Sr. Product Manager

Summary

Responsible for managing the overall product lines to ensure material availability and support business‑growth objectives. The role oversees product lifecycles for domestic and imported products, including new product registrations, commercialization readiness, production scale‑up, raw‑material planning, and launch readiness. It combines classic product‑management duties with extensive supply‑chain, plant‑coordination, and operational‑execution responsibilities.

Supervisory Responsibility

• Supervise Product Managers, Assistant Product Managers, Product Specialists, Customer Service personnel, and other assigned staff.

Key Skills and Abilities

• Ability to work across Japanese and American cultural lines.
• Analyze sales information: quantity, revenue, price, and gross margin.
• Data management and problem‑solving capability.
• Work effectively in cross‑functional teams (Sales, Manufacturing, Planning, Customer Service & Logistics).
• Understand manufacturing processes and procedures.
• Perform customer/prospect presentations on products and services.
• Negotiation skills.

Core Competencies

• Cross‑cultural sensitivity
• Strategic thinking
• Team focus
• Creative problem solving
• Tactical communication
• Verbal and written communication
• Meticulous and organized
• Results driven
• Time management
• Ability to influence across departments

Essential Functions

• Prompt, regular, and dependable attendance.
• Product Lifecycle Management
  • Support product‑portfolio priorities, new product registration, commercialization, and scale‑up across assigned business units.
  • Coordinate sales, technical, product development, purchasing, planning, manufacturing, and operations activities required to develop, launch, supply, and rationalize products.
  • Work with Business Directors and Sales Managers to align product plans with customer requirements, market opportunities, growth priorities, and business objectives.
• Fulfillment, Forecasting, and Supply Coordination
  • Own demand planning (forecasting) for all product lines by integrating forecasts, actual sales, customer requirements, inventory, manufacturing capacity, and supply constraints.
  • Monitor production schedules, inventory, customer orders, and supply constraints; communicate risks and recovery actions.
  • Coordinate supply for domestic and export customers, including products purchased from or supplied to company subsidiaries.
  • Establish inventory, safety stock, and replenishment requirements that support customer service while controlling excess inventory.
  • Participate in demand‑sensing and month‑end reviews; implement tactical product‑line actions to support growth and forecasts.
• Supply Chain and Plant Coordination
  • Serve as the primary commercial interface with the plant and manufacturing organization for all product lines.
  • Convert customer demand and commercial priorities into executable production, purchasing, inventory (imports), and logistics plans.
  • Work with Manufacturing to prioritize production campaigns to improve fulfillment performance and forecast accuracy.
  • Participate in plant production, inventory, and supply‑planning reviews; resolve operational issues affecting customers.
• Inventory, Systems, and Master‑Data Management
  • Own inventory levels for all product lines, including slow‑moving, excess, obsolete, expired, damaged, and off‑specification material.
  • Lead MRB reviews and develop disposition, reduction, and rebalancing plans with Manufacturing, Planning, Purchasing, Finance, Sales, and Customer Service.
• Customer Service Leadership and Execution
  • Directly manage Customer Service personnel (staffing, workload allocation, training, development, performance management, procedure adherence).
  • Align Customer Service priorities with product‑line, supply‑chain, plant, logistics, and commercial requirements.
  • Ensure accurate order execution, timely product availability, backlog management, and effective escalation of customer issues.
  • Coordinate resolution of order, supply, production, quality, and delivery issues with Sales, Planning, Purchasing, Manufacturing, Logistics, and Quality.
  • Establish and monitor metrics for order accuracy, cycle time, response time, backlog, on‑time delivery, issue resolution, and customer satisfaction.
  • Lead improvements to order‑execution processes, customer communication, escalation handling, and overall service execution.

Leadership and General Responsibilities

• Supervise product‑management and customer‑service staff as outlined above.
• Travel internationally and domestically as required.
• Complete additional assignments as deemed necessary by management.

Qualifications

• 5–10 years experience in a chemical‑related business, specifically in supply chain, product management, or planning.
• College degree in business or a technology‑related field.
• Elevated competency in Microsoft Office Suite (must).
• SAP experience required (S/4HANA preferred).
• Ability to analyze sales data (historical, forecast, and budget) and recommend plans or actions to ensure supply.
• Direct customer‑experience required.
• Current position held for a minimum of 6 months.

Compensation

• Base salary up to $153,000 (depending on experience).
• Sign‑on bonus.
• Annual bonus potential of 8–12%.
• Strong paid relocation assistance.

Benefits

Outstanding (but low‑cost) benefits package offered by a multi‑billion‑dollar global technology leader in the chemical industry.

Work Arrangement

Position based 30 minutes north of New York City with a hybrid work‑from‑home option.