Product Line Manager

Summary

The Product Line Specialist working with product engineering, business development, and production teams is responsible for ensuring the products developed, produced or acquired, marketed and sold exceed the Customer’s expectations in each respective market segment while meeting the profit objectives. These products include; hard armor plates, helmets, shields and accessories utilized by law enforcement, corrections, security or as directed military personnel.

Essential Duties and Accountabilities

• Define the ballistics requirements based on market intelligence and end-users needs allowing the
  Company to be the market leader in all soft armor markets.
• Define ballistic systems enabling the Company to produce competitive products capable of dominating the market in the Commercial markets including, law enforcement, corrections, security or other government agencies.
• As directed, interprets and defines ballistic and system requirements for units within the U.S. Armed forces and the special operations community.
• Define the ballistic solutions and system requirements that meet international market requirements for law enforcement and militaries in the global market. Ballistic solutions and systems development considerations shall include, but not limited to the performance requirements, technical requirements, production requirements, profitability and strategic relationships.
• Development of ballistic strategy in conjunction with soft armor products and other constituent products relying on combined efforts of Design, Engineering, Sales, Product Line Management, Production and Executive Management.
• Identifies emerging technology for enhancing hard armor systems which could include heat mitigation, directed energy protection, enhanced ballistic protection for new threats and other technology which improves end-user safety.
• Identifies current and future needs that can guide the development of tactical systems requirements in all market sectors.
• Maps winning ballistic solutions based on market requirements and strategic supplier relationships.
• Identifies and utilizes strategic partners offering enhanced systems which integrate the Company ballistic solutions that will increase business opportunities in various markets.
• Defines the market requirements responsible for assisting the Product Engineering team to design, develop and produce the most advanced hard amor in the market today and in the future.
• Identifies, develops and executes a complete line of hard armor products that would displace existing competitor brand products in the marketplace.
• Assists Sales and Contract Management and Inside Sales Team with product review on bids, RFP’s and tenders identifying solutions that will result in winning strategy.
• Assists Marketing Director with the development of marketing collateral, product sheets and sell sheets for all products.
• Manages hard armor product launch process and strategy.
• Coordinates with the business units and sales teams and sales bases to manage product launch campaigns for all hard armor products in this market category.
• Responsible for working according to the company’s safety and quality standards.
• Maintains a safe and clean work area.
• Performs other related duties as required and assigned.

Competencies

Cognition: Processes thoughts and experiences effectively from decision making to innovative thinking, analysis, judgments and problem solving. This includes examining information to draw conclusions, developing creative ideas and perspectives, making informed decisions considering all of the facts, goals, constraints and risks associated and resolving difficult challenges.

Communication: Communicates clearly with others avoiding ambiguity in all aspects of communication from speaking to writing, listening, and reading. This includes expressing ideas and facts orally and in writing, understanding and learning from what others say and grasping the meaning of written information.

Interaction with Others: Communicating and reacting with co-workers appropriately to maintain a
professional environment. This includes encouraging others and furthering Company objectives, building constructive working relationships consisting of acceptance and respect, promoting cooperation and commitment within a team to achieve goals and embracing a work environment that appreciates diversity.

Personal Effectiveness: Incorporating all personal resources to achieve work objectives the most efficiently from accountability to adaptability, customer and safety focus and continual learning. This includes taking responsibility for actions, quality and timeliness of work, adjusting to changing business needs, conditions and work responsibilities, maintaining customer satisfaction with the products offered by the company, adhering to all workplace standards, regulations and practices and showing an ongoing commitment to self-improve.

Management: Structures and directs others to ensure Company goals are met from coaching, leading, organizing and self-managing. This includes supporting all co-workers growth by giving feedback, instruction and encouragement in order for them to better succeed. This also includes promoting Company objectives and demonstrating the way to achieve them, coordinating ideas, prioritizing tasks by importance and deadline, keeping a quick pace without sacrificing quality, maintaining composure in stressful situations and tactfully handling challenges or tense interpersonal situations.

Qualifications

• Minimum five (5) years of experience in the body armor industry or public safety equipment.
• Bachelor’s Degree or minimum of three (3) years sales, military, police or protective solutions industry experience.
• Proficient in operating various word-processing software, spreadsheets and database programs.
• Ability to create, compose and edit written materials.
• Ability to work independently, find solutions to problems, interact directly with Customers while maintaining a positive impression of the Company at all times.
• Effective technical writing skills, strong interpersonal and communication skills both written and verbally.
• Complete understanding of end-user requirements, tactical missions in the target markers and the technical specifications set by NIJ, FBI, DEA, U.S. Military and other global entities.
• Must read, write and understand Basic English.
• Must be authorized to work in the USA.
• Bonus: Program Management and/or Production Experience.

Physical Demands and Working Conditions

• Requires sitting for a prolonged period of time.
• Requires dexterity and coordination to handle files, boxes and materials.
• Requires minimum reaching for items above and below desk level.
• Requires strength, coordination and vision to use keyboard and video display terminal for prolonged periods.
• Requires walking, bending, stooping, pushing, pulling, and lifting up to 25 lbs. unassisted.
• Requires repetitive movements with fingers, hands, wrist, and arms.
• May require traveling when needed.