Strategic Marketing Manager, Celgard

About the role

Reporting to the Director of Strategic Marketing for Celgard, this individual is a champion of the Strategic Marketing process and responsible for conducting strategic marketing projects in service of sustainable sales revenue and margin growth. Project portfolio will focus on Celgard polyolefin microporous membranes serving Battery Separator and Specialty Membrane business units. Critical focus areas include market research and analysis, market opportunity identification, construction of business cases, proposals for new business models, direct customer support for a subset of North American commercial accounts, support on Stage Gate progress from concept through commercialization.

Responsibilities

• Leads certain Strategic Marketing projects for Celgard in its focused growth areas of lithium-ion and next-Gen battery separators, textiles, filtration, packaging, medical devices, and specialty batteries.
• Conceptualizes and scopes new strategic marketing projects for the defined target markets.
• Identifies market opportunities and initiates new projects in the adjacent or new markets, with strategic balance of short- and longer-term returns.
• Collaborates with other functions (Sales, Tech Service, R&D, etc.) to develop and execute VOC plans.
• Develops and manages project/services roadmaps linked to target segments, customer needs and willingness to pay; product positioning linked to distinctive understanding of competitive offerings and value.
• Develops cohesive go-to-market plans including communication, brand and IP plans and implements the launch plan with regional sales team.
• Given the high degrees of both market and technical uncertainty, the incumbent will have demonstrated proficiency in hypothesis-based learning discipline to help effectively characterize portfolio opportunities in terms of their potential reward but also risk and cost to pursue.

Qualifications

• Education Background: Bachelor’s degree is required; BA/BS in engineering, marketing or business, and an MBA are preferred.
• Knowledge & Experience: 5+ years of experience in a strategic marketing role in a business-to-business environment, preferably in an industrial/manufacturing setting is required. Experience in the highly technical engineering or manufacturing industry is required. Must have a successful track record of taking and launching product to market. Advanced analytical skills that support data-driven decision-making, such as stochastic modeling, conjoint analysis, linear regression and other techniques as applicable, required. Solid global business experience, including deep understanding of the customers, required. Must have expert proficiency in Microsoft office products, including Excel, PowerPoint and Word.

Key Attributes

• Demonstrated ability to be technically savvy, forward-thinking leader with the ability to think strategically as well as take a hands-on approach in terms of execution, required.
• Proven ability to thrive in a fast-paced highly matrix, results driven organization, required.
• Must demonstrate analytical thinking and use of data to drive common sense approach to execution.
• Possess excellent communication, presentation, problem solving, and interpersonal communication skills, as well as the ability to translate complex marketing concepts to business partners and clearly articulate benefits and results. Must possess excellent communication, presentation, problem solving, and interpersonal communication skills, as well as the ability to translate complex marketing concepts to business partners and clearly articulate benefits and results.
• Demonstrated ability to work cross-functionally with a collaborative style that builds strategic relationships, required.
• Must be able to work & think independently, meet tight deadlines, mobilize resources and determine key stakeholders quickly.
• High levels of personal integrity, clarity and honesty are required.
• Must be culturally sensitive and able to operate effectively across various cultures.

Asahi Kasei and Celgard Values

• Sincerity – Being sincere with everyone
• Challenge – Boldly taking challenges, continually seeking change
• Creativity – Creating new value through unity and synergy

About Us

For more than 50 years, Celgard has proven itself as a global leader in the development and production of high-performance membrane technology. Celgard specializes in solvent-free, dry-process, microporous membranes used as separators that are a major component of lithium-ion batteries that power a broad range of electric vehicles (EV) and energy storage systems (ESS). Celgard® membrane is also used in specialty applications such as satellites and military installations as well as other barrier-type applications like technical textiles for waterproof and breathable apparel.

Location Information

Charlotte, NC, known as the Queen City, is a thriving metropolitan area of over 2.6 million people across 15 counties. It is situated just north of the South Carolina border and is close enough to drive to the mountains and the beach in two-three hours. Charlotte brings diversity in people, industries and living, from urban to rural. It is ranked second among 25 largest cities for most desirable place to purchase a home by Nerdwallet.com and is ranked eighth among the top 10 big booming cities by CNNmoney.com. Charlotte is home of one of North Carolina’s largest college campuses, UNC Charlotte. Along with a friendly southern culture, Charlotte offers dining, arts, museums, major league basketball, a national football team, a soccer team, a minor league baseball team, NASCAR, shopping, festivals, a variety of amenities and quick access to several parks for people who love to get outdoors.