Product Manager - Industrial Lubricants

Idemitsu Lubricants America•Novi, MI

7d•Onsite

About The Position

The Product Manager manages the assigned industrial product portfolio under the direction of the IUS Technical Manager. The role oversees commercialization of new products, optimization of existing formulations, and maintenance of an effective product lineup. It gathers market intelligence and monitors emerging technologies to inform product development. The position provides technical support to the sales team by coordinating field trials, offering technical guidance, troubleshooting customer issues, conducting product training, and developing technical data sheets, brochures, and benchmarking materials. It collaborates with Production, Marketing, Purchasing, suppliers, blenders, Quality, R&D teams, and, when needed, headquarters in Japan, using effective cross-functional communication and established channels.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in a technical field such as Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, or a related field.
At least 5 years of industrial lubricant and/or related-industry experience.
At least 5 years of proven product management, project management, or sales experience.
Proficiency with MS Office (Excel, Word, and PowerPoint), Salesforce CRM, email (Outlook), and general PC use.
Ability to deliver product and program presentations to executives and customers.
Strong written and verbal communication skills, including clear and concise communication with internal and external stakeholders.
Ability to build productive stakeholder relationships and deliver effective presentations.
Knowledge of mechanical equipment requirements and applications.
Expert product knowledge across industrial lubricants, including hydraulic oils, way oils, industrial gear oils, compressor and engine oils, cleaners, metalworking oils, rust preventatives, high-temperature chain oils, turbine oils, process oils, wind turbine lubricants, heat-transfer oils, quench oils, seal oils, specialty greases, and lubricant maintenance services such as used-oil analysis.
In-depth knowledge of industrial lubricant product development.
Ability to process information logically and understand and follow ethical business practices.
Leadership mindset, analytical capability, planning and organizational skills, collaborative decision-making ability, emotional intelligence, global perspective, and positive attitude.
High self-motivation and excellent time-management skills.
Advanced knowledge of sales tools.
Ability to plan sales strategies, support customer-focused sales activities, and develop customer proposals aligned with sales strategies.
Ability to share negotiation expertise and provide technical and sales guidance through coaching and training.
Professionalism, personal integrity, responsibility, and accountability.
Ability to meet firm deadlines and manage multiple projects simultaneously.
Ability to identify problems and develop independent solutions.
Knowledge of sales planning, project management, product development, pricing analysis and strategy, market research, marketing, strategic planning, and proven sales practices.
Ability to research new markets, support new-business strategy development, and work independently and as part of a team.

Nice To Haves

Certified Lubricants Specialist certification.

Responsibilities

Manage assigned product lines from strategic planning through tactical execution.
Support marketing strategy by identifying new markets for existing products, developing products to address market needs, and recommending strategies to improve profitability.
Define market requirements and identify relevant technologies for current and future products through industry consortiums, supplier and consulting-firm engagement, and customer field-application insights.
Obtain internal approvals and support expansion of assigned products into additional ILA sales markets.
Coordinate R&D, Development, Engineering, and Marketing Communications teams to develop materials and formulations that meet market requirements.
Lead cross-functional product commercialization with R&D, Quality, Sales, Procurement, Production Control, Regulatory, Japanese headquarters, suppliers, and other stakeholders, keeping projects on schedule.
Maintain professional customer relationships and support timely resolution of customer needs.
Support the sales team when customers raise quality issues and take appropriate action to resolve cases and preserve the company image.
Conduct product training for customers, Idemitsu associates, and industrial distributors.
Support direct and distributor sales forces on product, application, and technical matters to help customers choose Idemitsu products.
Analyze benchmark data comparing Idemitsu-branded products with competitor products.
Support development of product specification sheets and marketing literature.