The Product Manager, Extracts & Essences steers a high-performing portfolio of products and drives cross-functional operational excellence to execute winning go to market plans. This role develops and manages strategies and plans to drive growth of Synergy’s essence and extract portfolio.
The Product Manager is responsible for developing a high-level technical understanding of product offerings, defining the product vision and value proposition, assessing the marketplace for potential, gathering and prioritizing product and customer requirements, and working closely with Research & Development to deliver winning products. This role works closely with Business Development, Sales, Marketing, Regulatory, Finance, and Operations to ensure revenue and customer satisfaction goals are met. This position reports to the Associate Director of Beverage Category, under the Business Development Structure.
- Partners with the BD, marketing, sales, and technical leaders to develop go-to-market strategies to win in targeted customer segments.
- Build value-propositions for extract and essence use in target segments and applications; Communicate them internally to R&D, commercial and supply chain teams and ensure understanding through training and continued consultation.
- Recommend specific product positioning and work with the category managers and finance in determining the pricing guidance to produce the highest possible long-term market share, sales volume, and profitability. Consult with pricing function to support any adjustments needed due to market variation.
- Drive the continuous assessment of the product line health including identification of non-performing products and recommended (technical, commercial or operational) actions needed to deliver growth.
- Define and communicate the product line vision in support of the category strategies. Maintain a clear product roadmap aligned to short and long-term business goals.
- Act as the commercial leader for extract & essence projects in the Technical Innovation Pipeline, managing them through the development stages from ideation and assessment through commercialization.
- Partner with supply chain, operations, finance and commercial teams to advance our strategic capacity planning processes and models in support of essence and extract growth.
- Evaluate the existing players and competitive offerings in our targeted markets. Alert the organization to new products and technologies as well as partnership and acquisition opportunities.
- Lead customer contract renewal process consistent with organizations financial objectives.
- Serve as a subject matter expert (SME) internally and externally through events, conferences, presentations and customer meetings.
- Support Commercial and Technical teams handling any cases related to product lines.
- Maintain Opportunity awareness inside the organization.
- Partner with finance and our data intelligence teams on the creation of analytics, dashboards and KPIs to analyze product performance and profitability across the product Lifecycle of launch, growth, maturity, and decline stages.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE/QUALIFICATIONS
- Minimum 8 years of commercial experience (sales, marketing, supply chain) in flavor industry, food ingredients or other related industry.
- Experience with extracts, essences, and/or coffee concentrates is extremely desirable.
- Experience in product management, business development, and technical sales.
- Experience with new product development and managing lines across the lifecycle from conception and market launch to obsolescence.
- Experience directing cross-functional teams to oversee profitability of products (existing and newly developed products).
- Budgeting and forecasting experience – expenses and capital requirements for product projects.
- Experience leading cross-functional regional teams, and working directly with customers.
- Strong analytical, data use and project management skills.
- Outstanding interpersonal skills with ability to influence cross-functional team members, as well as senior management.
- Self-starter with high energy level and ability to think and act strategically.
- Willingness to travel up to 30%
- Must be authorized to work in the United States.
EDUCATION
- Bachelor’s Degree in Business/Marketing (with strong technical acumen) or Food Science, Chemistry