Product Manager, Global Water Product Management

Xylem |ˈzīləm|

1) The tissue in plants that brings water upward from the roots;

2) a leading global water technology company.

Xylem, a leading global water technology company dedicated to solving the world’s most challenging water issues, is the leading global provider of efficient, innovative and sustainable water technologies improving the way water is used, managed, conserved and re-used. Our international team is unified in a common purpose: creating advanced technology and other trusted solutions to solve the world’s water challenges. We are committed to creating an organization of inclusion and diversity, where everyone feels involved, respected, valued and connected, and where everyone is free to bring their authentic selves and ideas.

If you are excited and passionate about helping us #letssolvewater, we want to hear from you!

The Role: Sensus, a Xylem brand, seeks to hire a Product Manager, Global Water Product Management who will be responsible for leading product development projects as part of the Global Water Product Management team. He/she will primarily be focused on building upon and expanding our global product offerings, in close collaboration with the existing global product team members.

The Product Manager, Global Water Product Management is responsible for managing, developing and driving profitable business growth, by being a part of an integrated team of product managers to perform full lifecycle management over the suite of the global water portfolio, as well as new product development through the XPD process.  In partnership with Vertical Marketing, he/she will lead the targeting and positioning strategy within defined market segments and develop product roadmaps to align and achieve these strategies.  In order to be successful in this role, he/she will be a champion of understanding and implementing Voice of the Customer, and will partner closely will R&D, Program Management, and others to translate customer needs into development requirements that drive profitable business growth.  In addition to new product development, the Product Manager, Global Water Product Management will manage all aspects of the product line, including prioritization of Value Engineering projects, SKU rationalization, product pricing strategies & proposals, competitor analysis and Mergers & Acquisitions.  Further, this position will also require robust leadership skills, both internal and external to the position, and the right candidate will feel ownership over the entire product line, and will champion its success both internally and externally.  Finally, he/she will partner closely with both sales and marketing communication to develop training and marketing materials, and successfully lead our go to market strategies.

Essential Duties/Principal Responsibilities:

• Assists in the development of product roadmap(s) covering positioning and value proposition, per product line, to serve as input into product development resource allocation, business development, and communications
• Manages the execution of the multi-year roadmap for the global product lines including; new product development, value improvements, product introductions, ongoing marketing, product support and service
• Collaborate effectively with Vertical Marketing team to develop local launch plans that will empower sales (product launches, application areas, product brand thought leadership)
• Assigns and take ownership of the XPD process by actively driving and participating in the tollgate process: by developing the business case, PAR, product specification etc. with the understanding of customer and market needs
• Understands and specifies market requirements and market and technology trends for current and future products by conducting product related market research supported by Voice of Customer received through on-going visits to customers and other stakeholders
• Framing the vertical offer, in a collaborative way with key stakeholders, by packaging the product, solutions and services e.g. developing offer per application and framing applicable value proposition per vertical
• Monitors competition with respect to market performance, product portfolio and product performance
• Maintains competitive mapping of strengths and weaknesses of major competitors and understands their “go to market” strategy
• Develops strategic plan for products, pricing, and offerings to achieve long term revenue and margin targets
• Understanding and providing data for the S&OP forecast, ownership of global product sales and margin plan. If targets are not met, executes on the countermeasures
• Collaborates with local Sales and Marketing teams to understand rationale behind wins and losses and market trends; Carefully follows up sales, orders and standard margin with the aim to reach targets, if not identify and drive actions to close the gap
• Provide strategic pricing guidelines across markets and within the overall vertical, including Price Lists, as well as specific product/segment-focused efforts
• Manage the product life cycle (launch to end-of-life) strategy and execution including identifying “sweet spot” applications in the market verticals by ensuring competitiveness of products (costs, features, price) by developing relevant business cases for decision making
• Manage the entire product life cycle through phase-out, all while keeping the product line competitive
• Having a broad understanding of the competitors in the industry on a high-level financial level as well as product offering
• Drive and execute product launches according to the product marketing launch process in close collaboration with the Vertical Marketing, Commercial Teams and Communications. Being responsible for resource allocation, keeping the timeline, and all preparation to do a proper launch in time e.g. strategic pricing, product availability, training material and plan, information in product selection and configuration programs, communications material etc.
• Identify and execute value engineering opportunities to make sure optimization of the product lines.
• Participates in technical meetings, conferences, workshops, industry days, trade shows and association events
• Active participation in the development of sales tools and ensure its product data is updated.
• Develop business cases, when required, as the foundation for product brand decisions
• Thought leadership activities (e.g. white papers) by developing content and/or presenting
• Develop appealing, and where possible, a quantified, value proposition which is validated through market research, voice of the customer, and other data inputs
• Collaborates with Sales, Vertical Marketing, and R&D to drive next generation value propositions by a rigorously understanding of the VOC
• Develop complete internal communication package e.g. product release notes
• Participation in Xylem Watermark volunteer activities

Minimum Qualifications: Education, Experience, Skills, Abilities, License/Certification:

• Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering or Business from an accredited institution, or equivalent
• A higher degree in Business Administration is preferred. Master’s degree in Business Administration is desirable
• Familiarity with radio equipment and RF network design principles and practice
• A minimum of 7 years previous experience in product management
• Demonstrated experience working in a global team in a matrix organization
• Demonstrate excellent computer, communication, presentation, management and analytical skills.  Be able to resolve difficult technical and business issues.  Be a self-starter with high motivation to achieve goals
• Strong interpersonal, teamwork and problem-solving skills in order to effectively work with customers, business partners, staff and management from a variety of skill levels as well as different authority levels
• Ability to understand technical issues and understand impact on projects, and effectively communicate these issues and impact to direct reports as well as other project stakeholders
• Flexibility in terms of dealing with changing priorities and dealing with multiple projects simultaneously
• The ability to have fun

Preferred Qualifications

• Six Sigma Certifications
• Fluent in English; multi-lingual capabilities desirable
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Strong project management skills with proven ability to influence cross-functional teams without formal authority
• Be a self-starter with high motivation skills
• Experience developing products for the utility industry, specifically experience developing water meters and battery powered communication products
• Experience developing products with radio transceivers

We Offer You More Than Just “A Job”

• Professional Development – To advance the capabilities of our people, we offer a wide variety of experiences to support our employees’ professional growth and continuous learning.
• Total Rewards – We offer comprehensive programs for compensation, benefits, recognition, learning and development, work-life integration and corporate citizenship.
• Watermark – Watermark is our corporate social responsibility program working to provide education and access to safe water to ensure healthy lives, gender equality, and resilient communities. Employees have the opportunity to learn and volunteer on various water-related projects.
• Employee Networks – Our Employee Networks provide a professional, supportive network for employees from diverse backgrounds, including Women’s, LGBT+ and Allies, Veteran’s, People of Color and Allies, Hispanic Origin & Latin Affinity, Emerging Leaders, Working Parents Networks and Non-Native English Speakers and Allies.

Physical Demands/Work Environment:

(The physical demands and work environment described here are representative of those an employee encounters and must be met to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.)

• Light lifting (20-25 lbs.), office environment
• Regularly required to sit or stand, reach, bend and move about the facility
• Office: Standard office equipment; work usually performed in an office setting free from any disagreeable elements.
• Standard weekly job hours: 40 hours