Job Description
Job DescriptionDescription:
Position Summary
The Product Technology Manager is responsible for leveraging OE, engineering and technical expertise to research and understand new upcoming technologies and product changes in WAI category portfolio. In addition, the PTM assists in the management, validation, and launch of new programs and categories globally.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
- Use OE and technical expertise to research and outline new products, new technologies, product shifts, engineering changes and other related changes in the product categories of interest to the company
- Responsible for identifying and building action plans for development of new potential product categories and part type offerings
- Prepare and educate global functional teams on new and upcoming technologies across all categories, including supplier identification and specification development.
- Participate in quality and validation testing of product line parts.
- Maintain understanding of prevailing market trends in the related categories in the region
- Assist in management and launch of new programs and new suppliers (RFQs for new SKUs, specification development, validation, timeline management, and quality).
- Assist in establishing validation protocols for new categories.
Requirements:
QUALIFICATIONS (Education, Experience, & Skills required)
Education: Masters Degree in Engineering (preferably Electrical or Electronics)
Experience:
- 10+ years of experience combined product management, engineering or research in the automotive aftermarket/ spare parts industry
- Proven track record in new product development, OE/ technology research, project management and managing new product launches
Product Knowledge
- Expertise in automotive aftermarket/ spare parts industry and spare parts distribution
- Knowledge of product and catalog management tools
- Understanding of automotive electrical, starting, charging and electronics systems
- OE research and new part number release process
- New product research and development
Soft Skills
- Strong work ethic and self driven
- Comfortable with data-driven decision-making, performance scorecards, and KPIs
- Able to operate in a fast-moving, matrixed, and remote-first environment
- Strong presentation skills
- Strong interpersonal, communication skills at all organizational levels
- Analytical and problem-solving skills with a data-driven approach to business strategy
- Experience working with data and content via various systems/formats including ERP, PIM, ACES/PIES and Tecdoc
- Proficiency in product and project management tools, MDM platforms, and data analytics
- Strong experience in data governance, master data clean-up, and ownership frameworks
- Change management experience, particularly in transitioning from decentralized to centralized models
Language : Fluent in English