Product Manager

Company: Heating Solutions Sales Company

Heating Solutions Sales Company (HSSC) is a complete sales and support company that represents some of North America’s leading boiler brands: US Boiler, New Yorker Boiler, Governale Radiation, Burnham Commercial Boilers, Thermal Solutions Boilers, and Bryan Steam boilers. [https://heatingsolutionssales.com/]  We have an opportunity to build on a strong position in a dynamic market and we are currently expanding our marketing and sales teams to develop and execute our growth strategies.

Summary: As a product manager you will lead the creation and execution of your category strategies.  We will also rely on you to identify market opportunities and threats that set the foundation of our overall growth strategies. You will work directly with customers and our engineering and sales teams to grow products and product lines, while maintaining a cooperative relationship with internal and external stakeholders. You will be responsible for categories within our residential and commercial products, and will lead our expansion into new categories.(This is an in person position) 

The person we are seeking has: Experience in product management or product marketing role and is familiar with common product management tools, analyses and best practices.  The candidate should be comfortable with quantitative analysis, conducting customer research, working with complex products and partnering with sales and distributors.  We are seeking someone with a growth and customer-oriented mindset.  The ideal candidate will be curious, seek to understand, and challenge others’ assumptions.

Essential duties and responsibilities include the following. Other duties may be assigned.

• Grow and manage assigned products, product lines and projects within the category.
• Research, recommend, and launch new products to meet company growth goals by participating and interacting with various cross functional teams and departments.
• Write and submit appropriate documentation to initiate new product efforts.
• Recommend strategies for the profitable management of assigned products or lines including product positioning, pricing, forecasting, cost reductions, product updates and/or obsolescence.
• Develop and maintain 3-year product line plans.
• Coordinate the initial stages in the development of new innovative products including market research, engineering & manufacturing analysis, purchasing and related financial aspects involved in successfully bringing new products to market.
• Conduct secondary market research and competitive analysis through data collection from numerous sources including the web, competitive literature, trade journals, trade associations and industry data, internal sales data, and financial reports.
• Make recommendations for primary research including surveys and focus groups.
• Perform end user interviews, job site visits and field testing. Provide customer input throughout the new product development process.
• Maintain an up-to-date database of competitive & market information including product catalogs, price lists, current promotions, new product introductions and regulatory issues.
• Attend trade shows, seminars, and other industry events as necessary to stay abreast of market and industry trends.
• Interact with distributors, field sales and end-users to seek opportunities for new products, packaging, merchandising and their successful placement within channels of distribution.
• Draft launch materials for assigned products including product sell sheets, bulletins, product specific merchandising, web site copy and various sales support materials as needed.
• Work closely with marketing and sales peers to recommend appropriate programs and promotions to achieve a successful new product launch and overall product line growth.
• Provide sales training as appropriate to effectively convey new product features and benefits.
• Work closely with strong, technical project leaders and engineers.

Competencies:

To perform the job successfully, an individual should demonstrate the following competencies:

Time Management – Demonstrates effective time management skills and the ability to multitask.

Judgment – Displays willingness to make decisions; exhibits sound and accurate judgment; supports and explains reasoning for decisions; includes appropriate people in decision making process; makes timely decisions. 

Adaptability – Adapts to changes in the work environment; manages competing demands; changes approach or method to best fit the situation; able to deal with frequent change, delays or unexpected events. 

Dependability – Follows instructions, responds to management direction; takes responsibility for own actions; keeps commitments; commits to long hours of work when necessary to reach goals; completes tasks on time or notifies appropriate person with an alternate plan. 

Quality – Demonstrates accuracy and thoroughness; looks for ways to improve and promote quality; applies feedback to improve performance; monitors own work to ensure quality. 

Quantity – Meets productivity standards; completes work in timely manner; strives to increase productivity; works quickly. 

Organizational Support – Follows policies and procedures; completes administrative tasks correctly and on time; supports organization’s goals and values; benefits organization through outside activities; supports affirmative action and respects diversity.

Safety & Security – Observes safety & security procedures; determines appropriate action beyond guidelines; reports potentially unsafe conditions; uses equipment and materials properly. 

Attendance/Punctuality – Is consistently at work and on time; ensures work responsibilities are covered when absent; arrives at meetings & appointments on time. 

Qualifications:  To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily.  The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and /or ability required.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. 

Education and/or Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in business or engineering.
• 1-10 years of experience in product management or product marketing.
• HVAC industry experience preferred. Hydronics experience ideal.
• Prefer knowledge of the commercial and residential boiler markets.

Leadership Skills

Is developing skills as a collaborative leader who can confidently direct our engaged, cross-functional teams.  Has the ability to engage stakeholders to gather input, debate issues and align.

Strategic Thinking

Able to leverage qualitative and quantitative research to identify short and long term opportunities and threats.

Language Skills

Clear & concise oral & written communication skills. Ability to read, interpret and present data clearly.  Ability to compose all elements of a business case.  Ability to speak effectively before groups of customers or employees of organization.

Mathematical Skills

Comfortable with basic P&L financial statements and costing.   Able to interpret ratios, efficiencies and technical product information.  Able to conduct trend, correlation and other statistical analyses.

Reasoning Ability

Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out instructions furnished in written, oral or diagram form.  Ability to deal with problems involving several concrete variables in standardized situations.

Computer Skills 

• Experience with data visualization, statistical, Salesforce or other CRM software.  
• Experience in Microsoft applications

Other Skills and Abilities:

Physical Demands 

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of the job.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.  While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand, sit, walk, reach with hands and arms, use hands to finger, handle, or feel and talk or hear.  The employee may occasionally kneel, crouch, or crawl, balance, stoop, and lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.  Specific vision abilities required by this job include close and distance vision and ability to differentiate colors.  

Work Environment

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally exposed to moving mechanical parts, and outside weather conditions.  The noise level in the work environment is usually quiet.