PRODUCT SPECIALIST

Job Description

· Drive the process of category plan development, approval, implementation and tracking across the business ensuring relevance to market/customer insight as well as competitor/business dynamics.

· Lead the new product positioning, differentiation, competitive benchmarking, intellectual property, and product launch design and implementation together with the wider Marketing team.

· Liaise directly with key customers (where required) and sales teams to investigate, research and test product developments to ensure product relevance and performance as well as identify or rectify product issues.

· Maintain product data integrity including the end-to-end processing through Detmold’s systems and technical and selling assets.

· Manage the Group stock range and broader category lifecycles including the development of product extensions and improvements as well as product spec changes, replacements, obsolescence, and withdrawal.

· Execute product range management including competitive benchmarking, price positioning, intellectual property, and product compliance activities.

· Act as Group’s product knowledge specialist in key customer and industry forums as required, with depth understanding of the evolving and complex environment of sustainability, innovation and changing consumer demands.

· Develop product training tools and forums to ensure sales and customer service teams are informed and well positioned to be successful.

· Provide customer product reporting data (APCO) and recommendations for packaging improvement and business sustainability goals.

· Correlate customer product goals and feedback with relevant market developments as well as investigate and analyse product trends and competitor insights to build an internal product development pipeline funnel.

· Ensure products are properly certified (where relevant) and/or EOL claims are accurate and supported with documented evidence.

· Execute the competitive response process across the business and recommended response initiatives in relation to product range ad performance as well as handover or execution through other supporting functions i.e., market activation.

· Work collaboratively with the broader marketing team to deliver product assets and demand generation activities ensuring consistency and shared goals.

· Administer Product Management services/projects for the business in alignment with the Detmold Strategy and Sales/Business requirements.

· Works collaboratively and builds constructive and positive internal working relationships with the Product Managers, Launchpad, Sales Community, Digital marketing, Market Activation, and Group functions to deliver superior customer service to customers.

· Manage external contractors / agencies when required.

Job Requirement

·       5+ years of experience in marketing, brand management, business development and/or sales, ideally in a business to business environment.

·       Ability to absorb, distil and interpret technical information

·       Superior writing ability and excellent verbal communications skills

·       Comfortable working with multiple stakeholders to source required information, receive briefs, and manage delivery of findings

·       Able to establish credible relationships with stakeholders at various levels across the business

·       Ability to deliver excellent outcomes, in an environment of competing priorities

·       Strong commitment to quality and the provision of service excellence

·       Proactive in approach and maintains own energy, setting the standard for others

·       Experience with website Content Management System software, In-Design and/or Photoshop is considered advantageous

·       Advanced skill in the Microsoft Office suite of programs

·       Salesforce experience would be advantageous.