Associate Product Manager - Connection

What We Do

We calm the confusion of IT by guiding the connection between people and technology. If a customer is looking for a better way to manage their warehouse inventory, equip their workforce, or secure their data, we make it happen. All it takes is finding the right combination of tech hardware, software, cloud solutions, and support services. That’s what we do. We’re the IT Department’s IT Department.

Who We Are

Our team is made stronger by a multitude of backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. It’s what makes Connection unique—what drives us to innovate and create technology solutions that stand apart from the crowd. We’d love for you to be a part of that fabric, to share your ideas and experiences with a team that thrives on fresh thinking, creativity, and helping others.

Why You Should Join Us

You’ll find supportive teammates and a rewarding career at Connection—plus great benefits. We take pride in supporting employees with a total rewards package that provides financial, emotional, and physical resources for you and your family.  Our compensation, 401k plans, medical insurance, and other benefits are progressive and competitive.  We value the importance of our employees’ emotional wellbeing. To support employees, we provide free therapy visits, mental health coaching and tools, and meditation resources. You’ll also enjoy a generous paid time off package that includes not only vacation and sick time, but also Wellness and Volunteer Time Off days. 

Job Summary:

Working under minimal supervision of the Partner Alliance Manager or Product Line Manager (PLM), referring only exceptional problems and issues for management review or approval, the Associate Product Manager works collaboratively with new and emerging partner(s) and internal resources to select key initiatives to drive growth and profitability. The Associate Product Manager is responsible for developing, implementing and managing go-to-market strategies across all selling subsidiaries.

Primary Job Duties:

Evaluates new partner and solutions opportunities that would benefit program objectives; if advantageous, onboards partner ensuring appropriate contracts are executed to formalize partnership, pricing programs, service obligations and promotional activity
•Identifies and engages eco-system partners such as PAM/ PLM, partner, internal resources in Sales, Operations, Purchasing, Finance and TSG as well as contracted resources, if applicable, to create solution-oriented programs to drive partner/ program success by utilizing knowledge of the partners’ programs, solution offerings and architecture strategy while communicating program potential to stake holders.
•Develops program strategies to support and drive the key partners and program initiatives in collaboration with the partner and internal resources by utilizing sales data, survey results and cross-departmental resource feedback
•Creates business plans, campaigns and quarterly initiatives to align Connection and partner’s goals and objectives
•Executes plan while engaging and aligning appropriate internal resources and partner resources to achieve program goals
•Manages category go-to-market strategies for the partner portfolio and the creation of partner/ program collateral
•Monitors activities to enforce accountability, measures effectiveness and reports on partner/ program enablement activities and performance metrics to maximizing partner’s return on investment and drive vendor consideration
•Performs other duties and special projects as assigned.

Required Competencies:

•Intermediate Microsoft Excel skills with ability to create complex spreadsheets using formulas, including v-lookup, and pivot tables.
•Technical aptitude with ability to absorb and apply newly learned technical skills
•Ability to leverage Business Intelligence tools to define business opportunities to drive marketing planning and opportunity
•Broad understanding of a partner-driven channel model
•Experience with business planning and strategic marketing plan development
•Strong understanding of and working knowledge of the value added technology industry
•Ability to listen to and anticipate needs of the partner and business stakeholder(s)
•Advanced presentation skills with ability to deliver business proposals to both internal and external customers
•Systematic advanced reasoning skills with ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions
•Trend analysis skills with proven ability to develop short and long term business plans
•Event management skills to assist with managing partner events
•Knowledge of IT market dynamics and competitive insights to create/ guide messaging, solutions and sales tools
•Adaptable with ability to switch tasks based on shifting priorities
•Analytical with ability to draw conclusions from data, systematic and rational
•Articulate with ability to express oneself clearly and professionally in written and oral communications
•Attention to detail in composing, keying, and proofing professional business materials
•Interpersonal skills with ability to work well with all levels of the organization
•Conceptual with ability to conceive mentally, formulate ideas, use imagination to achieve results
•Creative with ability to be inventive with artistic designs
•Anticipates and considers external and internal elements with ability to develop long-term plans to leverage resources
•Ability to influence vendors, key stakeholders and executives to obtain buy-in, commitment and vendor consideration
•Self-starter with demonstrated capability to work in a fast-paced any dynamic business environment