Position Description:

The Manager, Strategy & Market Intelligence will play a critical role in supporting our continued business growth in the Aerospace & Defense industry. Reporting directly to the Vice President of Strategy and M&A, the successful candidate will work closely with Crane’s A&E leadership to provide intelligence on market trends, customers, and competitive assessments that drives organizational guidance, strategic planning, and acquisition and investment decisions.  He/she will have deep knowledge of the Aerospace, Defense, and Space markets, and will have a network of key thought leaders in the industry.  The Manager, Strategy & Market Intelligence will develop critical analysis and support strategy development for the Crane A&E portfolio.  In addition, this position will play a key role in the annual strategic planning process for the business.

Vertical relationships include functional VPs, VP/GMs of solutions, and members of the Crane A&E Senior Leadership Team.  Peer relationships include Directors and Senior Managers of Corporate Development, Business Development, Strategic Account Development, and Marketing Communications.  Peers also include individuals with responsibility supporting the Product Line Verticals, Finance, Operations, Human Resources & Quality. 

Essential Functions:

The Manager, Strategy & Market Intelligence will play a vital role in execution of Crane A&E’s strategic growth initiatives while implementing processes and tools to improve overall team effectiveness in strategy/market intelligence, strategic platform opportunity identification and recommendations, monitoring industry trends, voice of customer inputs, competitor trends and market share analysis, analysis of defense budget priorities, and assessing the associated impacts of these on the Crane A&E portfolio.  Additionally, the Manager, Strategy & Market Intelligence will support strategy development for adjacent market growth areas and support M&A activities. 

This role must elicit personal trust and confidence from both internal and external customers as well as other team members by maintaining the highest ethical standards. He/she will utilize broad technical understanding of Aerospace & Defense aircraft, engine, and defense electronic systems and components to contribute valuable insights to strategy planning and M&A processes.  

Key functions of the role include:

• Market Intelligence and Analysis:

o   Creation, consolidation, and monitoring of customer forecasts, competitor trends and performance, external forecasts, build rates, and A&D industry segment PMI rates used in long term planning.

o   Identify strategic platform campaigns relevant to Crane A&E and recommends OEM winners and losers. 

o   Identify required technology/products and right to win for new markets and next generation platforms.

o   Maintains and supports addressable market size and share analysis for A&E portfolio.

• Strategy and Adjacent Market Development:

o    Conduct thorough market research and analysis to evaluate attractive markets for expansion, both organically and inorganically

o    Leads strategy development activities at A&E level and supports solutions with strategy

o    Supports M&A process with strategy analysis and development for valuations. 

Key Competencies: 

       Analytical Skills: Attention to detail and ability to seek out, manage, synthesize and interpret large and conflicting sources of data in the development of clear marketing direction and strategy. 

         Strategic Orientation: Must understand how to integrate market and competitive trends, into presentations and reports that will help shape and influence the strategies of the business.

         Verbal and Written Communication Skills: Ability to generate executive level presentations with impactful graphics and commentary that tells the story.

         Organization and project management: Highly organized with effective time management and project management skills.

         Team Leadership: Leading by example and demonstrating high personal energy and influence in every interaction. He/she will be comfortable working with diverse teams in different environments and cultures.

         Collaboration and Influencing: Must be a good listener who uses fact-based persuasion and passion to influence key stakeholders. Gaining the support and involvement of key internal constituencies will be critical to success, as will influencing important decision makers.

         Results Orientation: Shall be a visible, dynamic, and engaged leader who is driven to deliver results. He/she must have the ability and determination to move projects and initiatives forward, using program plans and action plans to track progress.

         Personal Presence and Strong Interpersonal Skills:  Strong entrepreneurial drive is vital and must be balanced by a spirit of team play and cooperation across functional lines. Must elicit personal trust and confidence from other team members by maintaining the highest personal standards. This individual must be at home in an environment where responsiveness to internal and external customer needs is a strongly held value.

         Self Confidence, Customer Focused, and a Strong Work Ethic.  A high degree of self-confidence should be balanced with a sensitivity to the opinions and needs of others. The Manager, Strategy & Market Intelligence will have a customer-focused style coupled with a “make-it-happen” mentality. The role requires an independent thinker who can push back and challenge in a constructive manner.  A personal bias for action, a high sense of urgency, and a strong work ethic are required, as are high personal values and standards.

Business Acumen:

• Experienced A&D Leader with Broad Market Knowledge: Proficient in strategic analysis, market reports, and supporting strategy development.

• A “Hands-on” Approach:  The Manager, Strategy & Market Intelligence must balance strategy and execution, having an ability to get ‘hands-on’ with an expectation of significant direct involvement in the creation of reports, presentations and analysis.

• Comfortable Communicating with Peers, Executive Management and C-Suite Executives: Excellent written and verbal communication skills with exceptional attention to detail, coupled with the ability to interface with both peers, executive management and C-suite representatives is essential.

Qualifications:

• Experience:
• Minimum 5-10 years’ experience in strategy, market intelligence, marketing, product management, or business development in the aerospace and defense industry.  Previous experience at a management consulting company supporting A&D clients will be considered.
• Strong analytical skills, with the ability to interpret complex data and draw actionable insights.
• Excellent communication and executive presentation skills, with the ability to convey complex information clearly and concisely to both internal stakeholders and external partners.
• Strong leadership and team management abilities, with a focus on fostering a positive and high-performing culture.
• Comprehensive understanding of market and technology trends, competitive insights, and industry dynamics within the Aerospace & Defense sector.
• Experience developing go-to-market strategies, adjacent market strategies, product strategies and/or business unit strategies.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office tools with expert level capabilities in PowerPoint and Excel.  Proficient in Alpha Sense or other competitive intelligence platforms.

         Knowledge: In-depth technical understanding of aircraft, engine, and defense electronic systems and components targeted at the Aerospace & Defense markets.  Hands-on knowledge and experience in marketing, market analysis, strategy, forecasting.    

         Education/Certification: B.S. in a Business, Marketing, Engineering discipline required.

         Preferred Qualifications: Master’s Degree in Business Administration, or related field.

Location:

• Lynnwood (Seattle), WA; Burbank (Los Angeles), CA; or Elyria (Cleveland), OH.  Remote office will be considered.

Travel: Up to 10 of time.

Crane Co. reserves the right to change or assign other duties to this position. The statements contained herein reflect general details as necessary to describe the principal functions of this job, the level of knowledge and skill typically required and the scope of accountability and responsibility.  These descriptions should not be considered to be all-inclusive listings of work requirements. 

Crane Co. is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, sex, national origin, marital status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity characteristics or expression, physical or mental disability, pregnancy, medical condition, genetic information, or U.S. military or veteran status or any other characteristic protected under federal, state, or applicable local law, in recruiting, hiring, training, and promoting.

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