Product Manager

Volm Companies•Antigo, WI

4d•Onsite

About The Position

The Product Manager focuses on marketing activities for sourced packaging and supplies. The Product Manager serves as a communication bridge between the Volm sales team and Volm corporate purchasing, ensuring that market and competitive intelligence reaches key suppliers. Teamwork and customer service are vital to the position as the Product Manager works directly and indirectly with vendors, customers, and all levels of company personnel. The success of this role will be judged on the Product Manager's ability to contribute to the delivery of annual consumable sales budgets, maintain effective communication between the sales team and corporate purchasing, and increase the knowledge level of Volm sales account managers regarding the packaging and supplies portfolio.

Requirements

Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, with the ability to communicate effectively in English to ensure safe and efficient job performance
Strong interpersonal, listening, negotiation, and customer service skills; able to work collaboratively with employees, customers, and vendors at all levels
Ability to understand and follow verbal instructions and perform effectively in a fast-paced, high-pressure environment
Proven ability to plan, organize, and manage multiple tasks, projects, and deadlines efficiently
Strong analytical, critical thinking, and decision-making skills; able to interpret and act on data accurately
Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and working knowledge of other computer systems and software, including word processing and ERP/CRM systems
Understanding of purchasing, manufacturing, logistics, and warehousing best practices and standards
Working knowledge of lean, continuous improvement, and quality methodologies
Ability to develop a strong understanding of packaging products, supplies, and manufacturing processes (e.g., product lines, quoting, ordering, and production limitations)
Commitment to safety, compliance, and customer satisfaction
Consistently demonstrates high levels of accountability, integrity, and professionalism in all tasks
Must be willing to sign and adhere to the company’s confidentiality and non-compete agreements

Nice To Haves

Knowledge of business, sales, and marketing principles, normally acquired by the completion of a bachelor’s degree in business administration, Marketing, or a related field, and/or equivalent work experience preferred
Minimum of one year of relevant experience in sales, customer service, or marketing preferred, ideally in the packaging or fresh produce industry
Understanding of sales and marketing practices, including financial modeling, pricing strategy, and the development and use of price lists
Experience using Microsoft Dynamics 365, preferred
The ability to drive a company owned/leased vehicle or personal vehicle on behalf of the company preferred.
Inclusion in the company’s driver qualification program is required to drive a company owned/leased vehicle or personal vehicle.

Responsibilities

Identify innovative product ideas that support organizational goals by analyzing competitors’ products.
Maintain clear, concise, and accurate communication among upstream and downstream functions and across multiple teams.
Represent the voice of the customer to turn feedback into valuable insights that will generate innovative ideas aligned with Volm’s long-term vision.
Become a technical expert in assigned product categories and lead the development of product specification training programs and materials for sales professionals, customer meetings and presentations, and marketing campaigns.
Assist sales and customer service by developing new items, ensuring accurate and timely product details and specifications.
Responsible for maintaining items in MS Finance and Operations, including processing new item releases and submitting engineering change requests.
Collaborate with the VP of Sales and Marketing and the Director of Marketing & Communication to develop Volm’s 'go-to-market' consumable and supplies strategy and oversee the creation of product sales and marketing materials (e.g., print, digital, social media, etc.).
Conduct regular market analysis, contribute to the development of market intelligence like market size and share estimates, and identify and report shifts in consumer retail packaging behavior.
Capture and analyze market pricing for key products and prepare monthly reports on product categories, offering insights into sales, margins, current risks, market opportunities, and forecasts.
Travel to customer locations frequently with Volm sales professionals and provide on-site support regarding product specifications, details, identifying additional sales opportunities, and end-user support.