Innovation Marketing Manager

Ecolab has an opening for a Marketing Manager with the Water Innovation Marketing Team of our Nalco Water Heavy Industries Division. The SMM will serve as an energetic project leader in the company, an owner of the Water innovation process by bringing new customer-focused ideas to the Phase-Gate process, and a driver of measurable results to global business priorities with double-digit growth expectations. Support global regions and businesses with Water innovation best practices and participate in global innovation efforts to ensure these practices are used.

Demonstrated leadership in the following areas:

• Create, evaluate and analyze proposals for innovative ideas, new lines of business and program solutions that address specific customer problems. 
• Collaborate with internal marketing and sales management teams to determine project needs. 
• Initiate and conduct Voice of Customer methods for projects at Define phase. 
• Conduct primary and secondary research to develop background data for evaluation of projects. 
• Work closely with RD&E to collaborate on ideas, priorities and identify needs. 
• Write business justification and evaluation plans for ideas as they come into the system. 
• Develop 5 Year marketing and business plans for projects with marketing and sales. 
• Develop and lead presentations to Gatekeepers for approval of projects. 
• Participate in professional organizations and attend seminars, technical symposiums, and trade shows to understand opportunities and promote Nalco's position in the market. 
• Maintain a high degree of technical knowledge by monitoring new developments, new ideas, new concepts to ensure Nalco is investigating every opportunity to innovate and meet customer needs.

Drive Ideation and Innovative Thinking, through all Nalco Water functions:

• Own and lead the Phase-Gate process and share/train knowledge with other functions within Nalco. 
• Energize the efforts to prioritize ideas and make recommendations to senior management 
• Lead global project teams to drive approved projects through the Ecolab Phase-Gate PPT system. 
• Keep required checklists and documents updated in PPT. 
• Engage Senior Management across relevant functions to ensure buy-in and support for projects in portfolio. 
• Demonstrate excellent project management skills to ensure projects are delivered on time, on- or under-budget, and achieve stated financial goals. 
• Maintain close contact with Gate Keepers and Stakeholders for all projects assigned to ensure alignment with business objectives and agreement on business commitments and expectations. 
• Revise market potential, financial expectations, program costs, etc. through the P-G process to ensure relevance and accurate decision information for Gate Keepers. 
• Kill unviable or unprofitable projects to shift resources to viable opportunities. 
• Ensure global and cross-divisional needs are heard, addressed, and included into the process.

Project Execution

• Lead approved projects through the Phase-Gate process and ensure a post-review process is followed. 
• Drive business ownership, buy-in and involvement at the earliest stages of the projects. 
• Contribute meaningfully and measurably to the ability of the sales force to understand and communicate the value of new programs. 
• Work globally with RD&E, Industry Marketing, Product Marketing, Sales Channels, Commercial Digital Solutions, Innovation Finance, Advanced Analytics, Engineering, Supply Chain, Field Service, Legal and Regulatory teams to ensure resources are aligned and priorities are set. 
• Maintain project accountability post-launch by instituting metrics to measure success of commercialization and making recommendation/adjustments as necessary to ensure plans are met.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's Degree in Science, Engineering or Business 
• 5+ years of work experience 
• 3+ years of marketing, sales, digital or relevant experience 
• Prior project management or team leadership experience 
• Excellent time management and presentation skills 
• Proficient with Microsoft Office tools 
• Effective communicator with multiple stakeholder groups 
• Able to travel 20% of available time

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience delivering measurable and validated value to customers 
• Experience leading Voice of Customer research 
• Exposure to descriptive/predictive analytics, artificial intelligence/machine learning 
• Desire to manage and lead people

Benefits:

Ecolab strives to provide comprehensive and market-competitive benefits to meet the needs of our associates and their families. Click here to see our benefits.