Product Manager – Defense Satcom

Job Summary:

The primary responsibility of this position it to drive growth of ThinKom’s Defense Satcom business sector. This includes identifying the products ThinKom should develop, managing development of those products and supporting execution of the related sales efforts. This position needs to stay current on the opportunities and technological developments in this sector – outlining both short term and long term product and sales goals and driving execution to accomplish those goals.

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Essential Job Duties and Responsibilities:

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• Define Defense Satcom Plan over the following 1 and 3 years –
  
  • Details of plan outlined below
  • Plan includes any recommended added positions and/or contracted expertise to support Defense Satcom efforts
• Identify key areas/products for which ThinKom should invest related to Defense Satcom & recommend what ThinKom should focus Defense Satcom efforts on. This includes, but is not limited to –
  
  • Antenna frequency and performance levels ThinKom should develop
  • What level should ThinKom develop to, both without and with outside funding/orders
  • What will be the benefit of adding the additional products, capability, maturity, etc. 
  • Adjust strategy, as required, to reflect additional market intelligence learned
• Product Plan – develop plan and gain approval from senior management for the Defense Satcom product plan which includes (this plan will mature over time, starting very rough and then refined through quarterly updates and adjustments) –
  
  • Product Development plan –
  • Antenna types and frequency
  • Full systems or antennas only or some combination
  • Resources required (people and skill sets, time frames, outside resources and costs)
  • Resource constraints – what specific resources are limiting progress
  • Identify risks and mitigation plan
  • Define and track development schedule
• Program Management and Engineering –
  
  • Provide overall leadership and direction to the Program Managers working Defense Satcom products and the Engineering team to define design/system requirements and expeditiously and efficiently develop Defense Satcom products
  • Determine which designs to prioritize and the appropriate development steps and gates
  • Determine criteria for proceeding or terminating development projects at the various gates
  • Work with VP Engineering to get necessary engineering resources to expeditiously move product development forward
  • Define and track development schedule and progress
• Sales – drive the sales process in coordination with Sales Team, Defense & Space
  
  • Sales and Revenue Objectives for 1 and 3 year plans
  • Market intelligence
  • Recommended pricing strategies
  • Sales plan for the following year by customer, program, products, probability of go (PGO) and probability if win (PWIN) as well as 3 year forecast
  • Go to market strategy – 
  • Which customers to pursue – Govt direct? Primes - which ones? Other?
  • Type of opportunities to pursue
  • What are we selling? (systems, antennas, ACUs, etc.)
  • Define and outline Value Prop ThinKom provides to each target customer
  • Identify competitors, perform competitive analysis and identify key differentiators provided by ThinKom
  • How are we selling? – trade shows, face to face at customer or face to face at ThinKom, demonstrations, etc.
  • Work directly with the sales team to identify and win opportunities
  • Play key role in sales strategies and direction of Defense Satcom sales team 
  • Follow-up and independently report on progress and effectiveness of sales efforts
  • Identify additional relationships/contacts ThinKom should develop
• Profit and Loss Responsibility for the Defense Satcom product line –
  
  • Sales revenue includes NRE and Recurring
  • Costs include Defense Satcom team, R&D, inventory costs, engineering labor, production labor
  • Profit targets will be set as part of 1 & 3 year plans and tracked at contribution level
• Report to Senior Management periodically, which will be updated from time to time, but will include reporting, at a minimum, on the following areas –
  
  • Sales and Marketing strategy and progress
  • Product Development
  • Financial Results
• Other duties and tasks as assigned

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Skills and/or Experience Needed:

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• BS in Mechanical or Electrical engineering or similar experience
• 5+ years as Program Manager, or equivalent experience
• Energetic, creative with strong analytical skills and a solid work ethic 
• Demonstrated skills in organizing and directing people and programs
• Interpersonal skills to constructively manage interactions and working relationships of engineering personnel, various departments within ThinKom and with customers
• Ability to multitask effectively and efficiently
• Ability to negotiate effectively
• Must be eligible to obtain and hold a US DoD Security Clearance
• High energy level
• Creative, with strong work ethic
• Professionalism
• Technically proficient in computer applications: MS Office; Project, Excel, PowerPoint

Language Skills:

• Requires strong interpersonal and presentation skills, able to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of management and/or customers
• Must be able to communicate effectively, both written and verbal to employees of all levels and with outside customers

Reasoning Ability:

• Ability to communicate clearly in a well thought out manner
• Must have substantial reasoning and problem solving abilities, extensive planning and scheduling skills – able to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions. 
• Must be able to make decisions and get the team working together effectively in accordance with the decision made

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Additional Skill and Experience Preferred (Not Required):

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• P & L knowledge
• Familiar with ProE, HFSS, Windchill

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5. Physical Demands:

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• Ability to travel up to 25% of time
• This position is primarily a sedentary office position working in a controlled, quiet office environment but requires a reasonable amount of time either at the customer or on the floor being actively involved with employees, in resolving issues and determining corrective action plans
• This position uses a computer terminal to access, input, and retrieve data
• This position may be subject to frequent or occasional on the job interruptions that may cause a change in immediate priorities and/or work focus
• While performing duties of this position, employee is occasionally required to stand, walk, sit, stoop, reach, and/or bend
• May occasionally be required to lift, push, or pull maximum of 50 lbs.
• May be subjected to irregular or extended work hours
• Must be able to work in an environment that may be subjected to occasional loud noises, hazardous materials and chemicals and electro-magnetic energy

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Generous benefits including: Medical, Dental, Vision, Disability, Life, 401k Matching (4%), PTO, paid Holiday.

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ThinKom Solutions is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer

ThinKom Solutions is a Drug and Alcohol free working environment with a zero-tolerance policy. 

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