Director, Large Format Product Line

About Us

As a family-owned company, it’s the people who continue to make STIHL a successful, world-class brand.  Since revolutionizing the forestry industry in Germany with the first electric chainsaw in 1926, the STIHL name has remained synonymous with outstanding innovations, high-quality products and comprehensive service.

STIHL is seeking a highly motivated, passionate Director of Large Format Product Line to join our team! With competitive compensation, excellent benefits and exciting growth potential, it is a great time to join the STIHL team.

Company Benefits Include:

• Multiple bonus opportunities with potential annual merit increases
• Medical, Dental & Vision Insurance
• Onsite Health & Wellness Center for employees and family members
• Company Paid Short & Long-Term Disability
• Company provided Life Insurance
• Fully vested after 5 years Pension Plan
• 401k Plan with employer match
• Vacation, & Sick time with 11 paid holidays

Job Duties & Responsibilities

• Define and develop project scope, innovation, user needs and objectives relating to commercialization of the wheeled goods segment, involving all relevant internal stakeholders, and ensuring technical feasibility. Ensure that successful market introductions and product launches are delivered on time, within scope and within budget, and with desired market penetration results.
• Develop a detailed project plan relating to market introduction of new products, sell-through/market share goals, promotional strategies, and market feedback, including monitoring and tracking progress. Measure performance using appropriate project management tools and techniques, and report and escalate project/product relevant issues, delays and risks to management as needed. Track project performance, specifically to analyze the successful completion of short and long-term goals.
• Drive Product Management, Sales and Marketing and Technical Services departments to understand market conditions, dealer feedback, market introduction issues, market demands, and distribution needs, in order to incorporate into successful project implementation. Drive the global Product Management function to grow product portfolio and work closely with Sales Planning to validate market opportunities and pressure test our market share gain assumptions and understand true customer demand and feedback.  Provide support and oversight for relevant distribution/field communications.
• Coordinate with STIHL R&D project management, Sales and Marketing, Finance and Controls, Logistics Legal, Purchasing and STIHL executives to achieve successful market release of new products, and effective production/capacity planning to fulfill STIHL requirements.
• Following market introduction of relevant products, coordinate with Purchasing, Product Management, Supplier Quality, and Technical Services departments to ensure continued success in the market and participate in supplier communications and relationship management on an ongoing basis, together with Purchasing and other relevant stakeholders where relevant and appropriate.
• Lead functional project management of North American market introduction activities related to large format mower projects, including sales/demand planning, market research, product/supplier quality and testing (where relevant), logistics, and warehousing and inventory of units, attachments, accessories and spare parts.  Participate and support as required in cost calculation activities; and internally support purchasing and legal negotiations where appropriate. Coordinate critical path activities and internal resources among internal stakeholders, for successful market introduction of products.
• Support communication with relevant suppliers including attending business meetings with suppliers where appropriate in coordination with Purchasing and other stakeholders within STIHL.
• Provide regular reporting and project updates to relevant stakeholders; and report and escalate any supplier or project related issues to Regional management and the Purchasing Department.
• Other duties as assigned

Specifications

• Bachelor's degree in related discipline
• 7+ years experience in commercial project management required
• Experience working jointly with purchasing required
• 5+ years experience in manufacturing setting preferred
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills and high level management reporting/presentation skills
• Excellent project management skills and technical orientation
• Experience in wheeled goods, zero turn mowers or tractors preferred
• Travel up to 25% required