Kohler - Deputy Manager - Product Data Management

Description:
Job Summary:

- Responsible for all activities and processes related to the creation, maintenance, and development of structured global product data management including document management, knowledge management and engineering change management.
- Work with cross functional teams to ideate, create and enforce business rules to manage product data material masters, bill of materials and change management.
- Create process documents, train peers and team members, lead projects related to master data and continuously look for opportunities to automate, standardize and drive process improvements.
- Extract and work with large amounts of data from SAP and other relevant systems to make decisions and promote data integrity.
- Daily support of all business units through SAP material master lifecycle maintenance.
Specific Responsibilities:
The core responsibilities of this position include:
- Analyzing performance of PDM policies, gathering information to make decisions and execute entry procedures, data collection with attention to data accuracy, process design, process mapping, testing, and training of policies.
- Designing programs and processes to increase business effectiveness, with a global perspective.
- Serving as the liaison between the user community and the IT community by defining user needs and communicating improvements and processes throughout the PDM communities in Plumbing Americas, Asia, Europe and Interiors.
Functional Skills:
- Understand PDM policies and SAP tools to gather information and complete daily production requests.
- Understand SAP tables to extract and build data sets to support product data accuracy.
- Utilize current programs/processes to increase business effectiveness.
- Build, test, and implement programs/process improvements with all user groups.
- Monitor policies/procedures for PDM and PLM processes.
- Create, maintain, and execute process documents for global reference and use.
- This includes writing, proofing, testing, and storing procedures for the user communities.
- Participate in educational programs and professional societies involving analysis and leadership skills.
- Effective communication with all user groups, including, but not limited to manufacturing, logistics, supply chain, accounting, purchasing, marketing, sales and IT.
- Conduct training programs involving company personnel relating to product data management and specific projects.
- Creative thinking to identify new solutions and processes for continuous improvement.
EXPECTED END RESULTS:
MAJOR ACTIVITIES:

Data Engineering, Reporting & Analytics:
- Extract, use and present large amounts of data to support business decisions and audits.
- Continuous support of PDM teams and customers to extract data from SAP tables and databases.
- Support cross-functional groups with ad hoc data requests.
- Support & training to requestors.
Develop Automation Tools:
- Develop workflows and automation tools to create efficiencies for the maintenance of product management.
- Create Winshuttle scripts and templates.
- Constantly consult and ideate with PDM teams to build and maintain tools to support accuracy and efficiency.
- Build, test and implement programs/process improvements with all user groups.
Audits:
- Analyze and develop audits as a tool for data quality.
- Understand business rules to write audit extracts to influence data integrity.
- Data analysis of errors.
- Understand SAP tables and extract large amounts of data to audit and aid in decision making.
Data storage & Handling:
- To store data & reports on Global Server with accuracy.
- Storage of documents and data on server.
- Creation of new processes & standards.
- Timely Back up of stored data.
- Create and Manage databases.
Project Management:
- Manage daily workload with assigned project work to appropriately represent PDM.
- Represent Product Data Management by supporting and leading projects.
- Make decisions on behalf of the Product Data Management team and effectively document and communicate to the team.
Leadership & Team Management:
- Provide direction, mentorship, and support to a team of PDM associates.
- Lead, manage and develop high-performing PDM associates through mentorship, clear direction, and continuous development.
- Drive accountability and performance by setting goals, monitoring outcomes, and recognizing achievements.
- Foster a collaborative, inclusive culture that encourages innovation, knowledge sharing, and adaptability.
- Ensure effective resource allocation, build team capabilities, and guide the group through organizational and technological change while maintaining strong stakeholder engagement.
Requirements:
Educational Qualifications:
- Bachelors (or Associate) Degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Computer Applications, Mechanical, Production or any other relevant streams/ technical disciplines.
Relevant Experience:
- 8 to 12 years of relevant experience working in product data management, materials management, or production planning role.
Personal Characteristics & Technical Expertise:
- Strong written and verbal communication, and effective presentation skills.
- High proficiency in Microsoft Excel and SAP.
- Strong customer-focus & Excellent customer-service skills.
- Expertise on Winshuttle and Visual Basic (preferred).
- Creative thinker with good idea orientation to drive process improvements.
- Flexibility to support a wide variety of work related to Product Data Management.
Relationships And Contacts:
Supervisory relationships:
- Reports to: Manager Engineering Systems & PDM.
Organization Relationships:
- Regular contact with Kohler Global PDM Teams, IT, Program Management and Engineering community.
- Regular contact with peers, superiors, and junior associates.
- Frequent contact with Marketing, SCM, Service, Manufacturing, Logistics, Accounting & Sales Teams.
- Occasional interactions with other business units and departments such as QA, Plant, Process Engineering, Purchasing, Warehouse teams, Customer Service.
External Business Relationships:
- Participating in technical forums/webinars to explore the techniques and programs related to PDM systems, processes, and tools.
- Third party service providers, partners, and suppliers/ vendors.