Senior Commercial Manager

LB Foster•Scott Township, PA

16d

About The Position

The Commercial Manager is responsible for maximizing the financial performance and driving growth of Friction Management (FM) products and services within an assigned market segment. This role owns revenue and margin performance and leads strategic planning, market analysis, forecasting, value proposition development, bid and contract management, and cross‑functional team leadership. The Commercial Manager also provides commercial support to LB Foster outside and inside sales, Product Management, Field Applications, Supply Chain, and Senior Management for products and services within the Rail Technologies group.

Requirements

Minimum 5 years of experience working with Friction Management products and services with a concentration on product management, business development, and/or contract management.
Minimum 10 years experience in the Rail industry.
Bachelor’s degree from an accredited university required
Strong strategic and tactical thinking skills with a demonstrated ability to identify value creation opportunities.
Experience developing business strategies, forecasts, and detailed financial plans.
Ability to create and analyze financial models, including CBA, ROI, NPV, and sensitivity analysis.
Proven leadership skills with experience leading cross‑functional teams.
Excellent communication and presentation skills, including the ability to present value propositions to senior customer leadership.
Confidence influencing and collaborating with stakeholders at all organizational levels.
Broad business acumen with experience in manufacturing, project management, and engineering.
Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint; experience with Visual ERP or other manufacturing ERP systems preferred.
Willingness to travel 30–50%, domestically and internationally, depending on sales cycle.
Flexibility to work evenings and weekends as business needs require.

Nice To Haves

advanced degree preferred.

Responsibilities

Define and lead short- and long-term strategic objectives for the assigned market segment.
Develop sustainable, value‑adding product and solution strategies, including bundled products and services that leverage competitive advantages.
Champion and communicate strategy across all relevant company functions.
Maintain in‑depth knowledge of all FM products and services to identify new value‑adding features and applications.
Focus on customer benefits and total value across the full value chain.
Partner with product, service, and application managers to ensure required value‑adding features are reflected in product roadmaps.
Develop and clearly articulate compelling value propositions for internal and external stakeholders.
Build quantitative and qualitative business cases, including cost‑benefit analysis and sensitivity analysis.
Build and maintain strong relationships with key customers, vendors, and strategic partners.
Maintain current knowledge of competitive offerings and pricing; provide pricing guidance and recommendations to management and sales.
Provide commercial guidance to the sales team on customer issues in compliance with established Levels of Authority (LOA).
Coordinate marketing and pricing strategies for FM products (in collaboration with the Estimator) within assigned geographic regions.
Analyze customer RFQs, drawings, specifications, and historical performance to establish pricing aligned with division sales and margin objectives.
Lead cross‑functional bid reviews to assess material and service requirements and supply capability, collaborating with Product Management, Supply Chain, Engineering, Operations, Field Service, and Field Applications.
Coordinate with Supply Chain and Operations to determine manufacturing lead times for bids and non‑standard orders.
Coordinate with Field Services to confirm service and installation lead times as required.
Own forecasting processes, including monthly, quarterly, and annual forecasts, AOP planning, and forecast order management.
Continuously improve forecasting accuracy.
Communicate market conditions, risks, and opportunities to senior leadership.