1st Shift Product Planning Specialist

A large client of ours in Mount Prospect is looking for a 1st shift Product Planning Specialist. They will be working from 8am to 4:30pm and making up to $50k p/year. This is a direct hire role, but there is only 3 to 7 years of customer service experience needed within the machining & manufacturing industry. A few must haves are listed below:

Job Summary

Product Planning Specialist is responsible for all product projects to include new product development and introduction, following and understanding the Cutting Tool market, maintain product life-cycle, make product pricing, implement product marketing to support clients distributor channels, and plan for profitable sales growth of all Cutting Tool product lines to support Regional Sales Department. Product Planning Specialist has complete understanding of product strategy, marketing/advertising metrology, product project schedule and execution of product launch. Product Planning Specialist will also support ERP and CRM development.

Job Duties and Responsibilities

• Works with Sales and Engineering to set a detail product line-up as well as sales plan by translating market/customer needs into product definitions and requirements.
• Implement market research and product benchmark of market trends, demand drivers, customer needs, industry trends and competitive landscape.
• Utilize product, market, and competitive knowledge to establish product pricing, initial stock plan, and its orders.
• Partner with Sales, drive high levels of customer satisfaction by understanding the importance of the customer relationship including QCDM, quality, Cost (profitability), Delivery and Management.
• Analyze monthly POS point of sales data.
• Consolidate monthly sales data into market share information.
• Create sales guidelines and training materials as learning tools and equip Sales to train reps and distributor sales personnel.
• Create effective sales promotions to increase revenues. Support daily spot promotional sales.
• Continually improve e-commerce site, internal ERP system and sales support CRM with IT department to support sales’ live data of sales order and backorder report.
• Develop product attributes to ensure product offerings for clients customers in the marketplace.
• Conduct marketing/advertising exercises to launch new products.
• Coordinate marketing/advertising literatures and customer marketing materials.
• Coordinate regional tradeshows with sales.
• Control and maintain customer data to secure product communication.
• Create internal procedures to improve work process efficiency.
• Arrange monthly marketing meeting and prepare meeting materials.

Qualifications and Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree in business or suitable filed.
• 3-5 years’ progressive professional experience in product planning, product project, or inside sales experience with knowledge of business planning, data analysis, and product cost structures.
• Excellent skills in market research and data analysis.
• Proficient with Microsoft Office, Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, etc.
• Must contribute to a safe working environment
• Must have excellent oral and written communication and organizational skills with attention to detail.
• Must be a team player, trustworthy with company sensitive information, detail-oriented and a self-starter.
• Must be able to assist other employees in a manner consistent with the company’s policies and applicable laws.
• Enthusiastic, forward looking/thinking person, always looking for improvements
• Aptitude for basic mechanical and engineering concepts is preferred.
• Working knowledge of cutting tool, machinery, industrial manufacturing is a plus.
• Bilingual language skills, English and Japanese, is a plus.
• Adobe Acrobat and InDesign skill is a plus.

Special Position Requirements

• Up to 10% travel required. Travel may be out the local area and overnight.

Physical Requirements

• This role operates in an office and manufacturing environment. This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, and photocopiers.
• While performing the duties of this role the employee is regularly required to sit or stand for long periods of time, and perform basic clerical functions.