Product Manager – Storage Solutions

SUMMARY:
Our Client, who is a leading technology distributor in Africa, is looking for a highly experienced Product Manager - Storage Solutions to join their team.  This position is permanent and is based in Midrand.

**South African citizens and those living in the area will be given preference**

POSITION INFO:
Purpose of the position:

Contribute to and execute on a pre-defined product strategy, which will optimise the product/brand performance in South Africa / Africa while achieving the objectives set by both ourselves and the vendor. This will necessitate the management of product lifecycle with specific focus on sell-out. Achievement of product sales target and GP, aligned to product performance and profitability objective. Management of all product and company objectives are fundamental to this position. This position focus on our internal, vendor, and channel / partner management. As such the portfolio focusses on the business unit product management, strategy execution, development of the partners / channel, innovative sales approaches, and collaborative marketing with the channel / partner base. A close working relationship with the vendor is required to ensure all aspects of the product management function is achieved and delivered on.

Key Responsibility Areas:
Internal Operational deliverables:

• Sales Performance - Responsible for total sales revenue and GP number for allocated product range.
• Rebate Performance - Responsible for rebates and the management thereof, ensuring the necessary activity execution to achieve rebate targets and maximize rebates. Manage and execute any activity related to partner rebates and the process of partner rebate applications
• Quote and order process management focused on speed, accuracy, quality and service excellence – continually chase as needed to resolution and update parties in process on status and progress, query resolution and escalation management.
• Experience – Responsible for the overall partner and vendor service experience ensuring service excellence throughout the sales and ordering process
• Forecasting - Provide accurate and regular sales forecasts and business updates to management and to the Vendor, at the frequency stipulated by the business driving forecast accuracy from channel level upwards and compiling forecasting reports according to the business/vendor requirements and standards
• Reporting and analysis - Reporting on any activity, data, information and requirements as stipulated by business to meet both business and vendor reporting requirements according to pre-defined standards and time lines. Review company data/reports daily (such as open sales orders, invoicing, stock, ETA etc.), scrutinize and analyze data and spot the anomalies and risk, reporting findings to management with suggested corrective actions and process improvement.
• Maximize margin– educate partners and our internal staff on vendor program benefits and promo’s, drive call out and promotional campaigns, negotiate with Vendor higher discounts to increase margin and price competitiveness, ensure promotions are applied on quotes, monitor quote accuracy to ensure correct margins are applied, follow up with vendor to release invoices promptly to reduce any margin impact related to ROE
• Vendor incentives and rebates – Manage vendor targets and drive the necessary activities to ensure successful achievement of vendor targets related to rebates. Keep up to date with all incentives and initiatives the vendor is running to ensure both the business and Partners participate in such incentive. Rebate management, reporting, workflows and activity execution.
• Operations - Work with Central Operations team and finance teams to understand outstanding vendor recoveries. Manage the disputes raised to resolution. OBS management. Basic understanding of ROWC (return on working capital), debtors’ days and other financial items affecting inventory management

• Systems/tools - Freshdesk management, BID tools, Partner Portal, Sage- Handle business management system queries and activities - on quotes, price agreements, sales orders, purchase orders, stock, AP, sage pricing, vendor pricing, price logic, all ERP related queries, Audit queries – investigate and supply all required info
• Price Management - Manage and update all master data, e.g. stock management file, product master, price lists, all ERP system input, Digital price feeds (as pertaining to the BU) o Market price and Sage, Price Logic.
  - Handle business management system queries on quotes, price agreements, sales orders, purchase orders, stock, price, vendor pricing.
  - Maintain pricing accuracy through continuous monitoring of pricing mechanisms.
  - Resolve pricing, delivery times, returns and information discrepancies.
  - Quote management in partnership with Sales.
  - Price agreements in collaboration with Product Administration.
  - NSQ/Vendor quote pricing specific to a market segment or partner.
  - Product hygiene.
  - Legacy and new SKU updating
  - RFx pricing (configs and other) – provide tender and large deal pricing from vendor to quoting teams.
  - Big deal pricing management involving BU manager accordingly
• Inventory management - Forecasting and pipeline management where stock holding is required
  - Order planning (sell-in)
  - Aged stock clearance
  - Aged Stock analysis, investigation and reporting
  - Aged stock provisioning.
  - Netstock management against actual stock positions.
  - Cost, lot, and movement management of stock.
  - Virtual stock management and clearance
  - Management of logistics and order delivery with key stakeholders

• Management of the business unit’s marketing plan, driving execution with key stakeholders ensuring successful execution within required timelines according to vendor and business unit requirements/expectations.
• Execution of various marketing activities as stipulated by the business unit manage
• Understanding the various target markets and mapping our focus to these markets with market share growth as the key driver.
• Drive sales team to grow vendor revenue in existing accounts as well develop new accounts, through focused marketing strategies, campaigns, sales enablement, events and workshop sessions presenting on product updates, vendor programs, promotions and other pertinent content
• Implement Go-to-Market programs to drive focus and sell-out on products and solutions. (Promos, SPIFFs, Awareness campaigns)
• Manage and execute internal training and skills development for vendor products, ensuring that our staff has the skill to represent the vendor’s interests in the best manner possible in the form of events, webinars, workshops, mailers, material sharing and any other forms of enablement

• Market growth through: Increase customer coverage / count for vendor and the business.
  - Increase vendor product coverage (SA and Africa).
  - Increase geographic coverage (Market share through sell-out).
• Provide accurate sales forecasts, business updates, activity reporting and any other reporting/feedback as required by the Vendor.
• Develop and manage the vendor relationship at all levels and all key contacts/stakeholders. Be the relationship architect between ourselves and the vendor.
• Manage the Vendor Partner Programs.
• Identify new potential partners and recruit, on-board, train, and continue to develop, new partners as per defined strategy.
• Own Vendor Requests for Information.
• QBR presentations and feedback preparation.
• Vendor exception reporting outside of our vendor reporting.
• Understanding of vendor logistics and procedures / aligned to central Operations

• Manage partners for revenue growth, market expansion, and ultimate profitability.
• Identify key accounts and design a sales approach to bring new customers on board.
• Understand the partner sales process and develop a sales and marketing strategy to align with partner objectives.
• Query resolution and escalation management
• Sales Executive engagement and Sales Account Managers engagement, service and support