The KAUP by Arrow Sales & Product Manager owns the commercial and technical strategy for the KAUP attachment line in North America - leading a team responsible for sales, dealer/OEM relationships, and day-to-day coordination with our KAUP manufacturing partners in Germany and China - while driving revenue, market share, and product line growth.
This role blends a Product Manager's strategic ownership of the KAUP product line - specifications, life cycle, and next-generation product planning - with a Sales Manager's mandate to lead the team (the Inside Sales/KAUP Liaison role and Business Development Managers) driving revenue and dealer growth across North America.
Essential Duties and ResponsibilitiesEmployee must be able to perform these essential functions of the position satisfactorily and, if requested, reasonable accommodations may be made to enable employees with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job, absent undue hardship.
- Meets or exceeds sales and profit goals established for the KAUP product line in the annual forecast, budget, and goals.
- Develops and maintains relationships with dealers, OEM accounts, and end users across the assigned territory, providing expert-level sales, customer service, and technical knowledge for KAUP hydraulic attachments.
- Oversees the Inside Sales/KAUP Liaison function to ensure day-to-day KAUP overseas communication, order coordination, and technical drawing/work order accuracy meet Arrow's quality and service standards.
- Oversees the RFQ-to-quote process, ensuring quotes are timely, technically accurate, and competitively priced.
- Maintains strong working knowledge of KAUP specifications and product capabilities to guide the team and support complex customer solution discussions.
- Investigates customer requirements and resolves product problems to foster long-term alliances; ensures product deliveries meet customer expectations.
- Identifies new business opportunities for market and account penetration; implements agreed-to plans and ensures sales goals are met or exceeded.
- Maintains customer and opportunity data in CRM; generates sales, order, and shipment reports as required.
- Keeps management apprised of sales opportunities, forecasts by product group, customer activity, competitive activity, and market dynamics for the KAUP line.
- With Marketing, assesses and plans approaches to markets and applications for KAUP products; develops sales materials for collateral, websites, and trade shows.
- With Engineering and Operations, owns KAUP product specifications and participates in product development planning, often as a cross-functional team member.
- Monitors and reports on KAUP product line performance; leads efforts to standardize frequently ordered ETO and custom-made products.
- Participates in major project selling efforts through sales support, proposal preparation, and product management presentations.
- Assists sales staff with pricing, return, and warranty decisions for KAUP products.
- Supports supply-chain efforts to understand market trends and ensure the right product is available at the right time, minimizing inventory obsolescence.
- Creates sales tools and training documents to help the broader sales team learn and internalize KAUP product attributes and benefits.
- Works with Engineering and Operations to identify opportunities to reduce product cost.
- Recruits, hires, and onboards high-performing BDMs and inside sales support staff that adhere to the organization's standards.
- Coordinates, trains, and monitors the performance of direct reports through training programs, frequent feedback, and regular performance reviews.
- Determines training needs for the team, maintains departmental training plans, and provides training records to Human Resources.
- Investigates and resolves service/quality complaints and performance issues, including disciplinary procedures as necessary to achieve peak team performance.
- Re-allocates customer accounts among BDMs and sales support staff as required.
- Ensures implementation and adherence to Human Resources policies and procedures through enforcement and accountability.
- Remains abreast of the competition and evolving opportunities for new KAUP products and services.
- Performs all other duties as assigned.
- Complies with the requirements of the company's ISO 9001 Quality Management System (when required).
Supervisory Responsibilities - This position has direct supervisory responsibility for the Inside Sales/KAUP Liaison role and the Business Development Managers (BDMs) in the field.
Physical Requirements - Ability to sit, stand, climb, bend and kneel on an occasional basis.
- Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
- Regular manual dexterity/coordination: hand/eye movements, motor control.
- Regular visual effort: concentrated reading of documentation or close viewing of computer displays.
- Able to push, pull and lift up to 50lbs. on an occasional basis.
Competencies necessary to perform this job- Dedication - Committed to achieving results under demanding time frames.
- Analytical - Synthesize complex or diverse information.
- Time Management - Effective time management skills to independently complete tasks with minimal disruption to company users.
- Organization - Ability to prioritize multiple tasks and maintain a smooth work flow.
- Teamwork - Ability to work closely with a variety of employees while maintaining a positive attitude.
- Problem Solving - Identify and resolve problems in a timely manner and update processes to improve performance in the future.
- Communication - Speak clearly and persuasively in positive or negative situations; create and present informative presentations and meetings.
- Leadership - Inspire and motivate employees to perform well; accept feedback from others for self-improvement; set expectations and monitor delegated duties.
- Management Skills - Include staffing in planning, decision making, and process improvement; make yourself available to your staff; develop employees' skills and encourage growth.
- Integrity - Maintain high ethical standards; communicate expectations clearly and consistently.
- Safety and Security - Follow safety policies/plans created by the company; utilize tools and equipment in a safe and proper manner.
Required Education/Experience/Skills- Bachelor's degree in a relevant field (business, engineering, or a technical discipline) or equivalent work experience.
- 5-7 years of experience in sales, product management, or technical support related to industrial/hydraulic material handling attachments.
- Application knowledge of material handling forklift products and their markets.
- Working familiarity with hydraulic attachment specifications and technical drawings, sufficient to guide and evaluate the work of technical and product support staff.
- Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite.
- Strong attention to detail and follow-up skills; motivated team player.
- Willingness to travel as required to support dealer, OEM, and KAUP partner relationships.
Preferred Education/Experience/Skills- Bachelor's degree in a technical discipline, business, and/or MBA.
- 5 to 8+ years of experience in similar markets.
- Prior experience managing or overseeing teams that coordinate with overseas manufacturing or distribution partners (Europe or Asia).
- Experience with Global Shop or similar ERP system.
- Highly organized with strong attention to detail; ability to work independently and cross-functionally.
- 2+ years of experience in a sales management or supervisory capacity preferred.
