Senior Defense Product Manager – Platform & Lifecycle

Electro Optic Systems; City of Hume; On-site; AUD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Electro Optic Systems in Australia seeks a seasoned Product Manager to shape and own the long-term roadmap for advanced defense platforms. You will manage multiple configurations, align with customer needs, and drive lifecycle planning from development through obsolescence, coordinating with engineering, supply chain, and sales.

The role requires deep technical knowledge of weapon systems or electro-mechanical platforms, strong agile and commercial skills, and proven success in pricing,

Qualifications

• 10+ years experience in product management within defense, aerospace, or complex systems industries.
• Strong agile acumen and commercial understanding on features ROI and revenue movers.
• Strong technical background in weapon systems, electro-mechanical systems, or related technologies.
• Knowledge of defense standards, compliance requirements, and export control regulations.
• Experience in lifecycle management, including sustainment and obsolescence planning.
• Commercial acumen with experience in pricing, business case development, and contract support.
• Marketing and business development experience, including product positioning and customer engagement.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Proficiency in project management and ERP tools.
• Tertiary qualification in Engineering, Business, or related field.
• Solid financial acumen with experience in budgeting, cost control, and forecasting.

Responsibilities

• Define and maintain the long-term roadmap for the platform, ensuring scalability and adaptability for multiple product variants.
• Oversee multiple product configurations derived from the core platform, ensuring alignment with customer needs, market trends, and lifecycle strategies.
• Ensure platform architecture support modular upgrades, technology insertion, and variant development.
• Translate customer requirements into clear product specifications; ensure design for manufacturing and maintainability.
• Develop business cases, oversee product lines / platform P&L, and support pricing and contract negotiations.
• Drive product positioning, messaging, and promotional activities that clearly differentiate product capabilities and variants for global markets.
• Plan and execute product introduction, sustainment, obsolescence, upgrades, and end-of-life strategies, ensuring smooth transition between generations.
• Maintain strict configuration management across platform and derivative product lines to ensure compliance and traceability.
• In conjunction with engineering and ILS, defines spares, LRU strategies, depot-level maintenance, and remote monitoring, establishing SLA’s and escalation paths for field incidents.
• Collaborates with engineering, supply chain, operations, and customers to ensure successful delivery.
• Balance cost structures across product lines, leveraging common components and economies of scale.
• Identify and mitigate technical, commercial, and schedule risks throughout the product lifecycle.
• Work with engineering to integrate emerging technologies into the platform strategy for future competitiveness.
• Tailor product line offerings to different customer segments and operational requirements while maintaining platform integrity.

Skills

Product management

Agile methodologies

Commercial acumen

Stakeholder management

Communication skills

ERP systems

Project management

Education

Tertiary qualification in Engineering, Business, or related field

Tools

ERP software

Job description

Electro Optic Systems in Australia seeks a seasoned Product Manager to shape and own the long-term roadmap for advanced defense platforms. You will manage multiple configurations, align with customer needs, and drive lifecycle planning from development through obsolescence, coordinating with engineering, supply chain, and sales.

The role requires deep technical knowledge of weapon systems or electro-mechanical platforms, strong agile and commercial skills, and proven success in pricing,