Product Manager: Solar

**Purpose**:
Your main objective as a Senior Product Manager is to ensure that operational processes of your brand is in line with the strategic vision of your brand. A brand cannot grow and develop if the fundamental planning and infrastructure for growth is not in place. To manage the product in line with the Group strategy, Vendor roadmaps, trends and technology, including marketing, forecasting, and profitability. To analyse the competitive landscape in order to map a product vision that is differentiated and delivers unique value-based solutions to customer demands while bridging gaps within the company between teams and departments. To provide the latest insights on products to all stakeholders and provide training on products to internal sales and marketing staff.

**Responsibilities**:

- Stock Management.
- Manage current stock within budget stock days.
- Aging stock should be within the prescribed percentage agreed upon in annual reviews.
- Maximise stock turns required Companies mandate.
- Preparing sales forecasts which meet both Company’s and Vendor requirements.
- Review these forecasts with Management prior to placing on supplier.
- Review new products suitable to ensure companies growth.
- Research Market and consistently Introduce new products which align with the company’s strategy.
- Develop sales and marketing plans in accordance with the above.
- Margin Management is an integral part of a Product manager role it is your responsibility to ensure that your Margin mix ensures you are in line with budgetary
- Gross Margin percentages as agreed in annual review.
- Manage stock on back order as well as run or for certain deals.
- Completes regular competitive analysis of Market both competitors and competing brands.
- Travel requirements, from time to time it will be deemed the senior product managers responsibility to travel to branches, conferences and symposiums.
- Maintain Vendor relationships, as well as negotiate contracts, prices, and stock.
- Clear understanding of product life cycles and roadmaps and develop competitive advantages with sales as to maximise profitability.
- Work closely with key customers to develop product, sales strategies. Identify and fill product gaps thus improve customer experience and generate growth.
- Bridge the gap between Sales and Client by supplying product and information, prioritize activities based on maximising business and customer impact.
- Negotiate prices for deals and tenders; determines product pricing by utilising market research data; anticipating volume; costing special and customised orders.
- Maintain and retain client relationships.
- Maximise product marketing communication, events and business objectives.
- Vendor reports: to comply with submission of the required vendor reports as stipulated in the various vendor distribution agreement.

**Qualification and Experience**:

- Matric
- A degree or Diploma in Electrical Engineering or Bachelor of Technology
- Sales experience in Solar
- Minimum 3 years’ experience in marketing and sales within Solar industry

**Skills and Knowlege**:

- Microsoft Office, Excel especially
- ICT industry knowledge
- Product specific knowledge
- Working knowledge of budgets
- Sales and marketing principles and procedures
- Verbal and non-verbal persuasion techniques and communication
- Clear understanding of Product [Technology/Lifecycle and drives]
- Knowledge of import and costing methodology
- Basic understanding of business and profitability
- Analysing of data and interpretation thereof
- Managing of people
- Superior presentation skills
- Good problem solving/ analytic skills
- Good relationship building skills
- Good general administration skills
- Good influencing/ persuasion skills
- Strategy development skills
- Superior negotiation skills
- Good verbal and written communication skills
- Good organisational skills
- Good people and customer management skills
- Good management skills (manage people)
- Good conflict management skills
- Superior networking skills
- Superior presentation/public speaking
- Good information processing skills
- Good creative skills/ideal generation skills