Product Manager

Overview

What We Do

We calm the confusion of IT by guiding the connection between people and technology. If a customer is looking for a better way to manage their warehouse inventory, equip their workforce, or secure their data, we make it happen. All it takes is finding the right combination of tech hardware, software, cloud solutions, and support services. That’s what we do. We’re the IT Department’s IT Department.

Who We Are

Our team is made stronger by a multitude of backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. It’s what makes Connection unique—what drives us to innovate and create technology solutions that stand apart from the crowd. We’d love for you to be a part of that fabric, to share your ideas and experiences with a team that thrives on fresh thinking, creativity, and helping others.

Why You Should Join Us

You’ll find supportive teammates and a rewarding career at Connection—plus great benefits. We take pride in supporting employees with a total rewards package that provides financial, emotional, and physical resources for you and your family.  Our compensation, 401k plans, medical insurance, and other benefits are progressive and competitive.  We value the importance of our employees’ emotional wellbeing. To support employees, we provide free therapy visits, mental health coaching and tools, and meditation resources. You’ll also enjoy a generous paid time off package that includes not only vacation and sick time, but also Wellness and Volunteer Time Off days. 

Job Summary:

Working under minimal supervision of the Alliance Manager, Product Line Manager, Product Line Director and/ or the Vice President of Product Management, relying on experience and judgment to plan and accomplish goals, the Product Manager works collaboratively with the assigned partner(s) and internal resources to select key initiatives to drive growth and profitability. The Product Manager is responsible for developing, implementing and managing go-to-market strategies across all selling subsidiaries. The Product Manager directs cross-functional activities as detailed in the business development plan for their designated partner’s solutions.

Responsibilities

Primary Job Duties:

• Manages category go-to-market strategies for the partner portfolio
  • Creates business plans to align Connection and partner’s goals and objectives
  • Manages creation of partner/program collateral
  • Executes plan while engaging and aligning appropriate internal resources and partner resources to achieve program goals
  • Monitors activities to enforce accountability, responsiveness and maximizing return on investment for partner
  • Measures and reports on partner performance metrics and enablement activities to drive grow
• Develops program strategies to support and drive the key partners and program initiatives in collaboration with the partner and internal resources
  • Collaborates strategically with partner, internal resources (Sales, Operations, Purchasing, Finance and TSG) and contracted resources, if applicable, to assist with driving partner/program success
  • Develops strategy by utilizing sales data, survey results and cross-department resource feedback
  • Communicates program potential to stakeholders
  • Creates quarterly initiatives, business plans and campaigns
  • Identifies and engages eco-system partners to create solution oriented programs utilizing knowledge of the partners’ programs, solution offering and architecture strategy
  • Evaluates new partner and solutions opportunities that would benefit program objectives; if advantageous, onboards partner ensuring appropriate contracts are executed to formalize partnership, pricing programs, service obligations and promotional activity
• Directs cross-functional activities as detailed in the business development plan for their designated partner’s solutions. Influences Product Management resources (PMC, PDS, BDS and Program Managers) to action on relevant components of the partner business plan
  • Communicates goals and expectations for relevant partner/ program funded Product Management to team members to ensure transparency between multiple resources
  • Mentors partner/ program funded Product Management resources on solution/ program guidance and partner interaction
  • Facilitates onboarding training process for internal Product Management resources aligned to partner/ program
  • Performs all other duties or special projects as assigned.

Min

Max

Qualifications

Required Competencies:

Intermediate Microsoft Excel skills with ability to create complex spreadsheets using formulas, including v-lookup, and pivot tables.Technical aptitude with ability to absorb and apply newly learned technical skillsLeverage Business Intelligence tools to define business opportunities to drive marketing planning and opportunityBroad understanding of a partner-driven channel modelExperience with business planning and strategic marketing plan developmentStrong understanding of and working knowledge of the value added technology industryLeadership skills with ability to develop a teamAbility to listen to and anticipate needs of the customerAdvanced presentation skills with ability to deliver business proposals to both internal and external customersSystematic advanced reasoning skills with ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusionsStrong trend analysis skills with proven ability to develop short and long term business plansCustomer oriented with ability to listen to and anticipate needs of the customerEvent management skills to assist with managing partner eventsKnowledge of IT market dynamics and competitive insights to create/ guide messaging, solutions and sales toolsAdaptable with ability to switch tasks based on shifting prioritiesAnalytical with ability to draw conclusions from data, systematic and rationalArticulate with ability to express oneself clearly and professionally in written and oral communicationAttention to detail in composing, keying, and proofing professional business materialsInterpersonal skills with ability to work well with all levels of the organizationConceptual with ability to conceive mentally, formulate ideas, use imagination to achieve resultsCreative with ability to be inventive with artistic designsDecisive with ability to make a prompt determination and substantiate decision if challenged.Strategic thinker in future-oriented terms who anticipates and considers external and internal elements with ability to develop long-term plans to leverage resourcesSkilled networker with ability to influence vendors, key stakeholders and executives to obtain buy-in, commitment and vendor considerationSelf-starter with demonstrated capability to work in a fast-paced any dynamic business environment