Director - Value Added Solutions

ABOUT NVENIA

nVenia, a member of the Duravant family of operating companies, is a manufacturer and supplier of integrated solutions and packaging equipment machinery. With over 300 years of combined experience, our long-standing brands of Arpac, Fischbein, Hamer and Ohlson serve end customers in the consumer-packaged goods, food and beverage, industrial, and other markets.


POSITION SUMMARY

The Director, Value-Added Services (VAS) is the business owner for nVenia's aftermarket services portfolio and a key member of the commercial leadership team. This role leads the technical, consultative selling and commercialization of service offerings that improve customer uptime, throughput, and total cost of ownership across automated packaging lines. The Director will scale the VAS portfolio by productizing services (e.g., preventive maintenance programs, service contracts, retrofits, audits, training, spare part kits, and parts regain programs), building repeatable go-to-market motions, and enabling field execution through data-driven installed-base insights.


The role requires the application of engineering principles (mechanical systems and controls/PLC integration) combined with advanced technical selling, product management, and general-management capability to define technically-scoped service products, price and govern value capture, and lead cross-functional execution from technical discovery through contract and delivery. This role routinely applies engineering principles to translate customer line constraints and equipment design characteristics into technically-scoped service deliverables and retrofit solutions.


KEY OUTCOMES (12-24 MONTHS)

• Build and execute a multi-year VAS growth plan with clear mix targets across service contracts, retrofits, kits, audits, training, and regain programs.

• Create standardized, technically-scoped service products (SKUs, scopes, deliverables, pricing, terms) that can be quoted and delivered consistently with strong gross margins.

• Own the VAS commercial operating system: funnel hygiene, forecast accuracy, conversion, cycle-time reduction, and win/loss learning across inside/outside service sales motions.

• Define and execute go-to-market strategy (target segments, positioning, messaging, channels, and campaigns) in partnership with Marketing to generate demand and improve attachment.

• Embed VAS opportunity visibility and attachment into lifecycle touchpoints (FSE, Technical Support, CSR, Parts, and Equipment Sales) through standard work and enablement.

• Deploy enabling technology and processes (CRM rigor, installed-base analytics, quoting tools, customer self-service/portal where applicable) to grow revenue without linear headcount growth.

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead the VAS commercial organization (inside and/or outside service sales, solutions specialists) and establish a disciplined operating cadence for pipeline creation, technical qualification, forecast management, and performance coaching.

• Conduct technical discovery with customers and evaluate production environments (product handling, throughput targets, line constraints, controls architecture) to engineer service scopes that integrate with existing automation, safety requirements, and uptime objectives.

• Architect and commercialize technically-defined service offerings for nVenia equipment and integrated packaging lines, including retrofits, reliability upgrades, preventive maintenance plans, audits, training, and multi-year service contracts.

• Productize services: define standard scopes, technical deliverables, labor/material assumptions, risk boundaries, service-level metrics, and handoff criteria so offerings can be quoted and delivered consistently.

• Own pricing architecture and value capture for VAS: build cost-to-serve models, set list pricing and discount governance, and quantify customer ROI to support value-based pricing and margin expansion.

• Own the VAS funnel end-to-end (lead generation through close and renewals): define funnel stages and qualification standards, monitor conversion and cycle time, and implement corrective actions to improve performance.

• Define and execute VAS go-to-market strategy: segment the installed base, prioritize accounts, and design campaign plays (parts regain, kits, retrofit programs, audit-to-retrofit conversion, contract renewal/expansion).

• Partner with Marketing to develop technical messaging, collateral, and multi-channel campaigns; ensure marketing programs are measurable and translate into qualified opportunities.

• Align cross-functional contributors (Field Service, Technical Support, Parts, Engineering, Product Management, Operations) to ensure sold outcomes are deliverable; create closed-loop feedback to improve offer design and delivery quality.

• Serve as an executive-level technical advisor to key customers: present lifecycle optimization roadmaps, negotiate technical terms, and drive adoption of proactive maintenance strategies versus break/fix.

POSITION REQUIREMENTS

Minimum Education:
• Minimum of a Bachelor's degree (or foreign equivalent) in Engineering (Mechanical, Electrical, Industrial, Mechatronics) or a closely related technical discipline such as Industrial Technology or Engineering Management is required to understand the design, integration, and lifecycle support of industrial packaging automation systems.
• A Bachelor's degree (or higher) in Business Administration may be acceptable only when paired with a technical concentration in industrial automation/engineering management and substantial coursework in engineering/technology foundations relevant to electromechanical systems and controls integration.


The core duties require applying engineering concepts (mechanisms, tolerances, pneumatics, sensors/actuators, safety interfaces, and controls/PLC integration) to architect customer-specific service scopes, retrofit solutions, and service-level agreements for automated packaging lines.


Required Experience & Skills (Must Have):

• Technical sales leadership: 8+ years of progressive experience in B2B technical/industrial sales for electromechanical or automation-based equipment and solutions, including 3+ years leading a sales organization with forecasting and pipeline governance accountability.

• Services commercialization/productization: proven experience designing, packaging, and launching service offerings (e.g., preventive maintenance programs, service contracts, retrofits/upgrades, audit programs, training, spare parts kits) with defined scopes, deliverables, and pricing.

• Product management or product marketing experience: ability to translate customer and installed-base insights into service product requirements, positioning, and go-to-market plans; experience owning roadmap, launches, and adoption metrics for commercial offerings.

• Pricing and value capture: experience building pricing architecture, discount governance, and ROI/value models; ability to analyze cost-to-serve and improve gross margins through standardization and value-based pricing.

• Funnel ownership: demonstrated capability to build and manage an end-to-end sales funnel (demand generation through close/renewals), including stage definitions, qualification rigor, conversion management, and win/loss learning.

• Cross-functional leadership: proven ability to lead through influence across service delivery, engineering, operations, parts, and marketing to ensure sold outcomes are deliverable and scalable.

Additional Requirements:

• Ability to travel 25-40% to customer sites and nVenia locations as needed.

• Strong executive communication skills with the ability to present technical ROI cases and lifecycle optimization strategies to customer leadership.

Preferred Qualifications:

• MBA, Master of Engineering Management, or a similar graduate degree that strengthens general-management and commercialization capabilities for technical products/services.

• Experience in packaging, material handling, or adjacent automation industries with exposure to integrated line solutions.

• Familiarity with reliability engineering concepts (MTBF/MTTR), FMEA, and condition-based/predictive maintenance program design.

• Experience implementing commercial enablement tools (CRM improvements, installed-base analytics, quoting/configuration tools, customer portals) for services growth.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

While performing the duties of this job, the colleague is frequently required to sit, stand, walk, talk or hear; uses hands to finger, handle, or touch objects or controls. On occasion, the colleague may be required to climb and work in high places, stoop, bend or reach above the shoulders. The employee is occasionally exposed to mechanical parts, machines, and vehicles. The incumbent must occasionally lift, push, or pull up to 50 pounds. The noise level is usually quiet to moderate but can be excessive in manufacturing and processing environments. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential function.


EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

nVenia is committed to a culture that promotes long-term career satisfaction and provides an opportunity for personal and professional growth. nVenia is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.