Product Development Manager

at  Holcim

JOB DESCRIPTION/REQUIREMENTS

Who is Lafarge?
As a global leader in innovative and sustainable building solutions, Lafarge is enabling greener cities, smarter infrastructure and improving living standards around the world. With sustainability at the core of our strategy, we are becoming a net-zero company, with our people and communities at the heart of our success. We are driving circular construction as a world leader in recycling to build more with less. It’s all thanks to our 7, talented people around the world who are passionate about building progress for people and the planet through four business segments: Cement, Ready-Mix Concrete, Aggregates and Solutions & Products.
Who are Lafarge People?
Lafarge people are passionate about finding better ways to build. They embrace innovation and improvement with a pioneering spirit. They work as trusted partners, creating better solutions and experiences for their customers, communities, and colleagues
About the Job
The Product Development Manager contributes to Holcim’s Accelerating Green Growth objective by assisting the Head of Product, Innovation & New Solutions in managing the local products & services portfolio. The Product Development Manager is key in delivering superior value for our end-users / customers and to capture the highest possible value for the business.
What you’ll be doing

The Product Development Manager is responsible for Product Range Development & Management of the Holcim global brands (ECOPlanet, ECOPact & Dynamax) and other Value Added Products (VAPs) across Cement, Concrete and Mortar is primarily responsible for:

• Creating and maintaining product and service culture in the Organization;
• Tracking and identifying opportunities of launching new products and services;
• Defining the roadmap of new products and services for a 2 to 3 years horizon;
• Tracking of the commercial / technical performance of the product and service portfolio towards competitions and next best alternatives;
• Detecting the early signs (based on KPIs / external events) to renew / reposition existing products & services;
• Deploying and maintaining the 5-Step Procedures and all related processes to manage the product & service portfolio;
• Challenging constructively the sales, marketing and logistics/industrial teams on product and service topics;
• Proposing all initiatives or change management opportunities which could lead to better top line performance;
• Meeting Quality parameters/expectations of market/users and Research/ Development of construction solutions for Nigeria;
• Liaising with Government, Universities, technical institutions, associations, Standards Bureaus and other stakeholders on adoption, testing and development of Standards for Products & Applications, manuals and specifications to further cement/concrete applications
• Developing new applications of cement & cement based products to grow the market in Road (rigid pavements/ paving blocks/ soil stabilization), Building & Industrial Sectors; and other specialty cements – Low Heat, Sulphate Resistant, Oil Well etc.
• Setting the agenda and organizing the Product Development Committee, ensuring involvement of all local and group stakeholders;
• Supporting the Mortar team in developing housing products & 3D solutions;
• Working with the quality team to manage the Construction Development Laboratory to support our customers and lead the Research & Development in the industry;

Who you’ll be working with

• List of direct reports: Product Engineers
• Key interfaces, stakeholders and relationships: Internal stakeholders: Colleagues in Marketing, Sales, Industrial, Concrete and other functions (finance, logistics, etc.) Group Innovation Centre External Stakeholders: Policy makers in Government (e.g. Ministries of Works, Housing, Energy, Finance, Industry, etc.) Regulatory bodies, Academic/ Research & other autonomous institutions. Specifiers, Consultants, contractors and end users

What we are looking for

• Post Graduate in technical discipline (Civil Engineering or Manufacturing process related)
• 5-8 years’ experience in production-quality and/or application of cement products.
• Experience in developing/ modifying product & service portfolios, interfacing with end-users and the industrial team.
• Sound knowledge of cement / concrete product composition, quality & performance parameters.
• Knowledge of local and international building standards/ specifications and construction practices.
• Knowledge of product development & evaluation processes.
• Good analytical skills to analyze product quality and performance data and apply them to modify/ adapt to customer needs.

Behavioral competence:

• Interpersonal and communication skills
• Ability to work cross functionally and influence diverse stakeholders.

Leadership and managerial abilities:

• Ability to communicate effectively internally & externally.
• Positive attitude with appetite for change and innovation.
• Ability to manage cross functional teams.
• Results driven.

YOUR LAFARGE EXPERIENCE

At Lafarge, there is endless opportunity for you to play your part. Whether you’re in a technical, managerial, or frontline role, you can shape a career that works for you. With us you’ll have the chance to embrace the passion we share for our planet. You’ll be encouraged to seek out diverse perspectives, share your ideas and build the skills and connections you need to perform at your best. Because it’s only when we work together in a culture where everyone thrives, that we can build the world we all want to live in.

• Creating and maintaining product and service culture in the Organization;
• Tracking and identifying opportunities of launching new products and services;
• Defining the roadmap of new products and services for a 2 to 3 years horizon;
• Tracking of the commercial / technical performance of the product and service portfolio towards competitions and next best alternatives;
• Detecting the early signs (based on KPIs / external events) to renew / reposition existing products & services;
• Deploying and maintaining the 5-Step Procedures and all related processes to manage the product & service portfolio;
• Challenging constructively the sales, marketing and logistics/industrial teams on product and service topics;
• Proposing all initiatives or change management opportunities which could lead to better top line performance;
• Meeting Quality parameters/expectations of market/users and Research/ Development of construction solutions for Nigeria;
• Liaising with Government, Universities, technical institutions, associations, Standards Bureaus and other stakeholders on adoption, testing and development of Standards for Products & Applications, manuals and specifications to further cement/concrete applications
• Developing new applications of cement & cement based products to grow the market in Road (rigid pavements/ paving blocks/ soil stabilization), Building & Industrial Sectors; and other specialty cements – Low Heat, Sulphate Resistant, Oil Well etc.
• Setting the agenda and organizing the Product Development Committee, ensuring involvement of all local and group stakeholders;
• Supporting the Mortar team in developing housing products & 3D solutions;
• Working with the quality team to manage the Construction Development Laboratory to support our customers and lead the Research & Development in the industry