Director of Product Management and Business Optimization Jobs - Breslau, (ON)

Director of Product Management and Business Optimization - Job Description

The Director of Product Management will work closely with the Vice President of Sales and Business Development to develop, implement, and maintain optimum pricing strategies, product and production planning processes, and inventory optimization strategies aligned with current and projected commodity market levels, to maximize product penetration, market share, sales volume, customer satisfaction, production efficiencies and organizational profitability.

Why Work at Conestoga Meats?

• Growing company with opportunity to grow with team and department
• Stable full-time hours; no rotating shifts
• Employee referral bonus program (minimum $300 per hire)
• Competitive benefits package for you and your family at 3 months of service
• Pension plan and company matching at 1 year of service
• Floater day given on top of vacation days
• Diverse workforce; translation of communication materials into 8 languages
• Discounts on quality pork products
• Employee assistance program (financial assistance, mental health resources)
• Social Committee events (food trucks, gifts, games)
• BBQ's and wellness programs
• On-site training and company provided equipment
• Employee scholarship program and English courses

Responsibilities

• Work with the Vice President of Sales and Business Development to analyze market data/insights, customer/industry trends, and internal metrics to identify optimal pricing, merchandising, and selling strategies
• Responsible for setting weekly/period pricing, as well any customer/market specific long-term pricing formula requirements through intimate understanding of hog costs and commodity market trends
• Use product knowledge, well developed industry knowledge/contacts as well as analytical skills to make pricing and product distribution decisions for current and future customer/market base that will maximize the return for the organization
• Ongoing daily market research and analysis to identify and validate product opportunities - market data collected from all available sources (industry contacts, publications, trading houses, etc.)
• Working in partnership with Supply Chain and Plant Operations, oversees the strategic direction and daily management of fresh and frozen inventories and daily production planning direction to for all products
• Responsible for overseeing and leading continuous improvement initiatives across all related planning processes and tools to ensure optimum cross-functional collaboration and efficiencies
• Establishes inventory forecasts, pricing strategies, and marketing/merchandising plans to successfully develop and deliver new products to market
• Develops and implements strategies aligned with category management and market opportunities to maximize product penetration, maraccket share, sales volume, and profitability for all categories, to ensure continued growth and optimum sales potential. (i.e., Make determinations about how best to distribute product for further processing, direct to consumer, etc.)
• Utilizes financial and management information systems to compile, analyze and monitor sales mix, ensuring that activities are planned to maximize sustainably profitable sales
• Works collaboratively with the Director of Sales Operations and the Director of New Business and Market Development through structured analysis by product, customer, and market segment to identify and align on opportunities
• Assists the Vice President of Sales and Business Development in developing and executing annual business plans that will support Conestoga Meats' overall goals
• Direct customer interface responsibility selling to select high volume "transactional" commodity customers to ensure real-time market connectivity and insight
• Supports business reviews as required to discuss existing and future product plans, sales performance, new product opportunities, service levels, quality, and promotions
• Participates in department meetings and merchandising conferences to develop strategies, trouble shoot and actively pursue innovative products/processes, and packaging ideas
• Oversees competitive product testing to ensure we have a true understanding of competitor's products and how we compare
• Creates an annual business plan by category, including establishing an annual budget by category for expenses including travel, promotion, customer relationship, and business development
• Develops and maintains good working relationships with coworkers to ensure proper execution of product development/production and optimum service levels
• Work as a senior mentor for assigned cross-functional Primal Pod teams to support overall development of the broader Sales team
• Manages overall team workload and provides supervision to ensure that work is done accurately, efficiently, and complies with all policies, procedures, standards, and optimum working practices
• Build a team environment that inspires performance, passion, and energy in a productive collaborative atmosphere that enables people to grow personally, develop professionally, and deliver clearly set goals.
• Ensure appropriate development plans, succession strategies, and back-up structures are in place for all direct reports
• Provides guidance, motivation, and ongoing performance reviews to maintain and enhance competency levels for direct reports, while identifying future training requirements and goals to heighten performance and career aspirations

Qualifications

• University degree in Business, Marketing, Merchandising or equivalent
• Financial skills in order to prepare budgets, cost standards, analyze variances, etc.
• Seven to ten years of pricing and category management/merchandising or equivalent experience.
• Excellent Microsoft Office/project management software skills.
• Project and time management skills
• Solid understanding of production and distribution processes
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including ability to tailor communication to audience, mediate and facilitate communications between others
• Must have ability to gain buy-in from stakeholders on complex issues
• Ability to work at tactical and strategic level simultaneously
• Ability to exercise professional judgment and assume responsibility for decisions
• High energy team builder with leadership skills, committed to continuous improvement
• Maintain excellent communication and relationships with others; be a team player; maintain a positive attitude, and work collaboratively cross functionally

Key Competencies

Service Excellence

• Appropriately consults with other departments prior to making decisions that impact the customer experience
• Actively looks for opportunities to enhance the customer experience
• Works closely with customers and has a good understanding of their needs building trust over time by consistently meeting their expectations

Accountability and Initiative

• Promotes initiative and stepping up to take calculated risks, within guidelines when tough calls need to be made
• Guarantees the on-time delivery of products and services with absolute quality and safety for their team
• Monitors employees to ensure that standards, policies, and regulations are being followed, and steps in to adjust when necessary to help them stay on track (e.g., provides coaching and training)

Communicating with Clarity

• Provides further explanation behind messages, updates, and news items
• When presenting, repeats important messages and reinforces key points with examples to make it more relevant to the audience
• Proactively meets with the senior leadership team to confirm which messages are to be shared with employees

Key Performance Accountabilities

• Optimizing product mix and plant efficiency
• Contribution Margin versus budget
• Fresh/frozen inventory levels
• Up to date spec sheets and cost cards
• Solid and actionable recommendations provided
• Timely reports/communication to CLT

If this sounds like the job for you, please submit your resume online at http://conestogameats.com.

We thank all applicants for their interest, however only those invited to participate in our recruitment process will be contacted.

Conestoga Meats welcomes and encourages applications from people with disabilities. Accommodations are available on request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the selection process.