Associate Product Manager

Ascentek; Golden Valley (MN); Hybrid; USD 76,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical plan options

Dental and Vision insurance

401(k) with company match

Tuition reimbursement

Paid time off

Job summary

Ascentek in Minnesota is seeking an Associate Product Manager to drive product strategies across lubricants, fluids, and services. You will analyze market trends, review on-time ship metrics and pricing to maximize revenue, and coordinate with Sales, Supply Chain, and Marketing.

You will own the commercialization of new products, manage development with cross-functional teams, and lead continuous improvement initiatives. Travel up to 5% and a hybrid work environment are supported.

Qualifications

• 4-year degree in marketing, product management or related field.
• 3-5+ years related job experience; emphasis in project/product management a plus
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, including Excel, Word and PowerPoint
• Valid driver’s license
• Experience with ERP systems preferred

Responsibilities

• Maintains knowledge within lubricants/fluids, equipment/hard parts and/or services area for their assigned segment(s).
• Builds/maintains key customer relationships while investigating/facilitating new opportunities within their businesses
• Analyzes segment KPIs, including margin targets, on-time ship goals, product line performance, etc.
• Supports account- and segment-specific projects such as new fluid development, product marketing, training, category management, etc.
• Builds and owns the business case for new product opportunities based on market and customer intel
• Works cross-functionally with Sales, Supply Chain, Marketing to manage the product lifecycle
• Makes proposals to national/regional teams to enhance product offerings
• Manages slow-moving and obsolete inventory with Sales Teams and Product Management
• Proposes and implements improvements to Product Management Team processes
• Leads and/or navigates enterprise-level projects
• Acts as SME/owner of select core processes (e.g., commercialization, inventory management, pricing)
• Must be able to travel to events; travel up to 5%
• Other duties as requested

Skills

Self-starter

Communication

Analytical skills

Attention to detail

Leadership

Education

4-year degree in marketing/product management or related field

Tools

Excel

Word

PowerPoint

ERP systems

Job description

With a purpose to make tomorrow a little bit better than today for each other, our customers, and our communities, Ascentek provides an environment where you can love what you do and be your best every day.

What you will enjoy by being a part of a 2025 USA Great Place to Work certified company:

A position that is: Salary, Full time, Mon-Fri, 8 AM - 5 PM

• Medical Plan options, including fertility coverage and free mental health and telehealth coverage
• Dental and Vision Insurance
• FSA/HSA options
• Paid parental leave
• Company-provided short-term disability, long-term disability, and life insurance
• Supplemental Insurances, including accident, critical illness, hospital, and supplemental life insurance
• 401(k) with a generous company match
• Pet Insurance Benefits
• Tuition reimbursement
• 21 Paid Days Off
• 7 Paid Holidays
• Short-term Incentive Plan (STIP), ask your Talent Partner for details
• Dress For Your Day (casual dress environment)
• Paid comprehensive on-the-job training
• Company phone provided
• Company computer provided
• Career advancement opportunities

Ascentek produces high-performance lubricants and fluids for today’s world leaders in powersports, outdoor power equipment, industrial, marine and heavy equipment engine manufacturing, as well as customers in automotive, fleet and manufacturing-use settings. At Ascentek, our Product Management team is responsible for the 4Ps (product, price, place, promotion) of the lubricants, fluids, hard parts and services that support those customers, with our products at the center of what we do.

The Associate Product Manager will drive and influence product strategies directly with their customer(s) based on applicable economic, market and product trends. The APM will perform analysis and follow-up on: account performance (e.g., on-time ship, product line performance) and costing/pricing to maximize company revenue and profitability. The ABDM is responsible for the commercialization of new products, changes to existing products as well as managing a broad range of both customer-facing and internal continuous improvement projects.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES And RESPONSIBILITIES

Segment Performance

• Maintains a high-level of knowledge within the lubricants/fluids, equipment/hard parts and/or services area for their assigned segment(s); potential segment assignments include:
  • Automotive, Fleet, Heavy Duty/Agriculture and Outdoor Power Equipment
  • Industrial, Specialty, Chemicals, Environmental and Hard Parts
  • Powersports and Marine
• Builds/maintains key customer relationships while investigating/facilitating new opportunities within their businesses
• Analyzes and ensures adherence to segment KPIs, including margin targets (via ownership of cost and pricing management), on-time ship goals (while partnering with sales, SIOP and operations), product line performance (through thoughtful product lifecycle management), etc.
• Supports account- and segment-specific projects such as new fluid development, product marketing, training, category management, channel & competitive analysis, etc.

Product Lifecycle Management

• Builds and owns the business case for new product opportunities based on market and customer intel including sales volumes, pricing, profitability and go-to-market strategy
  • Directly owns the development of these opportunities and/or works alongside development with Product Management Specialists
• Works cross-functionally with internal departments (e.g., Sales, Supply Chain, Marketing) to manage the product lifecycle and achieve business objectives
• Makes proposals to national and regional teams and/or customer base to enhance product offerings based on industry/market knowledge and respective customer business models
• Manages slow-moving and obsolete inventory in partnership with National / Regional Sales Teams and Product Management Team, including runout plans and product disposal submissions

Other

• Proposes and implements improvements to Product Management Team processes and procedures
• Leads, influences and/or strategically navigates enterprise-level projects and initiatives that may or may not be directly tied to the operations of the Product Management team
• Acts as the subject matter expert (SME)/owner of select core processes (e.g., commercialization, inventory management, pricing, etc.) and owns their overall performance and continuous improvement
• Must be able to travel to customer and industry specific events via air or ground transportation; travel up to 5% of time
• Other duties as requested

Education

• 4-year degree with a focus in marketing, product management or related field

Experience And Training

• 3-5+ years related job experience; emphasis in project/product management a plus
• Requires the ability to use a personal computer and is proficient in Microsoft Office, including Excel (minimum intermediate), Word and PowerPoint
• Experience with ERP systems preferred

Licenses/Certifications

• Valid driver’s license

Knowledge, Skills, And Abilities

• Demonstrated self-starter who can work independently and has the ability to lead without authority
• High degree of self-accountability, punctuality, accuracy and reliability
• Works well in ambiguous situations with the competency to develop and improve processes
• Requires excellent oral and written communication skills to effectively communicate throughout the organization, with customers and with other external business contacts
• Requires comprehensive analytical skills
• Requires strong attention to detail and organizational skills

Physical, Mental And Environmental Demands

• Frequently sit, stand, talk, hear, and use hands to handle objects, tools, or controls
• Occasionally lift and/or move up to 40 lbs.
• Requires sound reasoning and decision-making skills, including analyzing mathematical data, processes, procedures, and narratives
• Primarily works in a hybrid office/remote environment, with at least three days per week in the office, or at customer locations
• Typically, moderate noise levels
• Infrequent travel by air or automobile

Role

The anticipated hiring range for the role you are applying for is between $76,000 and $90,000 annually. This anticipated hiring range is based on several factors, and subject to increase based on the below:

• Experience and qualifications: The depth of relevant experience and specific skills you bring to the position.
• Education and certifications: Any additional qualifications that enhance your ability to succeed in the role.
• Market and industry benchmarks: We compare compensation packages with industry standards to ensure we are competitive.
• Internal equity: We strive to maintain pay equity across the organization to ensure fairness for all teammates performing similar work.

At Ascentek, we are committed to providing accurate and up-to-date information about our career opportunities. For the most accurate job descriptions, salary details, and benefit information, we encourage you to visit our official careers page at https://www.ascentek.com/careers/.

Ascentek is an Equal Opportunity Employer, including Protected Veterans and Individuals with Disabilities.