General Manager, White Knight

Graco manufactures and markets premium equipment to move, measure, control, dispense and spray a wide variety of fluid and powder materials. What does that mean? Well, we pump peanut butter into your jar, and the oil in your car. We glue the soles of your shoes, the glass in your windows and the screen on your phone. We spray the finish on your vehicle, coatings on your pills, the paint on your house and texture on your walls. Graco is part of your daily life.

We are looking for a dynamic General Manager with a strong background in sales, marketing, and engineering within the semiconductor industry. The ideal candidate will drive strategic growth initiatives, enhance customer engagement, and lead customer focused product development efforts. This role demands a high performing leader with a proven track record in achieving profitable revenue growth and fostering cross-functional collaboration.  

Reporting to the President, Expansion Markets Division, this role will operate as a key member of the Expansion Markets leadership team, while still owning the independent P&L of the White Knight Business Unit. The operations and corporate function teams provide dedicated support to the Business Unit and are key members of the leadership team, while reporting directly to the respective global operations and corporate function leaders. The ideal candidate will possess strong commercial acumen, depth in leading and developing a high performing team, experience in mergers and acquisitions, and in delivering the business plans in the short and long term.

What You Will Do at Graco

Commercial (Sales and Marketing) Strategy and Execution delivery:

• Lead teams to develop and execute comprehensive marketing, sales and engineering strategies to maximize market share and profitable revenue growth.
• Align targeted engineering efforts with market needs to ensure successful product development and launches.
• Lead the sales team to achieve sales targets and expand customer relationships, leveraging current and future networks in the industry.
• Analyze sales data and market trends to identify new opportunities and optimize sales strategies.
• Create and implement marketing plans with guidance from central marketing teams that effectively communicate the value of our products in the semi-conductor value chain to target audiences.
• Manage brand positioning and marketing communications to enhance market visibility and customer engagement.

Engineering Collaboration:

• Provide guidance to the engineering team to further align our product and solutions to customer requirements and market demands.
• Promote a culture of targeted innovation within engineering to drive new product development that is prioritized against the biggest growth opportunities

Customer Engagement:

• Cultivate and grow relationships with key customers and industry partners. Lead the development of a 5-year customer centric roadmap that outlines how we can grow our share of wallet across existing and new customers
• Represent the company at industry events, conferences, and trade shows to promote products and brand.

Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A):

• Surface M&A opportunities that potentially align with the Divisional goals and target market applications to the Corporate Development team.
• Support relevant M&A integration for division in close collaboration with Expansion Markets and Corporate Development groups

Team Leadership and Financial Management 

• Lead, mentor, manage, and staff of sales, marketing, and engineering team, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and promoting a culture of excellence. 
• Ensure a cohesive culture across commercial and operations, corporate function teams that support the business unit (direct and indirect reporting relationships)
• Drive team performance by setting clear goals, providing ongoing feedback, and facilitating professional growth opportunities. 
• Establish, manage, and be accountable for the annual team budget, ensuring effective allocation of resources and alignment with organizational strategic objectives. 

What You Will Bring to Graco

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, Engineering or a related field; MBA or advanced degree preferred
• 12+ years of experience in the semiconductor industry, with a strong focus on sales, marketing, and engineering functions. At least 5+ years in managing cross functional teams
• Excellent leadership skills: 6+ years of team leadership experience preferred.   
• Proven leadership experience with a track record of driving profitable revenue growth and market expansion. Proven experience in financial analysis, P&L ma