Product Manager (Servo) at Mitsubishi Electric Automation, Inc – Vernon Hills, Illinois

Product Manager (Servo)
Marketing
Vernon Hills,Illinois
Full-Time/Regular

Position Summary

The Product Manager will manage the Servo product portfolio in all aspects of product lifecycle management, while supporting management plans to achieve organizational sales and profit goals. Responsible to have an in-depth understanding of customer problems and align the organization around creating desirable outcomes for customers and the business in the Americas. Lead cross-functional team consisting of marketing, engineering, sales, operations, etc. to deliver world class products and make an impact in the organization.

Position Duties and Responsibilities

• Participate in the creation of the company’s Servo business plan, which outlines ambitious sales and market expansion goals
• Create the company’s Servo product vision and strategy, and be the champion that drives the acceptance and successful execution of the associated tactics across the organization.
• Plans and implements all activities associated with the complete product lifecycle, including development, launch, growth, maturity, and sunset. This includes defining pricing, product messaging, training, certification and regulatory requirements, product distribution, etc.
• Define product requirements and specifications according to the market or customer need, and work closely with the development team to develop high quality, high value products.
• Engage customers to identify specific problems, personas, and challenges faced by existing and prospective customers. Identify the value of solving these customer pain points, and translate them into product development or feature enhancement opportunities.
• Lead and drive discussions with stakeholders to define the scope of work, justify the investment, and manage the development process, prototyping, and customer testing.
• Work closely with Product Marketing on product positioning, value proposition, and market segmentation to ensure successful product launches
• Perform competitive and market analysis to identify unique differentiations, competitive pricing levels, competitive strengths and weaknesses, and anticipate market and customer trends that may affect the product design.
• Collaborate with Marcomm to create collaterals such as product presentations, overviews, selection guides, sales brief, manage web content, etc. Ensure content is aligned with product messaging and value proposition
• Regularly conduct pricing, competitive and profitability analysis. Identify opportunities for pricing harmonization, profitability improvements, and recommend relevant countermeasures to management
• Influence parent company’s actions by leveraging personal relationships, persuasive arguments, and data driven analysis producing favorable outcomes that allow Mitsubishi Electric to effectively compete in the Americas.
• Leads and manages projects in conjunction with peers from other functions such as sales, business development, service, corporate marketing, and legal to ensure a cohesive approach to the product strategy and growth. Proactively remove challenges and resource issues and escalate as appropriate to ensure goals are met.
• Help Distributors and Partners with joint activities and supports the sales team with customer visits and presentations.
• Serve as internal and external PR spokesperson for Mitsubishi Servo solutions - Be the Servo advocate.
• May perform other duties as assigned.

Travel Requirements

• 25% travel based on customer demand, primarily with the United States.
  Occasional travel to Japan.

Essential Education, Skills & Experience

• Bachelor of Science Degree in Business or Engineering or equivalent work experience.
• 5+ years’ professional industrial automation experience in sales, marketing, and/orapplications engineering.
• Technical/commercial knowledge of industrial automation products, including one or more ofthe following: Variable Frequency Drives, Servo/Motion, PLC, HMI, CNC, Robot and VariousIndustrial Networks.
• Strong prioritization and effective problem-solving skills.
• Proven listening, negotiation, and consensus building skills with the ability to buildcollaborative relationships.
• Strong interpersonal skills to deal effectively with internal and external customers at all levels.
• Excellent writing, oral, and presentation skills with a strong professional presence.
• Good computer skills with experience using Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
• Experience with common Servo applications.

Beneficial Education, Skills & Experience

• Experience in Japanese business culture
• Familiarity with SAP ECC/SAP CRM

Who is MEAU?

• A successful team of smart, dedicated professionals who are not only the best in their respective fields but are committed to a tradition of technological leadership and innovation.
• An organization that truly cares about employee engagement and understands the impact of clear and consistent communication.
• Our leaders are committed to ensuring all employees are regularly informed about the state of the business, understand how they fit in, and know where they can make a difference.
• Employees are encouraged to pursue professional development opportunities and participate in in-house training programs.

We value our employees, and we offer an extensive benefits package that adds value to your total compensation. Our broad range of benefits include:

• Health, dental and vision insurance plans with company contribution – we offer different plans, including PPO and HMO (HMO offered only in some states)
• Competitive 401k with company match
• Paid Vacation and 13 Paid Holidays, including floater holidays
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Flexible Spending Account
• Life Insurance
• Short-Term Disability
• Long-Term Disability
• Employee Assistance Program
• Employee Discount Program
• Pet Insurance

The target pay range for this position is $115,000-$135,000 annually. The listed salary range is approximate and reflects the anticipated compensation for this position as determined by salary analysis; both internal and external to MEAU. Final compensation will be determined based on the candidate's qualifications, skills and experience. Compensation may also vary due to market factors. MEAU retains the right to adjust compensation based on business needs.

Mitsubishi Electric Automation, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate in hiring or employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, age, marital status, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, or any other lawfully protected characteristic.