Product Manager

Company Overview

The Busch Group is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of vacuum pumps, vacuum systems, blowers, compressors, and gas abatement systems. Under its umbrella, the group houses two well-known brands:
Busch Vacuum Solutions and Pfeiffer Vacuum+Fab Solutions. The gas abatement systems previously offered by centrotherm clean solutions – a former Busch Group brand – are now part of the Pfeiffer portfolio. This extensive product and service offer includes solutions for vacuum, over pressure, and abatement applications in all industries, such as food, semiconductors, analytics, chemicals, plastics, and aerospace. It also includes the design and construction of tailor‑made vacuum systems and a worldwide service network.

The Busch Group is a family business that is managed by the Busch family. More than 8,000 employees in 44 countries worldwide work for the group. Busch is headquartered in Maulburg, Baden-Württemberg, in the tri‑country region of Germany, France and Switzerland. The Busch Group manufactures in its 23 own production plants in China, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, India, Romania, South Korea, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, the USA, and Vietnam.

The Busch Group has an annual consolidated revenue of close to 2 billion Euro.

The Product Manager develops, implements, and manages product line strategies and marketing activities to provide optimum sales and profit results. Determines short- and long-term strategies and tactics for the marketing of product lines. Evaluates effectiveness of marketing programs and concepts. Fully understands product line features, benefits, pricing, positioning, design aspects, and marketing techniques. Must be highly motivated, organized, and capable of multi-tasking several projects or efforts at any given time.

Responsibilities include working hand‑in‑hand with Business Development Managers, Sales, other Product Managers as well as peers in other departments, such as Engineering, Manufacturing, Materials, Quality, and Sales & Marketing. The Product Manager also has profit and loss responsibility. They are responsible for managing the life cycle of their Product Lines from identifying market needs to successful financial performance after volume release.

In addition, Product Managers are responsible for initiating or managing private label agreements on either a supplier- or customer basis or exploring and recommending the need for joint development activities with other companies.

• Plans, executes, oversees, and occasionally directs activities concerned with all operational facets related to the success of each product line, including working with Engineering, Sales, Manufacturing, and Distribution of the product lines; utilizing state‑of‑the‑art knowledge of product technologies and production methodologies, as well as a thorough knowledge of customers and markets served.
• Setting product line list prices for domestic and international markets.
• Defining and establishing acceptable discount and commission levels.
• Reviewing, understanding, and recommending improvements to product line cost structures.
• Monitoring competitor activities, product portfolios, and pricing to assure competitiveness.
• Providing input and updates to Product Sales and Profitability forecasts.
• Championing new product development ideas or initiatives and participating in new product development teams.
• Travels for the purposes of attending and working at trade shows and conventions; giving product training presentations at select sales meetings and other venues; assisting in the Sales/Marketing effort by giving product presentations, or consulting on product installations, at customer locations.
• Works closely with Engineering and Materials to assure BOMs, Routers and Costs are accurately entered into the business system.
• Ensures Assembly Instructions, Operating and Service Manuals exist and are current for all applicable product lines.
• Measures, tracks, and reports on performance of each product line, and determines appropriate corrective actions if performance results negatively deviate from expectations.
• Resolves internal and external…