Presales Consultant

Centric Software•Minneapolis, MN

About The Position

Centric Software is seeking a Presales Consultant for its Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) solution, supporting industries including fashion, apparel, footwear, luxury, outdoor, specialty retail, multi-category retail, and consumer goods. The role is a key part of the sales process, communicating and demonstrating the business value of Centric PLM to prospective customers, partnering with Sales to influence customer decisions, differentiate Centric in competitive situations, and position its solution as the preferred choice. The consultant helps retailers, brands, manufacturers, and other product-focused organizations understand how PLM can transform product development, sourcing, merchandising, assortment, quality, and commercialization processes. The role connects solution capabilities to measurable business outcomes and contributes directly to winning new business and enabling long-term customer success. The consultant works with executive, business, and technical stakeholders; leads discovery, workshops, and tailored demonstrations; develops solution narratives, business cases, ROI models, and Statements of Work; and collaborates with Sales, Product Management, Marketing, and cross-functional presales teams. The position may also contribute to post-sales activities to support continuity and customer success.

Requirements

Strong understanding of PLM, Product Development, Merchandising, Assortment Management, Sourcing, Supply Chain, Product Information Management (PIM), ERP, or related business processes.
Experience supporting brands, retailers, manufacturers, or consumer product organizations.
Ability to map business processes to software capabilities and business outcomes.
Exceptional presentation, storytelling, and customer communication skills.
Strong analytical and structured problem-solving capabilities.
Ability to operate independently in a fast-paced, high-growth environment.
Entrepreneurial mindset with strong ownership, initiative, and accountability.
Ability to manage complex customer engagements with minimal supervision.
Willingness to travel regionally and occasionally internationally.
Experience in retail, fashion, footwear, luxury goods, outdoor, specialty retail, consumer products, or related industries.
Strong understanding of product creation, merchandising, sourcing, supply chain, quality, or product commercialization processes.
Experience supporting digital transformation, process improvement, or enterprise software initiatives.
Experience in presales, solution consulting, professional services, implementation consulting, or enterprise software delivery.
Demonstrated experience delivering software demonstrations and configuring solutions for customer-specific scenarios.
Experience working with executive, business, and technical stakeholders throughout complex sales cycles.

Nice To Haves

Practical experience with PLM platforms or related enterprise applications.
Experience supporting Product Development, Merchandising, Buying and Assortment Planning, Design and Line Planning, Materials Management, Sourcing and Supplier Collaboration, Quality Management, Product Commercialization, Supply Chain Operations, Sustainability and Compliance, or Retail Operations.
Knowledge of AI and Generative AI technologies.
Knowledge of XML, HTML, or JavaScript.
Knowledge of PostgreSQL, Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle, or other databases.
Knowledge of enterprise integrations and data migration concepts.
Knowledge of SaaS software architecture and cloud-based applications.

Responsibilities

Lead product demonstrations aligned to customer workflows, product development processes, and strategic business objectives.
Conduct discovery sessions to identify customer challenges, operational inefficiencies, and growth opportunities.
Analyze customer product development lifecycles, technology landscapes, and business processes.
Translate business requirements into solution narratives, use cases, and user stories.
Identify process gaps and recommend scalable, best-practice solutions.
Document discovery findings, scope decisions, and opportunity artifacts.
Create tailored demonstration scripts, sample datasets, and presentation materials aligned with customer processes.
Configure and personalize PLM demonstrations to reflect industry-specific workflows and best practices.
Support RFP/RFI responses and contribute to competitive positioning and deal strategy.
Develop Statements of Work, including scope definitions, assumptions, and service estimates.
Build business cases and ROI models that quantify operational efficiency, speed-to-market improvements, collaboration gains, and business value.
Contribute to marketing initiatives, webinars, industry events, and customer presentations.
Develop internal enablement materials and deliver training sessions.
Participate in product update reviews and translate new capabilities into customer-relevant use cases.
Facilitate discussions about system architecture, integrations, hosting options, and technical requirements.
Deliver presentations to executive, business, and technical stakeholders.
Facilitate “Art of the Possible” workshops focused on digital transformation, product innovation, and process optimization.
Drive alignment across Product Development, Merchandising, Design, Sourcing, Quality, Supply Chain, Operations, and IT teams.
Elevate deal value through strategic consulting and solution positioning, and serve as a trusted advisor throughout the evaluation process.
Partner with cross-functional presales teams to develop end-to-end industry solutions, demonstrations, and value propositions.
Collaborate with Product Management to provide market insights and customer feedback.
Support Marketing initiatives, including webinars, thought leadership content, industry events, and product demonstrations.
Contribute to post-sales activities when needed to ensure continuity and customer success.