Role Summary:
Lead the development of our tile and slab product portfolio by identifying potential market opportunities; conducting market research; identifying and visiting target suppliers; negotiating the commercial terms; gathering product data; developing plans for product launches; overseeing retail pricing; assisting with marketing strategies and supporting the sales teams.
Product responsibilities: Tiles & Slabs
Job Description:
The Position will involve the following areas of responsibility:
• Determine customer needs by conducting market research and liaising with the Sales and Specification teams. Assess competition by comparing the company’s products to competitors’ products.
• Recommend future product lines by reviewing product specifications, appraising new product ideas and/or product or packaging changes.
• Facilitate the development of sales tools and collateral. Sign off all technical data sheets.
• Assess market data by calling on customers with external salespeople. Brief and train the sales force at regular intervals.
• Support the wider product development group to bring new products to market by analyzing proposed product requirements; establishing time schedules; performing product demonstrations and presentations to customers and specifiers.
• Determine retail pricing by utilizing market research data, reviewing production and sales costs and anticipating sales volumes.
• Collaborate closely with the Sourcing, Quality and Technical teams to ensure product specifications, standards and target costs are clearly defined. Visit factories to understand production capabilities and facilitate product sample reviews and agree production expectations.
• Negotiate with manufacturers to agree the final product selection with an acceptable commercial package of terms. Seek out opportunities to leverage the commercial relationship to improve margins, take advantage of bulk buying deals and/or secure investment from the manufacturers.
• Regularly review product sales trends and solicit feedback from sales teams to propose replenishment orders and bulk schedules for key ranges. Take into account supplier production capabilities and lead times to ensure we are adequately stocked to drive sales through the year.
• Introduce a product lifecycle management approach to proactively address product performance and feed relevant actions back into the product development cycle to maintain sales and margin expectations.
Core Competencies:
• Excellent communication skills internally and externally. Highly customer and sales focused.
• Positive, high energy, passionate and highly adaptable.
• Expertise in tile and slab products is critical.
• Excellent commercial acumen and market analysis capabilities.
• Strong understanding of supply chain and factory production processes.
• Very comfortable using reports, presentations, and other analytical tools.
• Ability to multi-task and break down complex problems into manageable elements.
• Results focused, ambitious and highly organised.
• Flexibility to travel worldwide, inter-culturally sensitive and open minded.
• Calm under pressure and naturally suited to a fast paced, entrepreneurial environment
