Senior Product Planning Manager - East of London (Essex, Kent, Sussex, Surrey)

Senior Product Planning Manager

Leatherhead, Surrey

Permanent

Attractive Salary with Company Car.

Job Purpose:

• To  manage  the  vehicle  product  planning  and  development  activities  of  Hyundai  Motor (UK) Ltd in order to support the brand achievement of the Long Range Plan objectives.
• To plan each product in terms of price, specification and volume by trim, engine, option and channel mix over the product lifecycle in order to optimise net contribution margin.
• To deliver the volume and net contribution margin targets of each model as defined in the annual business plan.
• To  lead  the  new  product  launch  activity,  ensuring  all  project  milestones  are  established and  all  cross  departmental  work  packages  are  achieved.  The implementation of new vehicle launch activity requires regular project updates with the executive team.
• To  ensure  effective  stock  management  by  steering  production  order  requests  by  model volume, trim and engine at the monthly production order meetings.
• To  ensure  optimal  run  out  of  existing  models  and  run  in  of  new  models,  this  requires  all new model launch proposals to evaluate sell out incentives required for run out stock.

Key Responsibilities:

• To manage all aspects of the product planning function:
• The development and maintenance of the annual and strategic product plans
• The development of product planning tools
• Product, pricing and specification analysis
• Product lifecycle management
• Product profitability
• Product proposition and positioning
• Range management
• New product development and evaluation
• Monitor market and competitors
• Competitor product analysis and evaluation
• Review of new industry/product developments and opportunities
• Chair Product Launch committees  
• To  liaise  with  HMC  and  HME  over  product  development,  pricing  and  specification  to ensure that the HMUK attains its preferred products, specifications, prices and margins.
• To build a strong relationship with HMC and HME product management through regular communication and feedback on UK market and product issues.
• To build strong relationships with Residual Value setters (e.g. CAP, Glass’ Guide, Motability,
• key  leasing  companies)  through  1-2-1  meetings  and  regular  RV  presentations  ahead  of new/revised product launches.
• Responsible  for  establishing  optimal  residual  values  of  new  product  from  launch  and
• continuing  to  optimise  residual  values  through  the  in  cycle  management  of  price, specification and channel mix.
• Responsible  for  competitive  price  index  tracking,  defining  list  price,  equipment  adjusted price and transaction adjusted price and maintaining monthly tracking of all three indexes for each model against the defined competitor basket.
• Responsible for ensuring product compliance with ongoing regulations and derogation deadlines to ensure certificate of conformity meets legislative requirements.
• Responsible  for  submitting  product  mix  volumes  by  model,  channel,  engine,  trim  and option to establish the annual business plan targets.
• Responsible  for  delivering  the  model  volume  and  net  contribution  margin  targets  as defined by the business plan.
• Responsible  for  determining  specification  and  vehicle  ordering  mix  by  model  at  the monthly  production  ordering  meetings.  The specification requirements will be based on achieving annual budget plan.
• Responsible for effective stock management, ensuring ageing stock is prevented and new product introduction has necessary stock support for effective run out of existing models. 
• Responsible for ongoing revenue management, deleting low selling versions and continually striving to improve range logic and model net contribution margin.
• To develop, implement and manage a robust Hyundai product research strategy, including the feature studies and NCBS
• To champion the product internally and externally.
• To  brief  internally  to  ensure  that all relevant  colleagues  are  clear  and  understand  the products and their strategies.
• To manage the Product Committee and the product development / launch process.
• To create and lead the Dealer Product forum.
• To  work  with  and  support other  marketing  colleagues  (such  as  CRM,  Advertising,  PR,
• Dealer Marketing and brochures) to develop marketing strategies, plans and activities.
• To present product plans to Dealers, Press and Colleagues as required.
• To develop initial launch product sales mixes and liaise with the sales team for ongoing sales mix development.
• To analyse short and long term market / competitor sales, by segment etc.
• Develop, implement and manage all core Hyundai product specific research requirements including the New Car Buyers Survey (NCBS).
• Produce regular, timely reports for research and inform the Hyundai Executive Committee and key Departments of the latest information and results against the KPI’s set.
• Liaise  with  the  Brand  Strategy  and  Communications  Manager  with  regards  to  the production of the customer profile documents for new products.
• Manage, supervise and develop staff.
• Propose, agree and control departmental budgets and targets.

Accountabilities:

• Effective management of cost-centres within agreed budgets (actual versus plan).
• Effective leadership (Measured by Hyundai  Management  Standards  and  Employee
• Culture Survey results).
• Handle all internal and external customers in keeping with HMUK Values (see attached).
• (Measurements  of  effective  performance  in  each  of  these  accountabilities  will  vary  over time – specific figures will be contained in the quarterly performance contract).
• Development of short and long term product plans.
• Achievement  of  product  gross  and  net  margin  objectives  (latter  in  conjunction  with  the sales team).
• New products launched on time and without problems. (Measured by product project plan delivery).
• Accurate initial forecasts for new model launch model mix.
• Ensuring that Hyundai products are as competitively priced, specified and promoted, as they need to be (sales and value analysis) appropriate to their lifecycle stage
• Set, monitor and achieve Product KPI’s

Personal specification skills:

• A  seasoned  Automotive  professional  with  product  management  or  Sales  &  Marketing experience including time at a Product Manager (+) level or another Commercial role
• Experience of working across a range of product market segments, preferably gained with a mainstream brand.

Specific experience to include:

• Pricing and specification management
• Full product lifecycle management, including product development
• Product launch planning
• Industry analytical tools
• Budget and people management
• Dealer management
• Team management
• P& L responsibility
• Excellent grasp of latest industry and product trends.
• Consumer and commercial focus.
• Dealer focus.
• Understanding and experience of broader sales & marketing management and disciplines.
• Results oriented and KPI focused
• Energetic and determined.
• Enthusiastic and positive; displays a ‘can do’ attitude.
• Strong project planning and process skills.
• Team player and good at building relationships.
• Confident and decisive.
• Good communication and presentation skills.
• Leadership skills.
• Strategic thinker, with good analytical skills.