Production ManagerMy client, a leading manufacturer of optical products in Centurion, is looking for a Production Manager to craft and drive the strategy for growing a successful and profitable portfolio of products throughout their lifecycles, by understanding market needs, defining the product vision, and collaborating with engineering, sales, marketing, and technical support to ensure revenue and customer satisfaction goals are met.Duties & ResponsibilitiesStrategic planning:• Conduct comprehensive market research, competitor analysis, and proactively gather customer and market insights to drive product innovation.• Identify and address product gaps, generating ideas to enhance market share, elevate customer experience, and foster revenue growth.• Formulate product strategy and define business requirements for new features or products aligned with the company strategy.• Develop effective product pricing and positioning strategies; product development and life cycle management.• Translate product strategy into detailed Market and Product Requirements Documents, following AS9145 APQP principles.Product development:• Drive product development project kick-off meetings, covering requirements, assessment, and risk management, and actively participate in review and update sessions.• Collaborate closely with engineering teams to deliver projects on time, quality, and budget, and contribute to technical discussions and guide design trade-offs.• Establish effective mechanisms for gathering customer feedback post-launch, utilizing insights to inform ongoing product iterations and improvements.• Draft preliminary specification sheets for products in development and create product manuals for newly developed products.• Oversee all product hardware and firmware change notifications and the maintenance of technical product information.• Lead product rationalisation and the end-of-life process.Sales and marketing:• Support all sales and marketing activities and meet or exceed the annual revenue budget.• Lead the planning of product releases and execute comprehensive Go-To-Market strategies, encompassing pricing, distribution, and promotional activities for successful product launches.• Evaluate marketing plans to ensure alignment with product line strategy, and that messaging is effectively conveyed.• Contribute to the development of content strategies that resonate with the product positioning and address customer pain points.• Equip the sales team with the necessary tools, training, and collateral to effectively sell the product portfolio.• Onboard sales engineers and train them on the product portfolio, market sectors, and applications.• Maintain and update all product manuals to ensure accurate and current information.• Attend trade shows, webinars, and other events in line with the marketing plans.• Act as a product evangelist to build awareness and understanding, both internally and externally.Reporting:• Report on the performance of the product portfolio, highlighting growth in sales volumes, revenue, and profitability per product line.• Provide detailed reports on market trends, competitor activities, and changes in the competitive landscape that may influence the product.• Communicate potential risks, issues, and mitigation strategies associated with the product portfolio.Desired Experience & QualificationBachelor's degree in engineering, business, or marketing, or a related field:• Minimum of 5 years of experience in product management.• Demonstrated success in launching new products and Product Lifecycle Management (PLM).• Experience with AS9145 / APQP is advantageous.• Willingness to travel internationally.Package & RemunerationNegotiable
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