Product Line Manager - Industrial Controls

Job Description

Job Description

Description:

Position Overview 

The Product Line Manager is responsible for the strategy, performance, and lifecycle management of an assigned industrial controls product portfolio within an electrical power distribution manufacturing business. This role connects customer and market needs with Engineering, Sales, Operations, Supply Chain, and Quality to drive competitive, manufacturable solutions, profitable growth, and reliable delivery. The position supports products such as industrial control panels, motor control solutions, automation-related assemblies, and associated engineered configurations.

Key Responsibilities

1. Product Strategy & Portfolio Management

• Develop and maintain product line strategy, positioning, roadmaps, and lifecycle plans aligned with business priorities.
• Assess market trends, competitive offerings, customer requirements, and applicable industrial control applications.
• Identify opportunities for new products, standard configurations, upgrades, and product rationalization.
• Define product requirements, target applications, and differentiation in collaboration with technical teams.
• Monitor product line performance and recommend actions to improve growth, margin, and customer value.

2. Commercial & Financial Performance

• Partner with Sales on product positioning, customer opportunities, quotations, and technical-commercial alignment.
• Support pricing strategy, cost targets, margin analysis, and profitability improvement initiatives.
• Analyze bookings, revenue, backlog, product mix, and demand forecasts to inform decisions.
• Provide product knowledge and sales enablement materials for customer-facing teams.
• Coordinate launch plans and communicate product updates to internal stakeholders.

3. Engineering & Product Development

• Translate voice-of-customer input into clear product requirements and development priorities.
• Partner with Electrical and Mechanical Engineering on industrial control panel designs, configurations, and documentation.
• Participate in design reviews and evaluate tradeoffs involving performance, cost, lead time, and manufacturability.
• Support product validation, change management, and resolution of recurring technical or quality issues.
• Promote applicable standards and customer specification awareness, including UL 508A and relevant NFPA/NEC requirements as appropriate.

4. Manufacturing & Supply Chain Coordination

• Collaborate with Operations, Production, Quality, and Supply Chain to support build readiness and on-time delivery.
• Identify opportunities for standardization, modularity, component commonality, and cost reduction.
• Help resolve product-related material constraints, obsolescence, and supplier challenges.
• Support capacity planning and demand visibility for product families and major opportunities.
• Coordinate improvements to bills of materials, work instructions, and product data accuracy.

5. Cross-Functional Leadership & Continuous Improvement

• Lead product line reviews, communicate priorities, and align stakeholders on decisions and milestones.
• Coordinate product launches, phase-outs, training, and internal change communications.
• Use customer feedback, field issues, and operational metrics to prioritize corrective and improvement actions.
• Build strong working relationships across Sales, Engineering, Project Management, and Operations.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications 

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Business, Product Management, or a related field; equivalent relevant experience considered.
• Experience in product management, product line leadership, applications engineering, or technical commercial roles within industrial electrical equipment.
• Knowledge of industrial control panels, motor controls, PLC-based systems, automation components, and electrical distribution applications preferred.
• Familiarity with industrial control panel standards and requirements, including UL 508A and applicable NEC/NFPA provisions, preferred.
• Ability to interpret customer specifications and collaborate on technical product requirements.
• Experience with pricing, margin analysis, product lifecycle management, and ERP/MRP systems preferred.
• Strong cross-functional leadership, analytical, communication, and project prioritization skills.
• Ability to work in a manufacturing environment and travel to company sites, suppliers, or customers as needed.

Requirements:

Level Expectations

Product Line Manager I

• Typically 3–5 years of relevant experience in industrial electrical products, engineering, sales, or product management.
• Manages defined products or a narrower portfolio with guidance on strategy, pricing, and investment decisions.
• Coordinates routine product updates, customer requirements, launch tasks, and performance reporting.
• Works cross-functionally to resolve standard product, quality, and delivery issues.

Product Line Manager II

• Typically 5–8 years of progressive experience, including independent product or commercial ownership.
• Independently owns product line plans, roadmap priorities, pricing recommendations, and portfolio performance.
• Leads cross-functional product development, launch, standardization, and profitability initiatives.
• Balances customer needs, technical feasibility, capacity, and financial outcomes with limited oversight.

Product Line Manager III

• Typically 8+ years of progressive experience with significant product portfolio and business accountability.
• Leads complex or strategically important product lines, long-range roadmaps, and major investment proposals.
• Drives portfolio profitability, market expansion, product architecture, and cross-functional tradeoff decisions.
• Serves as a senior product leader and mentor, influencing commercial, engineering, and operational priorities.