Product Management Director EMEA/APAC

at  JM Huber Corporation

J.M. Huber Corporation is one of the largest privately held, family-owned companies in the United States. Established in 1883, we are a diversified, global supplier of specialty and commodity chemicals, hydrocolloid solutions, engineered wood products, and natural resources to customers spanning a wide variety of industries. With approximately $3 billion in sales and 4,000 employees worldwide, we have a material presence in more than 20 countries.
Huber Engineered Materials (HEM), a division of J.M. Huber Corporation, is a dynamic portfolio of global mid-sized specialty chemical and mineral businesses. Organized into three strategic business units—Huber Advanced Materials, Huber Specialty Minerals, and Huber AgroSolutions—HEM is driven by a unified belief: “Together, we create a better tomorrow by building a vibrant portfolio of innovative and sustainable specialty businesses.”
Huber AgroSolutions (HAS) is a vital part of Huber Engineered Materials, which comprises a network of companies around the globe. Our vision at HAS is to enhance growers’ ability to nourish the world sustainably. Our mission is to enable professional farmers to realize and sustain greater growth by harnessing our expertise and global reach. We are committed to our promise of solving growers’ agricultural challenges with targeted performance, to meet the specific needs of our customers, shaping a future where agriculture is both productive and sustainable.

POSITION SUMMARY:

This position reports to Global Director of Marketing and leads HAS product portfolio management working cross-functionally with the General Manager EMEA/APAC, Operations, Finance, Innovation, Sales and technical sales support functions to ensure alignment between customer needs, manufacturing capabilities, and product innovation.

REQUIREMENTS & QUALIFICATIONS:

• University degree in Biology, Agronomy, Chemistry, or Business Management or proven to have such level through experience
• 12+ years’ experience in the agricultural industry especially in biostimulants is preferred, including 8+ years in product or market management.
• Previous experience managing new product development projects in a stage-gate environment.
• Demonstrated ability to be a self-starter and proven leadership skills to energize and engage a multi-functional team of competent professionals.
• High level of business acumen, including analytical and financial skills.
• Ability to work collaboratively and productively with other functions.
• Demonstrated ability to lead projects using disciplined project management and communication skills.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English and Italian and the ability to communicate ideas, instructions and information in a concise manner.
• Competency in the use of computers and software for business transactions, data analysis, and communication (Word, Excel, Outlook, Power BI or other packages)
• Ability to travel >20%
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• Manages product lines to maximize gross margin by customer, subsidiary / country, and market. Develops an understanding of manufacturing costs, production processes, competitive impacts and threats, and customer requirements.
• Builds 5-year strategic marketing and new product introduction plans, supports and nurtures product line growth, and where necessary product rationalization.
• Leads product management and lifecycle analysis closely aligned to business, asset, and marketing strategies, to support growth while optimizing profitability and working capital.
• Reviews the portfolio at least twice per year for financial health, positioning, and required rationalization to optimize business results while managing complexity.
• Balance customer needs and desires against operational capabilities, working capital constraints, and margin requirements.
• Is accountable for product list prices in a central database and provides policies and thresholds dedicated to off-list and/or discounted pricing.
• Active participant in the annual budgeting (OP&B) process, validating costing and product positioning to be translated into pricing proposals.
• Effectively develops, deploys, and conducts regular training for new and existing products to effectively sell and position product solutions.