Product Line Manager

Netceed•Winston-Salem, NC

14h•Onsite

About The Position

The Product Line Manager (PLM) is the lead for a specific technology focus and serves as the expert on OEM programs supported by the company. The primary charter is to achieve gross margin goals for the Active team by setting and executing an annual strategy for growth. The PLM role is crucial for sales enablement and gaining sales mindshare to meet company objectives. The PLM is the central point of contact, relied upon by all departments for their assigned OEMs. This role involves defining product line vision, mission, and value proposition, developing and executing product strategies, aligning offerings with customer needs and company objectives, and tracking product performance through data-driven decisions and reporting.

Requirements

Comprehensive understanding of product solutions, data center technologies/solutions, and storage area network solutions.
Proficiency with all Microsoft Office applications.
Strong organizational skills and capability of managing multiple tasks.
Ability to exhibit and maintain professionalism and integrity in accordance with corporate standards.
Ability to present solutions at various levels.
Ability to analyze, develop, and make sound business transaction decisions with minimal supervision.
Ability to handle multiple tasks with concentration, speed, and accuracy, and to prioritize tasks appropriately.
Bachelor's degree in marketing, business administration, engineering, or a related field, along with several years of industry experience is preferred.
Ability to travel up to 25% of the time, including nights and weekends as needed.
Two- or Four-year degree in Marketing or Telecommunications required.
3-5 years of experience in the telecommunications industry, specifically in the Passive Optical Network space (vendor/supplier/manufacturer).
Previous/current Team Management skills.
Ability to comprehend and adhere to new procedures and meet established service levels.
Ability to proactively set priorities and objectives, plan and organize time/activities.
Ability to develop and execute a sales strategy based on customer type, product lines, industry opportunities or vendor promotions.

Responsibilities

Defining the vision, mission, and value proposition for the product line.
Developing and executing product strategies annually.
Aligning offerings with customer needs and company objectives.
Tracking product performance and making data-driven decisions.
Timely and accurate reporting of POS and inventory reports for OEMs.
Coordinating cross-functional teams to solve problems.
Managing profit and loss responsibility for a healthy vendor, including negotiation, VGI plans, bulk buys, cost reduction plans, freight, inventory turns, payment terms, and incentive negotiations.
Ensuring the cost reduction tracker is kept up to date with all backup data for finance validation.
Scheduling, preparing, and executing quarterly business reviews with OEMs.
Networking within assigned OEMs to build relationships with Channel teams, Executives, PLMs, Product Marketing, purchasing, and Sales Account Managers.
Developing and executing Marketing Plans that align with customer and sales strategies, based on product requirements and market applications.
Managing MDF (Marketing Development Funds): planning, requesting, gaining approvals, execution, and providing proof of performance to OEM.
Handling deal registrations: logging, tracking, updating information and status changes, coordinating with the actives team for order entry, ensuring valid quotes, coordinating with the buyer, communicating to stakeholders, and following up with sales to win opportunities.
Managing the product life cycle from new product announcements to End-of-Life (EOL).
Keeping executive, sales, and engineering teams aligned with the product development roadmap, strategy, and new product announcements.
Managing EOL processes, including reporting out to sales, engineering (recommending replacements), and procurement.
Updating price lists on a monthly, quarterly, or annual cadence by OEM.
Communicating price list updates to procurement and sales, including timing, plan of action, and impacted customer lists.
Managing special pricing (T80 management), including posting special pricing on customer records, providing customer lookup for assignments, sending notifications to assigned sales, and confirming entry into the system from procurement.
Coordinating vendor training appropriate for Inside Sales, Outside Sales, and Engineering teams.
Providing OEM guidance on training content, ensuring Netceed needs are covered, managing invitations, collecting attendance, and distributing slides and recordings.
Launching new OEMs by providing comprehensive packages with contract details, contact information, part number setup, and communication to management and sales teams.
Managing inventory responsibility in coordination with procurement and demand planning, including scheduling blanket orders and stock rotations.
Collecting deployment schedules and forecasting from the Sales team, measuring accuracy, making adjustments, and communicating changes.
Monitoring inventory levels (months on hand, turns) weekly.
Escalating the expediting of orders when procurement has not met customer required dates.
Coordinating SKO (Sales Kick-Off) events with OEMs, including seeking sponsorship, providing input into content, and managing event details.
Conducting new hire orientations for Engineering, Outside Sales, and Business Operations associates, explaining OEM details and mapping corresponding sales representatives.
Conducting market research and analyzing trends as requested by management.
Coordinating trade show execution with relevant teams, including product needs, documentation, positioning, representation, video/slideware, lead passing, ROI analysis for sponsorships, and supporting OEM speaking opportunities.