WireCo: Product Manager

Company Description

WireCo WorldGroup is the world’s leader in manufacturing, engineering, and distributing wire rope, synthetic rope, specialized assemblies, wire products and electromechanical cable.  We specialize in rope for the gas and oil industry for mining and off shore drilling, cranes, bridges and military installations. 

Job Description

The Product Manager (PM) is a critical role for the organization in WireCo’s journey to “be the preferred supplier to our core customers”. This position will promote commercial excellence by connecting the needs of the customer with the business strategy to advance the WireCo products through product life cycle management. The PM will lead by example all the aspects of WireCo Business System (WBS) including the Behaviors – teamwork, accountable, self-aware, noble intent, determined, transparent, and curious.

As a Product Manager, you will have many and varied responsibilities to manage. While demands may vary by the market and by the day, the greatest success comes when you can spend the bulk of your time owning the life cycle management of existing product portfolios. As a Product Manager, you will be a member of one of the industry teams.

This position will be based at our Prairie Village office location. Occasional domestic and international travel will be required approximately 20-30% of the time.

The Product Manager must exhibit the behaviors of the WireCo Business System (WBS):

• Teamwork – welcomes an environment of inclusiveness and healthy debate that reflects our team’s strength
• Accountable – celebrates our successes, learn from failures, avoid excuses, and own the outcomes of our efforts
• Self-Aware – demonstrates an understanding of our strengths and needs, considering how our actions impact others
• Noble Intent – acts in the interests of others, approaching our work with integrity to ensure the best outcome
• Determined – takes initiative, share ideas and find solutions to win and achieve our goals
• Transparent – promotes open and honest communication and constructive feedback for clarity and truth
• Curious – seeks knowledge and outside input to test our way of thinking, challenging the status quo

Duties & Responsibilities

Scope Measures (Specific targets to be set during goal setting process.)

• Meet end market annual goals/budgets
• Strategically drive portfolio to meet targets
• Timely delivery in-stage gate processes as defined by the WBS innovation pillar
• Become key member in the SIOP process, providing demand for forecasting
• Product Vitality Index

Sales and Strategy 

• Work closely with Business Development Managers and Regional Managers to develop technical roadmap for new products that support common end market strategies
• Gather relevant information and feedback to support new R&D projects from Commercial, Operations, Marketing, Engineering teams and customers
• Life cycle management of existing product portfolio to ensure competitive timing of phasing out obsolete products and introducing new products into the portfolio
• Develop competition profiles to understand current competitive landscape
• Develop prototype testing protocols, and travel to field trial customer locations to review new product trials as part of R&D cycle
• Engage with all WireCo locations and operations on ground level to understand manufacturing capabilities and support development of required processes and machinery required to build new products
• Investigate and bring new technologies to commercial/engineering that will enhance existing product technologies and provide differentiating products that align with end market strategies
• Speak to economic value proposition of applicable products and educate on how to effectively communicate to solve customer pain points
• Attend trade shows relevant to either end market or pertinent technology developments to enhance knowledge of new product development as needed
• Travel with Business Development Managers and Territory Managers to customer meetings to discuss technical requirements or present new product launches as needed

People

• Interact with supply chain material vendors to ensure proper materials sourced for new product development
• Work closely with Business Development Managers to prepare client presentations and information for them to educate the appropriate client
• Spend approximately 70 – 80% of time communicating with internal stakeholders, such as but not limited to, Operations Management, Sales Management, and Marketing Team
• Spend approximately 20 – 30% of time communicating with external stakeholders, such as material supply vendors, end users and customers

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

• University degree in either Business, Engineering or related discipline require, Advanced degree preferred
• 2-5 years of experience in relevant product management roles
• Experience working with supply chain teams
• Strong command of the English language: both written and oral communication
• Valid passport required for business travel purposes
• Active driver’s license
• Proficiency with technology products (CRM systems, Microsoft Suite, etc.)

Key Skills Required: 

• Brand Strategy
• Customer Insights
• New Product Development
• SIOP Process
• Product Management
• Technical Writing

Preferred Qualifications

• Mastery of specific professional discipline or industry expert in the profession
• Broad knowledge of several different areas across functions or in-depth management knowledge across several functions
• Multiple language proficiency is preferred
• Preferred commercial background with a strong technical understanding, and strong project management skill

Additional Information

Materials and Equipment Directly Used

• Standard office equipment including computer, mouse, keyboard, telephone, multifunction copier

Additional Information

• Must be legally authorized to work in the United States without restriction.
• Must be willing to submit to a background investigation, including verification of past employment, criminal history and educational background. 
• Must be willing and able to pass a post-offer drug screen and physical (if required)
• Must be 18 years of age or older.
• Equal Opportunity Employer/Veterans/Disability

About Cornerstone Kansas City:
Cornerstone Kansas City is a leading retained executive search firm based in Prairie Village, Kansas that helps great companies recruit great people. For more than 40 years, Cornerstone Kansas City has excelled in serving its client companies with executive talent acquisition across the Central Midwest region of the United States. Cornerstone Kansas City has successfully completed more than 1,600 retained executive search assignments for C-suite, President, Vice President, Director and Management-level positions. To inquire about how Cornerstone Kansas City can serve your executive talent acquisition needs, please click here to visit our website.

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