Product Development Managers

Lafarge Plc. will be interviewing for this role during the Careers in Africa London Summit on the 18th and 19th of April 2024. The Product Development Manager contributes to LafargeHolcim’s Accelerating Green Growth objective by supporting the Head of Product, Innovation & New Solutions in managing the local products & services portfolio.The Product Development Manager is key in delivering superior value for our end-users / customers and to capture the highest possible value for the business. Demonstrates visible leadership and role modeling in Health & Safety (H&S) and Diversity & Inclusion (D&I). More specifically, promoting H&S and D&I actions/behaviours within the function will be key, as well as fostering their integration in all programs, activities and documents developed by the department. What You’ll Be Doing The Product Development Manager is responsible for Product Range Development & Management of the LafargeHolcim global brands (ECOPlanet, ECOPact & Dynamax) and other Value Added Products (VAPs) across Cement, Concrete and Mortar is primarily responsible for: Creating and maintaining product and service culture in the Organization; Tracking and identifying opportunities of launching new products and services; Defining the roadmap of new products and services for a 2 to 3 years horizon; Tracking of the commercial / technical performance of the product and service portfolio towards competitions and next best alternatives; Detecting the early signs (based on KPIs / external events) to renew / reposition existing products & services; Deploying and maintaining the 5-Step Procedures and all related processes to manage the product & service portfolio; Challenging constructively the sales, marketing and logistics/industrial teams on product and service topics; Proposing all initiatives or change management opportunities which could lead to better top line performance; Meeting Quality parameters/expectations of market/users and Research/ Development of construction solutions for Nigeria; Liaising with Government, Universities, technical institutions, associations, Standards Bureaus and other stakeholders on adoption,  testing and development of Standards for Products & Applications, manuals and specifications to further cement/concrete  applications; Developing new applications of cement & cement based products to grow the market in Road (rigid pavements/ paving blocks/ soil stabilisation), Building & Industrial Sectors; and other specialty cements – Low Heat, Sulphate Resistant, Oil Well etc; Setting the agenda and organising the Product Development Committee, ensuring involvement of all local and group stakeholders; Supporting the Mortar team in developing housing products & 3D solutions; Work with the quality team to manage the Construction Development Laboratory to support our customers and lead the Research & Development in the industry 

Personal Specification

Post Graduate in technical discipline (Civil Engineering or Manufacturing process related) 5-8 years’ experience in production-quality and/or application of cement products. Experience in developing/ modifying product & service portfolios, interfacing with end-users and the industrial team. Sound knowledge of cement / concrete product composition, quality & performance parameters.

Technical / Functional Skills: Knowledge of local and international building standards/ specifications and construction practices. Knowledge of product development & evaluation processes. Good analytical skills to analyze product quality and performance data and apply them to modify/ adapt to customer needs. Behavioral Competence: Interpersonal and communication skills Ability to work cross functionally and influence diverse stakeholders. Be able to attend the recruitment Summit in London on either the 18th or 19th of April 2024