Product Technology Manager

Company: PlayCore

Job Location: Chattanooga, TN

Work Setting: In Person or Remote

The Product Technology Manager is a member of the Corporate Strategic Services; Digital Services team and assists in developing our culture and driving our business strategy by supporting the direction and continued development of the PlayCore Digital Framework. The Product Technology Manager directly manages all aspects of PlayCore's portfolio of CPQ and PIM technologies, including overseeing the implementation, customization, and maintenance of PlayCore's standardized CPQ and PIM solutions across our family of brands. Responsibilities include collaborating across our portfolio of brands to execute the vision and roadmap of Digital Services, including promoting best practices, process improvements for standardization and leverage, maximizing business impact, and driving collective KPI's. This role demands a deep understanding of CPQ and PIM processes, strong technical skills, and the ability to align strategies for broader integrations roadmaps that help the company standardize for best practice. The ability to manage cross-functional teams and drive change management are essential.

CPQ Technology Management

• Oversee the portfolio of CPQ technologies.
• Collaborate with the Corporate Director of Digital Services to create and implement the roadmap for CPQ technologies, including updates and enhancements.
• Develop, maintain, and review proposals for CPQ initiatives, including project objectives, technologies, systems, integrations, technical specifications, timelines, and funding. Work with stakeholders to define requirements and align them with business objectives and digital integration initiatives.
• Manage the complete implementation process of CPQ solutions, from requirements gathering to system configuration, integrations, testing, and deployment.
• Lead go-to-market strategies for CPQ, including third-party configurations, data feeds, reports, brand engagement, competitive analysis, e-commerce capabilities, and long-term planning for business growth.
• Establish and monitor KPIs for CPQ technologies and conduct ongoing ROI analysis to ensure CPQ remains in alignment to overall strategic plan.
• Collaborate with other technology managers to develop integrations across platforms technologies.
• Manage relationships with CPQ service providers and implementation partners.
• Create and maintain documentation for governance, processes, and configurations.
• Monitor system performance and address issues as they arise.
• Stay current with the latest CPQ technologies and best practices to continuously improve processes and integrations.
• Perform additional duties as assigned by the Corporate Director of Digital Services.

PIM Technology Management

• Directly manage all aspects of Sales Layer, including taxonomy, users, brands, permissions, contract, billing, etc.
• Collaborate with the Corporate Director of Digital Services to set and execute the strategy for Product Information Management, aligning with PlayCore's integrated digital and strategic initiatives.
• Develop, maintain, and review proposals for PIM initiatives, including project objectives, technologies, systems, integrations, technical specifications, timelines, and funding. Work with stakeholders to define requirements and align them with business objectives and digital integration initiatives.
• Oversee the collection, organization, maintenance, and distribution of product-related data, including but not limited to descriptions, specifications, pricing, and marketing content.
• Work closely with brand Product Managers, Marketers, and Customer Channels to ensure that product information aligns with business objectives and market trends.
• Establish and monitor KPIs for PIM and conduct ongoing ROI analysis to ensure PIM remains in alignment to overall strategic plan.
• Create and optimize workflows for continuous improvement toward reducing errors and accelerating time-to-market for new products.
• Support our brands with simple PIM configurations and updates that can be done without involving development resources.
• Perform additional duties as assigned by the Corporate Director of Digital Services.

Brand Support

• Provide technical support and training for CPQ and PIM technologies to internal teams and distributors to encourage consistent use as well as set utilization standards for CPQ and PIM technologies company wide.
• Track and report on CPQ and PIM technology activity and key milestones to identify risk and work proactively with our brands to address and eliminate risk.
• Collaborate with brands to establish, maintain, and consult on processes and solutions that align with PlayCore's digital integrations roadmap.
• Support cross-functional teams by using standardized KPIs to ensure effective use of CPQ and PIM technologies.
• Host regular update meetings to inform stakeholders about project progress and address any questions or challenges.
• Prepare and deliver monthly updates and Quarterly Business Reviews (QBR) for all CPQ and PIM technologies based on established KPIs.
• Perform additional duties as assigned by the Corporate Director of Digital Services.

• Analytical Decision-Making
• Communication
• Learning & Development
• Planning & Organizing
• Professionalism & Integrity
• Financial Management
• Risk-Taking/Creative Thinking
• Teamwork & Relationship-Building
• Results Orientation
• Managing Others

• Bachelor's degree in information technology, Computer Science, Business Administration, or a related field.
• 3-5+ years' experience in CPQ implementation and management in the manufacturing industry.
• Ability to work collaboratively with cross-functional teams.

Leadership

• Experience leading and mentoring a team of CPQ and PIM specialists and developers.
• Strong interpersonal skills to manage cross-functional teams and communicate with brand stakeholders and subject matter experts.
• Strong sense of personal accountability.
• Experience working in a high-level collaborative environment.

Technical

• Expertise in CPQ and PIM software (e.g., Sales Layer, Salesforce CPQ, Oracle CPQ, Tacton, DealHub, Custom, etc).
• Strong understanding of system configuration, customization, and integration.

Communication

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to effectively communicate technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders.

Analytical

• Analytical and problem-solving skills to predict challenges and seek to proactively overcome obstacles.
• Capability to analyze business requirements and translate them into technical solutions.
• Ability to distill technical information into digestible insights and champion change management for implementation.
• Ability to analyze data to influence strategic decisions.

Business Acumen

• Understanding of business processes and how CPQ and PIM solutions can enhance them.
• Ability to align CPQ and PIM implementations with business objectives.
• Excellent time management, organization skills, and experience establishing guidelines in these areas for others to serve a diverse brand portfolio.
• Ability to manage multiple, and often overlapping, key initiatives.

Adaptability and Continuous Learning

• Willingness to stay updated with the latest CPQ and PIM technologies and best practices.
• Flexibility to adapt to changing business needs and technology advancements.

• Up to 15% travel required.

PlayCore and its family of brands considers applicants for all positions without regard to race, color, religion, creed, gender, national origin, age, disability, marital or veteran status, or any other legally protected status.