Product Manager - Networking

Nimans; Manchester; Hybrid; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid Working

PRP

LTS Income Protection

Medical Cash Plan

Life Assurance

Birthday Day Off

Salary Sacrifice - Pension

Share Incentive Plan

Electric Vehicle and Cycle to Work

Free onsite parking

Job summary

Nimans, part of the Midwich Group, is seeking a proactive role focused on driving vendor partnerships to grow sales, gross profit and market share. The role requires strong negotiation, ERP pricing review, and data-driven decision making to protect margins.

You will collaborate with sales, marketing, and accounts to optimize stock, price, and promotions while maintaining close vendor relationships and facilitating internal product training and initiatives.

Qualifications

• Experience in the channel sales sector (IT/Telecom/AV/Networking).
• Proven ability to manage sales pipelines and vendor negotiations.
• Ability to analyse data and forecast stock and pricing.
• Strong Excel skills and commercial awareness.

Responsibilities

• Drive vendor partners to increase sales, GP, GP% and market share.
• Review pricing rules in ERP to maximise trading margin.
• Monitor margin and stock data, and take corrective actions as needed.
• Manage stocking deals and cash flow terms with vendors.
• Develop short and long-term business plans with the divisional manager.
• Maintain vendor relationships and support accounts with issue resolution.
• Assist with quotes, stock forecasting, and price issue remediation.
• Support internal teams with training, proposals, and incentives.

Skills

Channel sales experience

Negotiation

Vendor management

Data analysis

Excel forecasting

Communication skills

Product/market knowledge

Tools

ERP database

Pipedrive

Job description

Benefits:

Hybrid Working | PRP | LTS Income Protection |Medical Cash Plan | Life Assurance | Birthday Day Off | Salary Sacrifice - Pension, Share Incentive Plan, Electric Vehicle and Cycle to Work schemes | Free onsite parking and more

About the Role

To drive our vendor partners to increase sales, GP, GP% and market share in their given market. This will be completed with strong communication and negotiations with the vendor at all levels while advising and promoting the products to our internal channel sales team and our customers.

What you will be doing in this role

Profit and Working Capital Management – In line with reports produced by the Business Support Team

• Use available management information to scrutinise relevant brand performance versus plan and act to correct or improve performance where necessary;
• Review pricing rules within the company’s ERP database to maximise our trading margin considering market conditions, stock availability and any special stock purchases that may have been made;
• Review daily the accounts-based data produced by the Accounts Department and take immediate and appropriate actions to remedy any issues that negatively affect the margin;
• Review each week the margin reports issued from the Accounts Department and take immediate and appropriate actions to remedy any issues that negatively affect the margin;
• Review aged and problematic stock during each month and take appropriate remedial action for the most cost-effective solution ensuring that the aged stock and working capital needs of the business are met raising any issues with the relevant Divisional or Business Manager;
• Proactively manage the stock profile targets and maintain a regular dialogue with the Divisional or Business Manager;
• Manage all stocking deals for the vendor. Work with sales and marketing on a sales out plan before gaining sign-off. Operate on a 0-3-month review cycle on all deals outside of standard stocking and cash flow terms;
• Proposes cost reductions and improved processes in respect of the administration involved with designated vendors.
• Develop an intimate understanding of the key trading terms for each of the division’s vendors; working to continually improve on them
• Develop a strong and close partnership with all divisional vendors;
• Provide support to accounts to chase vendors for prompt resolution to outstanding debit notes as per the report issued from the Vendor Claims team;
• Maintain or increase the market share for each vendor (measured by aggregate gross profit earned if possible) GP allowing.

Business Development

• Help build short and long-term business plans in conjunction with the Divisional or Business Manager and, after sign off from the Board, help build strategies to achieve the agreed goals;
• Gain regular feedback from sales teams, vendors and other sources on market and competitive activity and reports this to the Divisional or Business Manager as required;
• Review and scrutinise daily quote reports. Use this information to engage directly with customers and be forward thinking around stock forecasting and remedying any pricing issues before they happen;
• Review and minimise allocated stock for your area;
• Manage both sales and vendors pipeline via Pipedrive. Use this information to formulate a successful buying plan;
• Develop sound technical product and market knowledge with the ability to demonstrate products directly to customers and end users;
• Implement marketing activities as required, and provide direction to the Product Marketing Manager that are in line with the divisional objectives and strategies;
• Provide feedback to the Divisional or Business Manager and Board on new vendor and product opportunities;
• Analysis of sell out data to identify opportunities and areas for improvement and implements appropriate action plans. In conjunction with reports provided by the Business Administration Team.

Internal Business Support

• Maintain face to face contact with our sales staff to ensure a desired level of vendor focus and where appropriate provide briefings to highlight key opportunities or other significant messages;
• Support the sales team with product and price queries and information required for customer proposals;
• Implement and drive internal and external sales activities and incentives that are in line with the Division’s and vendors’ goals;
• Organise appropriate training to maximise sales, profit and market share;
• Liaise with and support the customer services and Logistics teams to resolve any customer returns or returns stock issues escalating any major issues to the Divisional or Business Manager;
• Present to the Divisional or Business Manager or board as required on any issues that may affect any divisional vendor;
• Observe Company ground rules and procedures in respect of training and incentives;
• Provide feedback each month to the Divisional or Business Manager on any queries relating to the monthly management accounts;
• Identify key resellers and work with the sales specialists to maximize the business opportunities with in a target list of customers;
• Be the principle contact for the divisional vendor(s).

What you will bring to the role

• Previous experience witihin the channel sales sector (IT/Telecom/AV/Networking)
• Previous experience of sales pipeline management
• Previous experience and/or understanding of supplier negotiations
• Technical acumen with the ability to understand and explain technical products to a non technical audience
• Ability to assess and analyse data such as sales run rates alongside sales pipelines and upcoming projects/tenders to ensure accurate product order management/stock levels
• Excellent excel skills and forecasting
• Planning and Organisation skills
• Commercial and business awareness

Interested?

Nimans is part of the Midwich Group. We an equal opportunity employer and welcome applicants from all backgrounds.

All candidates must have the right to work in the UK.

Please note all roles that move to offer are subject to receipt of satisfactory references.

We have the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role.