Alta Jobs in Minnesota (NOW HIRING)

Alta Technologies is a leading provider of refurbished enterprise IT hardware, helping companies extend the life of servers, storage, networking equipment, GPUs, and related data center technology. For more than 30 years, Alta has bought, sold, configured, tested, and supported enterprise hardware from major OEMs including IBM, Lenovo, Dell, NVIDIA, Super Micro, HPE, Cisco, Oracle, NetApp and others.

We are seeking an Associate Product Manager - IBM / Lenovo to join our IBM and Lenovo product team. This is a two-year development role working under Alta’s senior IBM/Lenovo Product Manager to learn enterprise hardware trading, product valuation, broker development, ecommerce merchandising, and product-line ownership.

This is not a traditional product management role in software or marketing. At Alta, Product Managers are technical-commercial experts who understand the product, know the market, build relationships, source inventory, support sales, and help maximize value from enterprise IT hardware.

Position Summary

The Associate Product Manager will support the growth of Alta’s IBM and Lenovo business, including Lenovo x86 servers, IBM Power Systems, IBM System Storage, and related components. This person will work closely with Alta’s senior IBM/Lenovo Product Manager to learn the product line, understand pricing and market value, help manage opportunities, develop new relationships, and support day-to-day product activity.

The role will include a mix of business development, lead follow-up, warm and cold outreach, product research, ecommerce listings, quoting support, inventory support, customer and broker communication, and hands-on learning.

The right candidate will be curious, competitive, detail-oriented, comfortable with outreach, and excited to build expertise in a specialized industry. Over time, the goal is for this person to develop into a fully capable Product Manager who can help grow a product category and manage their own accounts.

Technical knowledge is not necessary, for an individual willing and able to learn.

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Key Responsibilities

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Learn the IBM / Lenovo Product Line

Develop working knowledge of Lenovo x86 servers, IBM Power Systems, IBM System Storage, and related parts and components.

Learn common configurations, part numbers, upgrade paths, compatibility considerations, and customer use cases.

Build familiarity with market pricing, product demand, and the factors that impact resale value.

Research systems, components, features, and configurations to support quoting, listings, and customer requests.

Support Product Management and Trading Activity

Assist the senior IBM/Lenovo Product Manager with quotes, product research, inventory questions, sourcing needs, and customer opportunities.

Help track buy/sell opportunities, customer requests, supplier leads, and market activity.

Communicate with brokers, wholesalers, ITAD providers, resellers, and other industry contacts through email, phone, chat, and other communication platforms.

Learn how enterprise hardware is bought, sold, valued, configured, and traded in the refurbished IT market.

Provide backup support when the senior Product Manager is out of the office or unavailable.

Business Development and Outreach

Follow up on inbound leads, quote requests, website inquiries, and potential buying or selling opportunities.

Conduct warm and cold outreach to brokers, wholesalers, ITAD companies, resellers, and other potential trading partners.

Build awareness in the market that Alta is a strong resource for IBM and Lenovo enterprise hardware opportunities.

Identify companies that occasionally encounter IBM or Lenovo opportunities, even if those product lines are not their main focus.

Triage opportunities for other brands to the appropriate reps and product managers here.

Help open new accounts, start conversations, and create future buying and selling opportunities for the department and organization.

Ecommerce and Product Marketing Support

Create, update, and improve ecommerce listings for IBM, Lenovo, and NetApp systems, parts, and components.

Help prepare product descriptions, part number details, specifications, compatibility notes, and pricing information.

Work to increase visibility of Alta’s IBM, Lenovo, and NetApp inventory through online channels.

Assist with identifying high-value, high-demand, or underrepresented inventory that should be promoted more actively.

Support content, listings, newsletters, photos, and product presentation that help customers understand what Alta has available.

Inventory and Value Support

Help review inventory, aging stock, product availability, and potential sales opportunities.

Assist with pricing research and market comparisons.

Support valuation work for equipment that Alta may purchase from customers, brokers, ITAD providers, or decommissioning projects.

Learn how to evaluate whether hardware should be resold as a system, parted out, upgraded, held, or moved quickly.

Internal Team Support

Work with sales, ITAD, customer service, logistics, technicians, and operations to support customer needs and product opportunities.

Help end-user sales reps and other internal team members with product questions, availability checks, and configuration support.

Communicate clearly and quickly so quotes, orders, purchases, listings, and customer requests keep moving.

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Ideal Candidate Profile

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The ideal candidate is someone who wants to learn a specialized trade and grow into a high-ownership product role. This person does not need to already be an IBM or Lenovo expert, but they must have the curiosity, drive, organization, and communication skills to become one.

Strong candidates may come from a variety of backgrounds including service industry roles (bar/restaurant), trading/flipping collectibles in markets such as shoes/sports cards/TCG/Pokémon, inside sales, SDR, BDR, IT hardware, ITAD, refurbished technology, ecommerce, business development, distribution, customer service, technical support, or related environments.

Desired Qualifications

Experience with IT hardware, servers, storage, networking, ITAD, or refurbished technology is not necessary, but can be helpful.

Comfort with lead follow-up, outbound calls, email outreach, trading, buying/selling, and/or relationship-building.

Strong interest in learning technical products, part numbers, configurations, and market pricing.

Ability to manage multiple conversations, requests, and opportunities simultaneously.

Strong written and verbal communication skills.

High attention to detail, especially around part numbers, specifications, pricing, and customer requirements.

Comfort using email, chat, phone, ecommerce platforms, spreadsheets, CRM/ERP systems, and online research tools.

Competitive, fast-moving, curious, self-motivated, and willing to ask questions.

Ability to work independently while learning from a senior product expert.

Professional, trustworthy, and responsive when communicating with customers, suppliers, and industry contacts.

You act with integrity and consider your long-term reputation in every encounter.

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Key Traits for Success

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Curiosity and a strong desire to learn.

Comfort with outreach, including warm calls, cold calls, follow-up emails, and customer/vendor development.

Strong memory for details, product information, part numbers, and market patterns.

Commercial instincts and interest in buying, selling, pricing, and negotiation.

Technical aptitude and willingness to learn complex enterprise hardware platforms.

Persistence and resilience when reaching out to new contacts.

Fast response time and strong sense of urgency.

Attention to detail and accuracy.

Ownership mindset and willingness to grow into a larger role.

Ability to balance support work today with long-term development into a Product Manager.

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Why This Role Matters

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IBM and Lenovo enterprise hardware represent an important and growing product area for Alta Technologies. We have been leaders in the IBM space since 1995. Customers, brokers, ITAD companies, and resellers rely on Alta for product knowledge, inventory, configuration support, and fair market value.

Help us extend life and unlock value.

This role is designed to help expand that business while expanding our product management talent at Alta. The Associate Product Manager will learn directly from an experienced technical and commercial expert while helping grow relationships, improve product visibility, support customers, and create new opportunities.

For the right person, this is a chance to build a valuable career in a specialized industry where expertise, speed, relationships, and judgment matter.