Product Manager

Product Manager

The Product Manager is responsible for the strategic planning, development, launch, and lifecycle management of Ghost Controls' product portfolio. This position evaluates market opportunities, customer requirements, competitive offerings, and business objectives to define product strategies and priorities. The Product Manager develops product requirements, manages product roadmaps, and coordinates cross-functional activities necessary to bring new products and product enhancements to market.

Working closely with Engineering, Operations, Sales, Marketing, Customer Service, and Supply Chain teams, the Product Manager ensures products meet customer needs, achieve financial objectives, comply with applicable standards, and align with the company's strategic goals. The position is accountable for product performance throughout the product lifecycle, including product introduction, growth, maintenance, and improvement.

The Product Manager serves as the primary business owner for assigned product lines and is responsible for balancing customer requirements, operational capabilities, technical constraints, and profitability considerations in making product related recommendations and decisions.

Job Duties:

• Develop and maintain product strategies, roadmaps, and business plans for assigned product lines.
• Manage the full product lifecycle, including concept development, market introduction, product enhancements, sustaining activities, and end-of-life planning.
• Identify and evaluate market opportunities through customer feedback, market research, competitive analysis, and industry trends.
• Gather, analyze, and prioritize customer, dealer, distributor, and internal stakeholder requirements.
• Create and maintain product requirements documents, functional specifications, and business cases for new products and product enhancements.
• Collaborate with Engineering to define product features, functionality, performance requirements, and technical specifications.
• Lead cross-functional product development teams to ensure projects are completed on schedule, within budget, and in accordance with quality standards.
• Coordinate product launch activities, including commercialization plans, pricing strategies, training materials, product documentation, and launch communications.
• Monitor product performance, sales trends, profitability, customer satisfaction, warranty claims, and service-related issues.
• Analyze product and market data to support strategic decisions and continuous product improvement initiatives.
• Develop product positioning, value propositions, and competitive differentiation strategies in partnership with Sales and Marketing.
• Support Sales, Marketing, Customer Service, and Technical Support teams by providing product expertise, training, and technical guidance.
• Evaluate competitive products and emerging technologies to identify opportunities, threats, and potential product innovations.
• Recommend product pricing, packaging, feature enhancements, and portfolio optimization strategies.
• Work with Operations, Supply Chain, and Manufacturing teams to support demand planning, inventory management, and cost-reduction initiatives.
• Participate in vendor and supplier evaluations related to product development and sourcing activities.
• Ensure products comply with applicable regulatory, safety, and quality standards.
• Prepare and present product plans, business cases, status reports, and performance metrics to leadership.
• Manage multiple product initiatives simultaneously while balancing business priorities and resource constraints.

Required Skills:

• Ability to develop product strategies, roadmaps, business cases, and lifecycle plans that support company objectives.
• Ability to evaluate market trends, customer needs, competitive products, and financial data to drive product decisions.
• Ability to manage multiple projects and effectively lead cross-functional teams to achieve product development and launch goals.
• Ability to translate customer and business needs into clear product requirements, specifications, and development priorities.
• Strong verbal, written, presentation, and interpersonal skills with the ability to influence stakeholders at all levels of the organization.
• Ability to identify opportunities, assess risks, analyze complex issues, and make sound, data-driven recommendations.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Marketing, Engineering, Product Management, or a related field.
• Five or more years of progressively responsible experience in product management, product development, marketing, engineering, or a related discipline.
• Demonstrated experience managing products through all phases of the product lifecycle, including product planning, development, launch, sustainment, and end-of-life management.
• Experience developing product requirements, business cases, product roadmaps, and go-to-market plans.
• Proven ability to lead cross-functional teams and drive projects to completion in a collaborative environment.
• Experience conducting market research, competitive analysis, and customer needs assessments to support product decisions.
• Strong analytical, financial, and business acumen with the ability to interpret data and make recommendations.
• Excellent written, verbal, presentation, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Strong proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, including Excel, PowerPoint, and Word.
• Ability to travel as needed for customer visits, trade shows, supplier meetings, and other business-related activities.

Travel Expectations:

• Expectation of travel up to 5% with some weekend travel as required

Physical and Work Requirements:

• Sedentary Work. Primarily sitting, walking or standing, with minimal lifting.
• Ability to sit, stand, or move for extended periods as required.
• Ability to lift up to 10 pounds.
• Ability to work in a typical office, remote, or field environment.