Product Development Manager

Volkswagen Financial Services Australia is a leading provider of competitive finance and insurance products to over 1200 retailers across Australia representing automotive brands within the Volkswagen Group including: Audi, ŠKODA, Bentley, Porsche, Ducati and Lamborghini and outside the Volkswagen Group - Jaguar and Land Rover. Nobody does finance better than our team of experts ensuring a positive customer experience at all times.

We believe our employees are key to our success and offer career advancement to grow your career across various divisions. Our people are recognised for their achievements and we have a team culture led by empathetic managers. Our EVP is testament to our continued commitment to retaining our staff and providing a fulfilling experience during their journey with Volkswagen Financial Services Australia. Our core value is integrity and we seek like-minded individuals to join our thriving business.

Purpose of the role:

The job holder will be responsible for all Products & Programs, relevant Pricing & lifecycle management & enhancement of the new and existing products to assist VWFS with the delivery of volume, mix & profit objectives.

This will be achieved through product and pricing portfolio management, defining product parameters and sales process optimisation, POS training and innovative business development initiatives and value-add products and services that support the sale of Group vehicles & increase Non-Asset based Income (NABI).

Additionally, the role is responsible for identifying, researching and creating feasibility studies into new products and initiatives for VWFS Australia. The key objective of the role is the development of products, including current and new product and projects that ensure that VWFS Australia maximises its penetration into the captive and non-captive / Used market.

Responsibilities of the role:

• Product Management & Development; Drive innovation in product management generating new opportunities in existing captive finance, Non-Captive, Used Car markets and the VLC Eco System.
• Development of product management plans to meet volume, mix, profitability, reporting, risk assessment & legal requirements.
• Develop and deliver product training modules for Front and back-office staff as well as Dealership and Business Manager Network.
• Relationship Management with key suppliers, business partners, internal & external stakeholders to deliver products/programs, continuous improvements and chair steering committees and prepare management reporting / dashboards.
• Strategy Development; Prepare and present strategic and financial analysis to key stakeholders. Drive strategic projects from concept to implementation.
• Market Development & Business Insights; Conduct market research, analysis, modelling and benchmarking to identify opportunities for business growth and performance optimisation in the short, medium & long term.
• Pricing reviews and analysis that contribute to the financial planning of VWFS Australia through effective sales forecasting and price recommendations.
• Marketing and Focus Groups, work with the sales team and wider dealer network to obtain knowledge on the success of the product itself, ideas of product improvement and work collaboratively with marketing to ensure that the products & services are visible and reaching the audience/target market.
• Risk and Compliance, Develop the contractual terms and conditions, application forms and support documentation to ensure all internal and external product communications include relevant legal and regulatory advice. Ensure that VWFS product offering is fully compliant with VWFS' , VW Group legal, tax and risk guidelines and any other business partner guidelines

Requirements for the role:

• Motor Finance experience, ideally with a captive organisation. Experience in business development, marketing, product development and sales related fields is highly desirable.
• Tertiary qualifications in Business, Marketing or related field desirable.
• Strong strategic, commercial and financial acumen supported by sound commercial judgment with well-developed conceptual, analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Proven experience in negotiating and influencing decision makers at a senior management level; including customers, dealers and group brands.
• Experience in negotiating supplier arrangements & relationships.
• A developed understanding of statistical and demographic analytics with an ability to produce relevant supporting data
• Ability and experience in managing multiple projects and business initiatives simultaneously.
• Effective listening abilities and be able to make strong judgement calls.
• Project Management & Process Improvement Skills desirable.