial strategy), and in defined cases, point of contact for customers Base Business.
Active relationship management with technological key stakeholders of key customers.
For products assigned with production at multiple sites, coordinate activities at all MPO sites and maximize EBIT (Gross Margin) for the whole BU, additionally driving technology transfers to target site(s).
Educate Sales Managers and Customer Project Managers on (market) relevant product knowledge and provide marketing with market-specific product information.
Qualifications
Education: Required - Education in the field of precision engineering with experience in the field of production technology or process engineering and business management education. Preferred - University degree in engineering, optics, physics, or similar.
Experience: Preferred - Experience in working at optics companies, preferably through education or working at well-known first-class production technology companies. Preferred - Experienced (> 5 years) in high technology areas, most preferably within the Optical Sensor / Photonics market and/or alternatively in Semiconductor and/or Life Science and/or Industrial Automation industry or Automotive industry, Preferred - Product management experience and/or experienced in commercial sales of technology based products.
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities: Required - The ability to acquire basic knowledge of optical thin film coatings, structuring processes, assembly processes and corresponding modern process technology and measurement technology. Required - The ability to combine technical complexity and business results-oriented requirements. Required - Potential to understand cultural aspects in Europe, Americas & Asia and is ability to cooperate with colleagues / teams / customers from these regions in order to drive growth. Required - Affinity to work with global teams. Required - Willingness to worldwide travel for site or customer visits and to take part on international trade fairs and exhibitions. Preferred - Basic knowhow in optical coatings/ vacuum technology or optic manufacturing and production technology.
Salary and Benefits
The salary range listed is $85,000-105,000*. The final offer will be determined based on the candidate's individual merits and the company's compensation policies. The selection of the person to be hired for this position is contingent on the candidate having export compliance eligibility for access to U.S. controlled technology which comes under the licensing jurisdiction of the U.S. Department of State, International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and the U.S. Department of Commerce, Export Administration Regulations (EAR).