Outdoor Product Manager

The Product Manager will help manage Visual Comfort’s functional product offering.  This role will help identify gaps in the current product offering along with opportunities for innovation and growth. They will help develop the product roadmap from inception to commercialization. They will also work closely with marketing and sales to offer pre-launch and post-launch support as well as training. This is a very cross-functional role, and this person will work closely with Engineering, Project Management, Quality, Marketing, Operations, Sourcing & Supply Chain, and Sales, along with other departments. 

Responsibilities:

• End User Understanding & Market Research
• Solicit feedback from end-users, customers, sales managers, sales reps, and other stakeholders to shape requirements, features, and end products
• Conduct competitive, gap analysis
• Monitor performance to identify trends, formulate strategy, and aid in decision-making
• Develop business cases to support new products and line extensions
• Research new technologies and where appropriate implement them into the product portfolio

• Product Portfolio Management
• Manage strategic product expansions (new SKUs, technology, features, etc.)
• Manage the product lifecycle through end of life
• Sku rationalization
• New Product Portfolio
• Help create and manage product plans and roadmaps
• Produce detailed product requirements documents, specifications, and product ordering grids
• Set pricing and gross profit goals and meet margin targets
• Create revenue and unit forecasts and monitor results to suggest any changes to the forecast
• Actively participate in design reviews
• Achieve product specifications and price targets, and weigh in on trade-offs as required
• Inform stocking strategy to optimize SKUs and inventory
• Project Management
• Partner with cross-functional leadership to establish project timelines.
• Lead weekly team meetings
• Along with Purchasing, work closely with our supply partners to achieve product specs, cost and timeline goals
• Escalate and present issues, risks, options, and recommendations to the working team
• Help ensure projects adhere to agreed-upon scope, timelines, resources, and budget
• Commercialization
• Support Marketing with content development for digital, literature, training materials and tradeshows
• Lead and support product training needs (internal and external)
• Support the Sales Team post launch training and expert needs

Requirements: 

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineer, Economics, Communication, Advertising, Marketing or Statistics.
• 5+ years of combined experience in Product Management and/or Project Management. 
• 3-5 years of Lighting experience, especially outdoor lighting.
• Knowledge of product and project management methodologies, concepts, and techniques.
• Must be proficient with MS Word, MS Excel, MS Outlook.

• Prior experience working in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial, product-driven environment.

• Strong technical knowledge of functional lighting along with LEDs, Drivers, and other relevant technology.
• Strong knowledge of the principles, practices, and objectives of product development and product management.

• Proven success in developing and implementing product roadmaps and following stage gate processes.

• Strong analytical skills with a consistent focus on results measurement and fact-based decision making, while still having/building strong instincts about this business on which to generate educated guesses as well.

• Expertise in driving timelines and evaluating resource requirements, risks, and costs
• Ability to rapidly integrate new information into existing plans.
• Have a cost impact and time to market mindset when evaluating product/scope changes.
• Knowledge of Stage Gates, Gantt Charts, Microsoft Project, SharePoint, and similar project management tools.
• Master’s degree in business or related field.
• Experience with JD Edwards and SolidWorks PDM

We Provide: 

• Competitive Compensation Package

• Company provided Life Insurance and Short-Term Disability.
• 401(k) Employer Match.
• Paid Time Off Programs
• Comprehensive Benefits Package.
• Team Member discounts on Visual Comfort Products.

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