Our associates work in many different positions with a variety of tasks and roles. We recently sat down with a Product Analyst to ask about his responsibilities during a typical day at work.
Name: Matthew M.
Title: Product Analyst
Location: Dayton, Ohio
How did you hear about Reynolds, and what made you apply?I'm a Dayton native and attended Wright State University, where I would get breakfast or coffee at
ReyRey Café (the Reynolds-sponsored coffee shop) on campus. I was told what a great company it is by friends who worked there, and it meshed well with my passion for cars.
I had a similar role before coming to Reynolds, and I was fortunate to know people who worked here. I was invited to the annual Christmas party, and I saw firsthand how outgoing and passionate everyone is at the company. I always heard Reynolds is a great place to work and that the people really make the company what it is, so seeing this firsthand really solidified my decision to apply, and I’ve been with the company a little over a year now.
What is the Product Management Department, and what does a Product Analyst do?
The Product Management Department (PMD) acts as a liaison between customers and the Software Development Department while coordinating with other internal teams to plan improvements to our products and ensure they are properly implemented. PMD is broken into two areas: planning and design. Planning is the "what,” while design is the "how” of our products. I work as a Product Analyst on the Finance & Insurance (F&I) Planning team.
Can you describe your day-to-day?
One of the reasons I'm drawn to PMD is that you always have new opportunities to tackle concerns. No day is the same, and when you're dealing with ways to optimize and improve multiple different products, you're constantly thrown headfirst into problem-solving and learning new things.
Days in the office involve writing “requirements,” which are technical documents that outline changes and improvements that will eventually be passed to our Software Development team for implementation. We also frequently communicate with third parties and ensure that various timelines are met, keeping everyone informed as needed.
A travel day might include dealership visits: traveling to various parts of the country to speak with F&I managers and other customers who use our products every day. We aim to understand how they specifically interact with the software, including new features and improvements.
Describe how your background translates into your role.
I have a Bachelor of Science in Business with a concentration in Marketing. My Marketing concentration helps me perform customer-facing dealership visits effectively, communicate value propositions, and discuss future improvements. My experience in business writing and copywriting helped prepare me for technical writing in my role.
What are you excited about in your role for the future?
PMD is dynamic; we are responsible for implementing customer feedback, brainstorming new ideas and ways to implement them, and improving our overall products. Because the automotive industry is constantly evolving, there is always something to be excited about and another new development right around the corner.
What do you wish applicants knew when applying for a job in PMD?It’s a more creative field than most people realize. Not only do you have to grasp what changes need to happen, but you also have some creative control as to how that is implemented. We work hard to ensure we have the best products for our customers, so thinking outside the box and creating effective solutions is really the core of what we do.
Ready to start your career at Reynolds? Browse opportunities here.