Product Manager

David Aplin Recruiting; Kingston; On-site; CAD 120,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Aplin is seeking an experienced Product Manager to lead product strategy and engineering direction across its portfolio. You will own lifecycle from concept to production, drive innovation, and collaborate with Sales, Marketing, Manufacturing, and other stakeholders to maximize value.

The ideal candidate has 7–10 years in product management or engineering leadership in manufacturing, with strong CAD/PLM/ERP knowledge and a commercial mindset to deliver market-ready solutions.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical/Manufacturing/Industrial Engineering or related technical field.
• 7–10 years in product management, development, or engineering leadership in manufacturing/durable goods.
• 3+ years managing engineers or technical teams with coaching and performance management.
• Experience taking products from concept through production launch.
• Experience with product-line margins, P&L, or commercial product finance.
• Design for Manufacturing (DFM), cost reduction, standardization, SKU rationalization.
• Strong CAD, PLM/PDM, ERP/BOM understanding.
• Strong business/analytical skills to defend product business cases.
• Comfort interacting with customers and gathering market feedback.
• Experience establishing product development processes and roadmaps.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop the Engineering team and set priorities for product development.
• Develop and maintain product strategy and roadmap based on customer needs and market trends.
• Own full product lifecycle from concept to production, launch, and post-launch improvement.
• Lead product innovation, redesign, teardown, and feature enhancement initiatives.
• Identify opportunities for proprietary features and differentiation.
• Collaborate with Engineering and Manufacturing to ensure manufacturability and cost targets.
• Standardize and improve products, components, and processes for quality and efficiency.
• Drive cost reduction, SKU rationalization, and product simplification initiatives.
• Align product priorities with Sales, Marketing, Manufacturing, and leadership.
• Manage budgets, team performance, and key product KPIs.
• Build and evaluate business cases with costs, margins, and payback.
• Engage customers via field visits, trade shows, and dealer meetings.

Skills

Product management

Engineering leadership

Manufacturing knowledge

Commercial awareness

Customer focus

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Industrial Engineering

Tools

CAD

PLM/PDM

ERP/BOM

Job description

If you are an experienced and Product Manager Aplin has an exciting opportunity for you. Our client, a recognized leader in their industry, has partnered with Aplin to add to their growing team.

About the Role

Our client is seeking a Product Manager to lead product and engineering direction across its product portfolio. This role will oversee product strategy, innovation, lifecycle management, and continuous improvement while leading an engineering team and collaborating closely with Sales, Marketing, Manufacturing, and other stakeholders.

The ideal candidate will bring a strong combination of product management, engineering leadership, manufacturing knowledge, and commercial awareness, with the ability to take products from concept through production and continuously improve the portfolio.

Compensation

• Expected salary range is $120,000 – $140,000 per annum, commensurate with experience

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and develop the Engineering team, establishing priorities for product development and technical initiatives.
• Develop and maintain the product strategy and roadmap based on customer needs, market trends, competitive analysis, and business priorities.
• Own the full product lifecycle from concept and development through production, launch, and post-launch improvement.
• Lead product innovation, redesign, teardown analysis, and product enhancement initiatives.
• Identify opportunities for proprietary product features and competitive differentiation.
• Partner with Engineering and Manufacturing to ensure products are manufacturable, cost-effective, and production-ready.
• Standardize and improve existing products, components, and processes to enhance quality, efficiency, and cost.
• Drive cost reduction, part standardization, SKU rationalization, and product simplification initiatives.
• Collaborate with Engineering, R&D, Sales, Marketing, Manufacturing, and leadership to align product priorities and execution.
• Manage product development and engineering budgets, team performance, and key product KPIs.
• Build and evaluate business cases involving product costs, margins, volume assumptions, and expected payback.
• Engage directly with customers through field visits, trade shows, dealer meetings, and voice-of-customer activities.

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• 7–10 years of experience in product management, product development, or engineering leadership within a manufacturing or durable-goods environment.
• 3+ years of direct experience managing engineers or technical teams, including coaching and performance management.
• Experience managing products through the complete lifecycle from concept through production launch.
• Experience with product-line margins, P&L, or commercial/product financial management.
• Demonstrated experience with Design for Manufacturing (DFM), cost reduction, product standardization, SKU rationalization, or similar initiatives.
• Strong understanding of CAD, PLM/PDM, and ERP/BOM structures.
• Strong business and analytical skills, with the ability to develop and defend product business cases.
• Comfortable interacting directly with customers and gathering market feedback.
• Experience establishing product development processes, roadmaps, stage-gate processes, and engineering change controls.

Assets

• P.Eng. designation
• MBA
• Experience with commercial vehicles, truck bodies, trailers, storage systems, or metal fabrication.
• Experience working across Canadian and U.S. manufacturing operations.
• Vehicle upfitting experience is strongly preferred.

What You Bring

• Strong technical and people leadership skills.
• Strategic thinker who remains hands‑on and close to the work.
• Customer‑focused and commercially minded.
• Decisive, collaborative, and comfortable managing competing priorities.
• A continuous improvement mindset with a focus on product quality, efficiency, cost, and customer value.

Working Conditions

• Combination of office, manufacturing‑floor, engineering, and customer‑facing work.
• Regular travel between Canadian and U.S. facilities, with additional travel for customers, dealers, suppliers, and trade shows.
• Ability to travel across the Canada–U.S. border and obtain required documentation.
• Occasional extended hours may be required during product launches, budgeting periods, and customer commitments.

At Aplin — together with our brands CompuStaff, Impact Recruitment, and Vantix Systems — we connect great people with great organizations across North America. We believe diverse teams build stronger companies, and we welcome applicants from all backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. We use AI tools to assist in a fair and efficient matching process, helping our recruiters connect the right people with the right opportunities. To be considered, applicants must be legally entitled to work in Canada, including holding any required permits. Our recruitment services are always free for job seekers. Accommodation is available upon request throughout all stages of the recruitment process.