Product Specialist We are seeking a proactive and customer-focused Product Specialist for our Direct Thermal product line of paper and films. In this role, you will develop, execute and socialize product line road map aligned to the over-arching Appvion business strategy and objectives. As the bridge between our customers and internal teams, you'll work closely with sales, production, and R&D to ensure our products meet customer needs, achieve profitability targets and enable growth. Employee Mission:
- Enterprise value: Increase customer satisfaction as an empathetic and expert resource and regular feedback engagement, leading to a >2% increase in EBITDA within the next fiscal year.
- Core results: Achieve 5000T of volume growth at accretive margin by aligning product development with customer needs and enhancing sales training.
- Organizational development. Position product management as a strategic pillar of profitable growth within both Appvion and the M2S group, via market insight assimilation, cross functional leadership and successful project execution.
Key Responsibilities: Customer and Sales Support:
- Collaborate with the sales team to provide product expertise, helping to close deals and ensure customers receive the right solutions for their needs.
- Act as the product expert during customer meetings, providing technical guidance and addressing customer-specific product questions.
- Engage with customers regularly to gather feedback on product performance and identify opportunities for product improvements.
Drive Product Lifecycle with Customer Focus:
- Participate in the development and management of direct thermal coatings, ensuring products meet customer specifications and market demands.
- Work with the sales and marketing teams to translate customer needs into actionable product features and improvements.
- Lead product training sessions for the sales team, ensuring they are well-equipped to present the product effectively to customers as well as presenting directly to value chain partners.
Operational Alignment with Customer Requirements:
- Collaborate with the production team to ensure that product specifications match customer expectations and allow for manufacturing efficiency.
- Implement customer feedback into the product development process, ensuring that product updates reflect market needs.
Manage Customer-Driven Projects:
- Lead customer-specific projects, from initial inquiry to delivery, ensuring clear communication between the customer and internal teams.
- Work with supply chain and procurement teams to ensure that raw materials meet both performance and cost expectations.
- Manage custom product requests, ensuring operational feasibility while meeting customer expectations.
Ensure Product Quality and Customer Satisfaction:
- Regularly review quality claim data and customer feedback to ensure products meet the highest standards.
- Collaborate with the quality assurance team to address any product performance issues reported by customers.
Support Sales and Market Expansion:
- Identify opportunities to expand the product line based on customer feedback and market trends.
- Assist the sales team in identifying new business opportunities by analyzing customer needs and suggesting product applications.
- Participate in customer visits, trade shows, and industry events to represent the product line and gather market insights.
Qualifications: - Bachelor's degree in Business, Engineering, or related field preferred but an equivalent of education and experience will be considered
- 1-2 years of experience in product management or sales support, preferably within the coatings or manufacturing industry.
- Strong understanding of manufacturing processes and how they impact customer product delivery.
- Excellent communication skills, with a focus on customer relationships.
- Ability to work cross-functionally with sales, operations, and technical teams.
- Experience working directly with customers and supporting sales in a technical capacity.
Key Competencies: - Customer-Centric Approach: Ability to understand customer needs and translate them into product features and improvements.
- Sales Support: Capable of supporting the sales team with product expertise, helping to drive sales and secure customer satisfaction.
- Cross-Functional Leadership: Ability to collaborate across departments to ensure customer requirements are met efficiently.
- Problem-Solving: Strong ability to resolve customer issues, manage product expectations, and deliver solutions.
Additional Information: Position Type: Regular, Full-Time
Position Location: 825 E. Wisconsin Ave, Appleton, WI 54912-0359
Work Schedule: This position works between the hours of 7:00 AM and 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday. The schedule may fluctuate and can include, but is not limited to working evenings, weekends, and holidays. However, work may be performed at any time on any day of the week to meet business needs.
Travel: Once per quarter
About Us: Appvion is the market leader in manufacturing specialty and high-performance coatings for direct thermal and film applications in North America. We innovate sustainable specialty coating solutions that are a part of many tickets, labels, tags, and packages consumers touch daily. As a premier employer of choice, distinguished by the Fox Cities Chamber of Commerce Employee Friendly Workplace certification, our success is rooted in our people. We are committed to promoting work life balance and integration by investing significantly in employee-friendly policies and practices. Whether you are looking to start, make a change, or advance your career, find your path at Appvion, and leave your mark on the world.
What We Offer You: We prioritize the health and happiness of our employees by granting new hires eligibility for benefits starting on the 1st of the month following their hire date. Our comprehensive benefits package includes full, low-cost coverage for health, vision, and dental insurance. Additionally, we provide an array of other perks, including:
- Complimentary access to our 24/7, onsite fitness center.
- 100% 401(k) match up to the first 5% contributed, with full vesting day 1.
- Generous annual time off package: vacation starts at two (2) weeks and increases based on previous experience, supplemented by one (1) week of sick and emergency time, twelve (12) holidays per year, and paid volunteer and parental leave.
- Tuition reimbursement (up to $5,250 annually), scholarships for dependents, monthly cell phone reimbursement, and much more!
A post-offer, pre-employment background check, and drug screen is required. Appvion provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, you may contact human resources at ...@appvion.com.