Product Manager

Senior Product Manager, R&D Technology – The Toro Company With roots dating back to 1914, The Toro Company was built on a tradition of quality and caring relationships. Today, the company is a leading worldwide provider of innovative solutions for the outdoor environment, including turf and landscape maintenance, snow and ice management, underground utility construction, rental and specialty construction, and irrigation and outdoor lighting solutions. Through a strong network of professional distributors, dealers, rental stores and retailers in more than 125 countries, we proudly offer a wide range of products across a family of global brands to help golf courses, professional contractors, underground construction professionals, groundskeepers, agricultural growers, rental companies, government and educational institutions, and homeowners – in addition to many leading sports venues and historic sites around the world. Your Opportunity The Senior Product Manager, R&D Technology supports the business objectives of the Landscape and Contractor Group (L&C) by guiding the development and leading the integration of key company-wide technologies (autonomous, alternative energy, and connected products) across the L&C fleet of equipment and leading the digital product portfolio strategy. Key functions include: Creating and refining the technology strategy for L&C product portfolio Leading the development of technology roadmaps for the divisions Identifying and developing the business case for key technology integration driven by unmet customer needs Leading divisional product marketing teams on technology integration across the product portfolio Supporting the development of cross‑department processes and procedures to support new technologies Collaborating with peers company-wide to identify and drive synergies Sponsorship Sponsorship is NOT available for this position. This position is not eligible for sponsorship. Work Location Candidates have the choice of where their home office base would be: Bloomington, MN (Toro's International Corporate Headquarters); Beatrice, NE (Exmark's Division Headquarters); or Batesville, AR (Spartan Mowers Division Headquarters). The current team works a hybrid model with 3 days on‑site and optional 2 days remote, or 5 days on campus (varying on the culture of the location). Other job locations and/or fully remote is not available at this time. This role includes travel 15%-20% (both domestic and international) with related expense reporting duties. What Will You Do? Develop, present, and execute a multi‑generational product plan for digital, autonomous, connected, and alternative energy technology to accomplish relevant product line, departmental, and divisional objectives. Coordinate and execute voice of the customer activities and market research required to fully understand future technologies. Participate in specialization groups, product development, and DCI team meetings on a regular basis. Partner with product managers to lead tech‑focused product projects through key project stage gates. Assist with the ongoing management and evolution of existing technologies in use across the product portfolio. Plan and deliver technology‑related sales training, including participation in live training events and recorded webinars. Work closely and collaborate with peer divisions within TTC on developing and executing joint strategies. Coordinate with product managers to create tech‑focused content for sales training tools and marketing collateral materials. Monitor competitive environment and develop and contribute data to create competitive technology‑related comparisons for use in training the L&C and distributor sales teams. Collaborate with product managers, sales team, and finance team regarding digital and related technology pricing strategies. Support industry trade shows, customer experience events, and other key activities. Coach product manager(s), associate product manager(s), marketing associate(s), and/or marketing interns, and provide general oversight for all digital and technology categories managed by a team of direct and indirect reports. What Do You Need? A minimum of a Bachelor's degree in marketing or engineering. 12+ years of applicable experience (or MBA with 10+ years applicable experience) in durable goods. Must be willing to obtain/maintain an active and valid US passport and a non‑expired US driver’s license. Strong interpersonal communication abilities and excellent verbal/written communication skills. Strong analytical skills. Customer service and people skills are critical. Experience in creating and executing strategic roadmaps. Experience in creating the vision and strategy to meet key business objectives. Experience in collaborating and leading effectively cross‑divisionally on key initiatives. Preferred Qualifications An MBA is preferred. Engineering or Technical background is preferred. 6+ years’ experience in the outdoor power equipment industry preferred. Product development experience is preferred. Business‑to‑business experience through a dealer/distribution system is preferred. Prior experience with the L&C (Landscape & Contractor) dealer channel preferred. Other Job‑Related Components Works closely with marketing directors, product managers, regional sales managers, training team, and marketing communications team. Contribute to long‑range and annual plans. Builds strong cross‑functional working relationships with Engineering, Sales, Customer Care, IT, and other internal departments. Collaborate across divisions and with key internal corporate resources. Manage 1–3 direct and/or indirect reports. Serves as an advocate for the customer. Occasional exposure to outside weather conditions, wet and/or humid conditions, extreme heat or cold, work near moving mechanical parts, work around fumes, airborne particles, or toxic chemicals. Noise level in work environment is usually loud. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move more than 20 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision; distance vision; color vision; peripheral vision; depth perception and ability to adjust focus. What Can We Give You? Competitive Salary: $145,500 - $195,100. Medical, dental and vision plan. 401(k). Flexible dress code – casual, corporate environment. Onsite café with breakfast and lunch and Caribou Coffee. Onsite fitness facility and mental health/financial health resources. Paid volunteer time (20 hours). Summer Hours: flexible schedule during the summer. The Toro Company is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We consider all qualified applicants based on merit and do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), parental status, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, military service, or other non‑merit factors. We are committed to creating a welcoming environment for all employees. #J-18808-Ljbffr