Franke - Smyrna, TN
posted 5 months ago
About the position
About Franke We, the Franke company with its three divisions, are a world's leading supplier of products and services for domestic kitchens, the professional foodservice systems and the convenience store sector as well as for professional coffee making. With around 60 companies, we are at home on five continents. Over 8,000 employees constantly take on new perspectives to identify opportunities and turn them into inspiring, innovative solutions for tomorrow's demands. The Franke Foodservice Systems division is a world-leading supplier of kitchen facilities, equipment and supplies solutions. As a full system manufacturer, distributor and program management partner, we supply global chains in the quick-service restaurant, convenience store and supermarket segments, helping to manage unit growth and upgrade their facilities. About the job SUMMARY The Global Director of Segment Management works closely with our global key accounts, partnering with closely our sales leadership and global product management teams. Lead a team of segment managers based in AMERICAS, APAC, and EMEA and report directly to the Global Sr. Director of Segment Management. They manage key account relationships, collecting voice of customer, identifying new product development opportunities, and supporting customer priorities on behalf of Franke. They collaborate daily with key accounts, sales leadership, inside sales, and product management.
Responsibilities
- Gather and cascade internally the latest customer intelligence including VoC, insights and priorities by brand and by country.
- Act as a conduit to all levels of direct customer base, including Regional, Corporate, Divisional, and support for sales team members, Franchisees, and National Franchisee Associations.
- Proactively coordinate customer communication between sales, sales administration, and product management.
- Identify new product ideas and opportunities by brand, collaborating with product management for commercialization.
- Identify and implement improvements for existing products by brand in partnership with product management.
- Influence concept design and development in collaboration with product management.
- Influence global product roadmap and development strategy in collaboration with product management.
- Help coordinate and gather results of all new product field testing and collaborate with Product Management to resolve any product performance issues that may arise during market testing.
- Surface and help resolve field issues related to product quality, reliability, functionality, installation, and application in collaboration with internal and external stakeholders.
- Support sales enablement by collaborating with Product Management, Inside Sales, and Marketing Communications.
- Develop in collaboration with Marketing Communications brand-specific marketing programs and promotions aligned with Joint Business Planning (JBP) priorities.
- Create and maintain brand specific dashboards (e.g. customer strategic priorities, planned rollouts, NPD status), KPIs, and ad hoc reports as required to support business needs.
- Engage in periodic reviews of product pricing in coordination with Sales, Strategic Pricing and Product Management.
- Support Sales and Marketing Communications team in organizing customer events, along with regional and national trade shows.
Requirements
- Bachelor's degree in Engineering or related field; MBA preferred.
- 5-7 years of work experience in product development.
- 1-2 years business development & account management experience preferred.
- Strong customer focus and ability to build effective relationships with customers.
- Strategic agility and ability to anticipate future trends and consequences.
- Excellent influencing skills to encourage and persuade others.
- High language skills for reading, analyzing, and interpreting business documents.
- Mathematical skills for working with statistical concepts and practical applications.
- High reasoning skills for problem-solving and data interpretation.
- Proficient in word processing, spreadsheet, internet, and database software.
Nice-to-haves
- Experience in supervising global staff and influencing cross-departmental communication.
- Familiarity with the foodservice industry and market trends.
Benefits
- Paid holidays
- Paid time off
- 401(k) with 4% match
- Life insurance
- Free onsite clinic
