Chemicals & Materials OPT Jobs in Minnesota

INTRODUCTION

The Product Manager - Powder Technology is responsible for driving the strategic growth, innovation, profitability, and lifecycle management of the powder coatings portfolio across the United States and Canada. This role serves as the bridge between market needs, customer requirements, technical capabilities, and business objectives, translating market insights into product strategies, innovation priorities, and commercialization plans that deliver sustainable growth and competitive advantage.

The position leads the development and execution of regional product strategies, manages the innovation pipeline through Stage Gate processes, and provides portfolio direction to optimize product performance, simplify complexity, improve profitability, and support operational effectiveness. Working closely with sales, marketing, technical, operations, supply chain, finance, and segment leaders, the Product Manager ensures resources are aligned to the highest value opportunities, and that new products, platform enhancements, and lifecycle initiatives are successfully commercialized.

As a strategic leader and technology subject matter expert, this role influences business decisions through data-driven recommendations, business case development, portfolio analysis, and market intelligence. The Product Manager also leads cross-functional teams and stakeholders to drive accountability, accelerate execution, manage change, and ensure product investments support regional growth, customer success, regulatory requirements, and long-term business objectives.

This position is also eligible for bonus based on performance and subject to the terms of the Company’s applicable plans.

This position is eligible for health benefits, such as medical, dental and vision coverage, Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs), disability coverage, security, retirement and saving benefits. Additional benefits include a generous time away from work package, including personal leave, paid parental leave, medical leave, vacation, and holidays.

This position does require 20-25% travel.

ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The role is accountable for the following responsibilities for powder technology in the United States and Canada region:

1. USCA Product Strategy and Market Alignment

• Develop and maintain a USCA strategy for powder technology, including portfolio priorities, market positioning, competitive differentiation, lifecycle planning, and emerging technology assessments.
• Aggregate, harmonize, and manage segment and customer needs across the United States and Canada, ensuring alignment with divisional strategy, technical capability, investment priorities, and commercial objectives.
• Use voice of customer, voice of market, competitor intelligence, regulatory trends, operational capability, and sales input to identify market needs and translate them into actionable product strategy.
• Partner with segment, sales, technical, operations, and commercial leaders to establish priorities and make trade-off recommendations that improve growth, profitability, speed to market, and customer impact.

2. Innovation Pipeline and Stage Gate Leadership

• Build and manage the USCA innovation pipeline for the assigned technology by converting customer needs, market trends, competitive gaps, and technical opportunities into qualified development projects.
• Lead or support the Stage Gate process to accelerate new product development, regional product transfers, product upgrades, and commercialization activities.
• Develop business cases for innovation and product development, including market need, customer value, revenue potential, margin impact, investment requirements, timing, risks, and success metrics.
• Vet assumptions and product development requests from segment, sales, and technical partners to ensure projects are prioritized based on strategic fit, regional value, feasibility, and customer relevance.

3. Portfolio and Platform Lifecycle Management

• Manage the product and platform lifecycle for the assigned technology within USCA, including new product introduction, product refresh, rationalization, discontinuation, technical transfer, and portfolio simplification.
• Drive improvement in product cost, working capital, SKU productivity, inventory levels, raw material basket complexity, and operational effectiveness through active portfolio management.
• Analyze USCA product portfolios across focus markets to identify gaps, duplication, performance issues, regulatory risks, customer needs, margin opportunities, and rationalization opportunities.
• Provide product platform direction and execution guidance where local market competition, customer requirements, regulations, or manufacturing capabilities require regional adaptation.

4. Commercialization and Business Development Support

• Partner with sales, segments, finance, and technical teams to develop pricing guidance, proforma assumptions, value propositions, launch plans, sales tools, and commercialization priorities for the assigned technology.
• Facilitate launch readiness and commercialization of new products, upgrades, transfers, and platforms across USCA focus markets.
• Support sales, account specialists, technical service, and regional marketing teams as a product subject matter expert when customer, market, or commercialization support is required.
• Contribute to customer growth plans, account conversion strategies, acquisition analysis, integration planning, portfolio transition recommendations, and business development initiatives where product or technology expertise is needed.

5. Cross-Functional Resource Alignment and Execution

• Provide prioritization recommendations for development projects, technical transfers, launch activities, lifecycle actions, and resource allocation as part of the product management review process.
• Collaborate with technical, operations, procurement, supply chain, finance, regulatory, sales, and marketing leaders to remove barriers and maintain execution discipline across the USCA region.
• Create clear measures of progress and communicate project status, decisions, risks, and trade-offs to regional and divisional leaders and cross-functional stakeholders.
• Ensure product initiatives support revenue growth, profitability, asset utilization, customer satisfaction, regulatory readiness, operational capability, and scalable regional execution.

6. Leadership, Talent, and Change Management

• Lead direct reports, project teams, and matrixed stakeholders as applicable, including talent management, succession planning, coaching, and performance expectations.
• Visibly lead strategic product initiatives and champion adoption of product platforms, portfolio simplification, and innovation discipline across USCA.
• Drive internal alignment and change management by communicating the business rationale, expected outcomes, timing, and accountabilities for major product initiatives.
• Overcome internal barriers, resolve conflicts, and maintain accountability for regional business results.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Must have a Bachelor's degree
• Must have previous Business to Business (B2B) experience in sales and/or marketing
• Must have experience with innovation, new product development and commercialization experience
• Must have Project management skills

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Have a Master of Business Administration
• Have five (5) years of industry experience
• Have management experience

At Sherwin-Williams, our purpose is to inspire and improve the world by coloring and protecting what matters. Our paints, coatings and innovative solutions make the places and spaces in our world brighter and stronger. Your skills, talent and passion make it possible to live this purpose, and for customers and our business to achieve great results. Sherwin-Williams is a place that takes its stability, growth and momentum and translates it to possibility for our people. Our people are behind the strength of our success, and we invest and support you in:

Life … with rewards, benefits and the flexibility to enhance your health and well-being

Career … with opportunities to learn, develop new skills and grow your contribution

Connection … with an inclusive team and commitment to our own and broader communities

It's all here for you... let's Create Your Possible

At Sherwin-Williams, part of our mission is to help our employees and their families live healthier, save smarter and feel better. This starts with a wide range of world-class benefits designed for you. From retirement to health care, from total well-being to your daily commute—it matters to us. A general description of benefits offered can be found at http://www.myswbenefits.com/. Click on “Candidates” to view benefit offerings that you may be eligible for if you are hired as a Sherwin-Williams employee.

Compensation decisions are dependent on the facts and circumstances of each case and will impact where actual compensation may fall within the stated wage range. The wage range listed for this role takes into account the wide range of factors considered in making compensation decisions including skill sets; experience and training; licensure and certifications; and other business and organizational needs. The disclosed range estimate has not been adjusted for the applicable geographic differential associated with the location at which the position may be filled. The wage range, other compensation, and benefits information listed is accurate as of the date of this posting. The Company reserves the right to modify this information at any time, with or without notice, subject to applicable law.

Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws including with the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers and the California Fair Chance Act where applicable.

Sherwin-Williams is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. All qualified candidates will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability, age, pregnancy, genetic information, creed, marital status or any other consideration prohibited by law or by contract.

As a VEVRAA Federal Contractor, Sherwin-Williams requests state and local employment services delivery systems to provide priority referral of Protected Veterans.

Please be aware, Sherwin-Williams recruiting team members will never request a candidate to provide a payment, ask for financial information, or sensitive personal information like national identification numbers, date of birth, or bank account numbers during the application process.