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Title: Products and Innovation Manager
Our client is a digital agency currently recruiting a Products and Innovation Manager
Job Description: The Products and Innovation Manager leads a team focused on the development, marketing and sale of commercial ready products and services to current and new markets.
The Manager is responsible for the design, development and release to market of new or upgraded products and services.
Key Responsibilities
- Incorporates relevant design expertise and experience in projects in line with brand/product strategy
- Actively searches for best-in-class technologies among competitors and develops innovation roadmap
- Implements structures respecting existing patents; creates min. 3 market-value adding patents per year
- Cooperates closely with product managers to assure customer focus and target costing; co-develops product roadmaps
- Coordinates product development managers defining the right allocation of the resources
- Establishes and maintains operational budgets for his team personnel and equipment
- Supports R&D projects at group level participating in meetings and sharing technical information and “best-practices”
- Encourages “best-practice” sharing through the participation and promotion of meetings, newsletters, knowledge sharing tools and all other initiatives liaising on a world-wide basis
- Cooperates with design committee to ensure brand-consistent design of product ranges
- Develops employees assigned to his department, ensuring the correct application of tools and policies on training, career path and evaluations and inputs to compensation systems
- Establish and manage all the processes necessary for the development of new products/services from start to finish.
- Coordinate activity with employees and customers to generate new product/service ideas internally and externally
- Validate product/services suggestions.
- Coordinate activity to promote the sales of all products/services.
- Establish relationships with relevant suppliers to support all products and services.
- Provide accurate analysis of the feasibility and profitability of all products/services including Return on Investment analysis.
- Maintain high energy and a positive work atmosphere by acting and communicating in a manner that promotes a beneficial relationship with customers, co-workers, suppliers and management.
- Understand, support and implement company quality processes and operating principles within areas of responsibility and throughout company.
Skills and Qualifications
- Strong leadership and ownership is needed
- Capability to promote team-working and collaboration among the different functions, together with an attitude to measure performances by KPIs is highly appreciated
- Out-of-the box thinking and encouragement of driving for innovative, marketable solutions
- Drive for excellence
- Demonstrated ability to engage with multiple stakeholders to accomplish a common goal
- Proven experience in a similar role essential in a product development environment
- Proven experience as technical product manager working with successfully deployed ICT web solutions
- Understanding of complex, multi-tasking real time web based solutions
- Experience working in small, highly focused teams
- Prior experience of designing and managing complex process and/or product issues of a broad scope using independent judgment
- Product development process – stage gate approach.
- Knowledge of brand; communications; marketing and sales processes and outcomes measurement such as brand audits.
Education and Experience
- Bachelor’s degree in a business related field or equivalent
- Minimum of 3 years’ experience in a product management capacity.
- A good understanding of the Digital Industry is a MUST.
- 3 + years in the ICT web solutions field
- Track record of strong relationship building
- A previous experience in innovation is highly desirable
Interested parties should send their CVs to jobs@alternatedoors.co.ke
