Product Manager: Bulk & Packaged Products

Austin Powder is seeking a dynamic and collaborative Product Manager to be the primary link between the manufacturing, technical, and commercial processes of our diverse line of explosive products. The Product Manager - Bulk & Packaged Products is responsible to help drive the safe commercial, and technical growth of our products through the identification of our customers' needs and defining the vision and direction for our products to satisfy these requirements. This is a highly collaborative role that requires someone who can help align the objectives between Manufacturing, R&D, QA/QC, Technical Services, Operations, Marketing, and Sales to ensure our products support the vision and goals of Austin Powder. This position reports directly to the Director of Technical Services as a member of the Corporate Technical Services team and is responsible for the US and Canadian markets. This role will also collaborate with the global emulsion/explosive product and R&D group members.

Key Responsibilities and Duties

• Responsible for the product portfolio of bulk explosives, packaged emulsions, packaged blends, packaged ANFO, and dynamite.
• Support the preparation and execution of a plan to streamline the product portfolio to increase product margins and improve manufacturing effectiveness.
• Establish and maintain an intimate knowledge of the products' lifecycle, physical properties, chemical makeup, manufacturing processes, transportation and storage requirements, and safe application requirements.
• Participate in the preparation and execution of a plan to minimize/eliminate of dynamite (3rd party product) and replace with Austin brand products (emulsion).
• Work with all stakeholders to establish, refine, and own the product portfolio's vision, strategy, and viability.
• Help optimize the product portfolio's profitability and efficiency based on the safety, technical, and commercial product needs of our internal and external customers.
• Build and maintain trusting and respectful relationships with the manufacturing teams responsible for your product portfolio.
• Lead the investigation process for product complaints, and participate in relevant misfire & flyrock investigations, to identify root causes and appropriate corrective actions.
• Conduct regular field visits across the US and Canada to identify improvement opportunities, highlight success stories, and gather first-hand feedback from the end users to help define and advance your product plans.
• Be a leader and active proponent for the safe manufacturing, handling, transportation, storage, application, and consumption of all explosive products.
• Collaborate with our Training Managers to develop and distribute training material to support our sales teams, technical teams, field personnel and customers.
• Coordinate with marketing and corporate direction, as a subject matter expert, for the development of product information brochures (PIB), safety data sheets, and additional marketing materials and strategies to facilitate the growth of the product portfolio.
• Participate as a critical team member on the research, development, and improvements of the product portfolio as defined by the needs of our internal and external customers.
• Maintain a working knowledge of industry product trends, applications, and competitive product developments.
• Regularly review quality reports to ensure that products adhere to Austin Powder manufacturing standards.
• Monitor the application of QA/QC in the field for all on-site manufactured bulk products.
• Help introduce of changes to bulk products in the field and provide technical field reports on results.

Essential Skills, Knowledge, and Abilities

• Ability to process multiple sources of complex information and apply it to make safe and informed decisions.
• Ability to drive change through problem-solving, collaboration, and hands-on support.
• Ensures projects, initiatives, and actions always prioritize the save development, manufacturing, shipping, storage, and application of the product portfolio.
• Can effectively prioritize necessary initiatives needed to drive product development, and growth, in line with the vision of Austin Powder Company.
• Good financial analytical skills to identify product profitability opportunities and initiatives.
• Works well in a team setting and demonstrates the ability to shift between project support and leadership roles.
• Comfortable adapting to, and overcoming, last minute priority changes as they arise in the ever-dynamic product management space.
• Confident, collaborative, and respectful style with a one-company mindset.
• Team-oriented with the ability to coach others and earn the respect of other team members.
• Effectively communicates information clearly and concisely with respect for the implications of other parties involved in the process.
• Strong presentation skills in front of intimate and large audiences with confidence as a subject matter expert.
• Strong writing skills to create clear, concise, accurate, and professional documents, reports, and presentations.
• Willingness to travel throughout the US & Canadian markets and visit other related Austin operations and use of products around the globe as applicable.
• Strong computer skills to help collect, organize, decipher, and share pertinent data.
• Continually look for new ways to approach problems to help identify new solutions while maintaining an understanding of the bigger picture.

Education and Experience

• A completed bachelor's degree preferably with an engineering focus or 5+ years of relevant experience in a highly regulated and multi-unit/business environment

Reporting Relationships

• This role will report directly to the Director of Technical Services, as a member of the Corporate Technical Services Team, and will have no direct reports

Work Environment

• This position requires up to 50% overnight travel and will include a variety of working conditions to include working in offices, plants, workshops, and outdoors on mining and construction projects.

Location

• Typically resides in close proximity to either a manufacturing facility relevant to product portfolio or in close proximity to field locations which feature prominent sale and use of relevant product portfolio.

AUSTIN POWDER's Mission

To improve the world we live in through the safe and responsible use of explosives.

AUSTIN POWDER's Vision

We will be the global leader of explosive products, services and technologies as defined by our Customers, our Family and our Communities.

AUSTIN POWDER's Values

Safety is our 1st priority; WE are customer focused; we leverage the Power of the Family; We treat everyone with respect.

This is an exciting opportunity for a proven leader to celebrate the company's rich history beginning in 1833. This is an unique opportunity to drive future success through continued transformation of key manufacturing processes and lead the sites to best in class performance levels and culture.

Austin Powder is an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer and is committed to ensuring equal employment opportunities for all job applicants and employees. Employment decisions are based upon job-related reasons regardless of an applicant's race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, national origin, disability, marital status, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other status protected by law. Austin Powder also participates in E-Verify.