Trade Marketing Manager

Job Description

Job Description

Trade Marketing Manager

Air Lift, a third-generation family owned company, was founded in 1949 in Lansing, Michigan. Air Lift supplies the automotive aftermarket with load assist products and performance suspensions for show and track. Our goal is to consistently provide products and services that meet and exceed customer’s requirements and expectations. We do this by recruiting top talent and retaining them through our commitment to professional development and preservation of our culture. 

Job Summary:

As the Trade Marketing Manager for Air Lift Company, you will equip the sales team and channel partners with the tools, training, and programs they need to sell more, faster. You are responsible for sales enablement, customer training and education, and trade show and event management that keep Air Lift visible and credible in the market. This role is for you if you love turning strategy into practical tools and experiences that make it easier for customers to sell Air Lift.

What You'll Do:

• Manage sales tools and collateral, including sell sheets, presentations, catalogs, merchandising kits, and digital assets, keeping them current and on-brand.
• Lead sales training for all product launches to equip the external organization and sales team members with necessary requirements for product and program sell-in.
• Enable customer training and education, developing programs and materials that help dealers, jobbers, and installers sell and support Air Lift products with confidence.
• Coordinate trade show and event management end to end, including planning, budgeting, booth logistics, staffing, and post-event follow-up and ROI reporting.
• Manage industry memberships and association relationships, maximizing the value of each affiliation for the brand and sales team.
• Design and launch tiered sell-through POP programs that match marketing spend to the value of each retail and installer partner. Build program levels that fit a wide range of store layouts and planogram needs, so every partner receives the right support without overspending.
• Partner with sales leadership to identify enablement gaps and prioritize the tools and training that will have the greatest impact.
• Partner with sales leadership to plan and execute customer programs that strengthen dealer relationships and drive channel growth including, but not limited to, Dealer Services, Authorized Dealers, Preferred Dealer Program, and Affiliate programs.
• Support new product launches with launch kits, training content, and channel-ready assets aligned to the commercialization plan.
• Collaborate and support the customer portal experience end to end, partnering across sales, marketing, IT, and operations to ensure content and functionality consistently meet customer needs.
• Manage 3rd Party vendors that support all sales and trade programs.
• Develop and execute trade promotions and channel-facing campaigns in partnership with the channel and marketing teams.
• Maintain a calendar of trade events, training sessions, and program deadlines, ensuring cross-functional visibility and readiness.
• Track and report on enablement adoption, training completion, event outcomes, and program effectiveness.
• Gather and identify outcomes from field and partner feedback to continuously improve tools, training, and programs.

What You'll Bring:

• Experience in the automotive aftermarket is preferred.
• Bachelor's degree in business, marketing, communications, or a related field.
• 3 to 5 years' progressive experience in trade marketing or sales enablement.
• Demonstrated experience managing trade shows or large-scale events from planning through execution.
• Solid knowledge of productivity tools including the Microsoft 365 Suite.
• Must be fluent in English, additional language skills appreciated.
• Able to develop strategies, define action plans, and share results.
• Ability to frame forward-looking solutions, aligned with business goals and customer needs.
• Excellent business judgment; effective at articulating value propositions to stakeholders.
• Explores different approaches and solutions to a problem, gathers feedback, and redesigns until the best possible solution is found.
• Comfortable working within a 11 Hands-on/Roll-up the Sleeves11 culture.
• Must be able to build relationships, negotiate, and influence others to drive change.
• Able to influence and motivate internal teams to accomplish the strategy.
• Encourages problem-solving, strategic thinking, and customer orientation across a cross-functional team.
• Ability to work independently, prioritize effectively, & manage multiple projects at once.
• Strong presentation and facilitation skills in person and via video conference.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills and ethical judgment.
• Appreciates that a diverse perspective creates better solutions.
• Interest in increasing industry, technical, and business knowledge through continuous learning.
• Adapts own ideas or perceptions in response to a changing environment around them.
• Highly organized, analytical, and data-driven.

What We Offer:

• Comprehensive health and wellness benefits 
• Generous 401(k) with up to 8% company matching 
• A supportive and inclusive company culture that prioritizes work/life balance
• Professional development to help grow your career
• Paid time off and paid holidays