Product Manager

The Product Manager will be responsible for managing and growing Kemin Food Technologies product in the food industry including antioxidants, antimicrobials, mold inhibitors, specialty proteins and functional blends in Europe, Middle East, and Africa.

You will work in close collaboration with the sales, marketing and scientific team; focusing on the product management of solutions to keep food products safer, fresher and tastier for longer. Your goal will be to take strategic actions and develop long-term product plans to grow sales and margin of the product platforms.

You will be the owner and driver for the product management strategy in collaboration with the marketing director and product management team.

Key responsibilities include:

• Develop strategic product plans for key product groups. You will need to plan the product life cycle, marketing activities and analyze the competitive field as well as new market trends/opportunities.
• Identify customer needs and translate them into new products/programs (in cooperation with sales and marketing team).
• Develop and implement the marketing strategy in co-ordination with the commercial team.
• Responsible for day-to-day product management activities interacting with all departments to drive sales and margin and guarantee customer satisfaction.
• Follow up on new product development ideas and support the launch of new products in collaboration with the marketing director.
• Plan for product positioning and communication activities in collaboration with the marketing communications specialist.
• Responsible for promotional and communication activities for your portfolio.
• Participate in and attend local exhibitions, seminars, training, sales meetings and discovery workshops.
• Provide support and strategic vision to the sales team. This includes product training, pricing strategy and customer segmentation guidance.
• Provide direct support to Kemin customers in collaboration with the sales team by extensively conducting joint visits in the region as member of the customer facing team.
• Convert new product data into commercial material (technical literature, presentations, magazine articles etc.) intended for customers, distributors, symposia, webinars, workshops, etc.
• Present Kemin products in webinars and at external events.

Key Competencies

• Intermediate PC knowledge with MS Office programs (Word, Excel, PowerPoint & Power BI).
• Project management and strategic marketing/product management skills.
• Hands-on mentality
• Strong interpersonal skills
• Ability to work effectively in a diverse team environment.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills (English), problem-solving skills, and critical-thinking skills.
• Ability to meet deadlines and maintain professional demeanor while working under pressure.
• Must be a reliable, flexible, and well-organized self-starter.
• Work well in a fast-paced team environment or independently with limited supervision.
• Maintain confidentiality and protect intellectual property.
• Adapt readily and quickly to a changing work environment.
• Food industry market experience highly desired.

• Master’s degree with 3+ years of experience, or Bachelor’s degree with 5+ years, preferably in Marketing, Economics, or related field. Background in Food Technology is highly preferred.
• 3+ years of experience in product management preferably in the food industry.
• Capability and desire to understand the science of Kemin solutions.
• Background in product management, strategic marketing, and business development.
• Hands-on experience is required for the position.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, problem solving, and critical mindset. 
• Strong cross functional team, leadership and interpersonal skills to be able to work effectively in a diverse and multi-cultural team environment.
• Good writing and presentation skills
• Leadership presence with the ability to engage and influence key stakeholders across the enterprise
• A high degree of personal motivation, a desire to make an immediate contribution and a sense of urgency.
• Demonstrated integrity and honesty in all aspects.
• Must have a solid understanding and adherence to the Servant Leadership philosophy

Working Conditions:

The product manager will be based in the Kemin Food Technologies office in Parma, Italy. 1-day remote working per week is allowed. Extensive travel will be required (30-40%). The position is a full-time position and requires a high level of flexibility. The position will work in a highly challenging and multi-tasked environment and must be able to set priorities for various jobs/projects given to them and maintain timelines.

What’s in it for you:

• A competitive financial package
• Continued learning opportunities

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