Product Category Director - Separation

Elkay Manufacturing•Erie, PA

3d•Onsite

About The Position

The Director of Separation is a leadership position responsible for the development and implementation of Separation product growth strategies in conjunction with the Flow Systems business unit leadership and product management teams. This strategic leader is responsible for indirectly driving sales growth through partnership and alignment with our commercial leaders and bringing forth market share gain opportunities with new and existing customers.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree with a focus on Marketing, Engineering, Business, or related discipline required.
10+ years of related sales and/or product management experience in the field.
Experience with water management and plumbing products.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Customer Focus – Ability to build strong customer relationships and deliver customer-centric solutions.
Action Oriented – Takes on new opportunities and tough challenges with a sense of urgency, high energy, and enthusiasm.
Ensures Accountability – Holds self and others accountable to meet commitments.
Drives Results – Consistently achieves results.
Persuades – Uses compelling arguments to gain the support and commitment of others.

Responsibilities

Act as the primary owner for Annual Improvement Plans (AIP), leveraging X-Matrix, and the Zurn Business System (ZBS) to translate revenue targets into tactical, field-level workstreams.
Formulate and deploy dual-pronged GTM strategies, balancing the long-cycle Specification Motion (driving Basis of Design with engineering firms) with the high-velocity Stocking Motion (targeting MRO service contractors).
Establish and lead weekly, and monthly reporting cadences and visual management to maintain execution momentum and provide high-level updates to executive leadership.
Manage category P&L and portfolio performance, utilize financial modeling and data visualization tools to monitor regional profitability and drive resource allocation.
Lead the separation business development, partnering with the commercial team to forecast accurately and deliver on sales expectations.
Design and execute pricing strategies, balancing competitive net-pricing and promotional incentives with margin mitigation to drive profitable growth
Lead the end-to-end New Product Introduction process, managing the lifecycle from initial business case and concept through full commercial launch.
Direct cross functional execution across engineering, operations, marketing, and sales to ensure new product rollouts hit launch milestones and target margins.
Lead product innovation strategy in conjunction with Flow Systems product management and engineering departments, identifying product gaps and new opportunities within the separation business.
Drive Separation specifications through tactical alignment with the specification team on targets and priorities, alongside strategic alignment with industry partners.
Direct the municipal strategy to secure Approved Product List (APL) status and mass approvals across complex code jurisdictions, utilizing regulatory compliance as a competitive advantage.
Partner with product marketing teams to develop the required collateral and positioning of products within the sales channels.
Drive the continuous development and enhancement of customer-facing digital tools, including next-generation sizing tools, TCO/ROI calculators, and legacy crossover guides.
Recruit, develop, and manage a high-performing commercial team consisting of National Sales Managers, Product Managers, and specialized Municipal Business Development Managers (BDMs).
Direct Regional Sales Managers (RSMs) and independent rep agencies, arming the field with distilled competitive intelligence, localized training programs, and optimized quota structures.
Present launch status and strategic plans directly to the executive leadership team.