Global Product Line Manager, PLC and Automation, Motion Drive Products division (location: Europe)

Stryker Corporation; Heidelberg; Hybrid; Vertraulich; Vollzeit

Zusammenfassung

A leading global automation solutions provider is seeking a Product Line Manager in Heidelberg to lead the strategic direction of their Automation and PLC portfolio. This high-impact role involves defining product strategy, driving innovation, and ensuring portfolio competitiveness and profitability. The ideal candidate will have a Bachelor's degree and proven product management experience in automation products. This role offers a hybrid working model with travel across Europe and globally.

Qualifikationen

• Proven experience in product management of industrial PLCs and automation products.
• Strong understanding of Drives, Servos, PLCs, IPC, and automation systems.
• Willingness to travel 30‑50% across Europe and globally.

Aufgaben

• Lead the strategic direction of the Automation and PLC portfolio.
• Own the product portfolio and development roadmap for PLC/IPC and automation solutions.
• Foster collaboration across Centers of Excellence and business units.

Kenntnisse

Product management experience

Cross-functional leadership

Strategic thinking

Customer-focused mindset

Analytical skills

Ausbildung

Bachelor's in software engineering, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering

Tools

PLC/IPC products

Drives and Servos

Jobbeschreibung

At ABB, we help industries outrun - leaner and cleaner. Here, progress is an expectation - for you, your team, and the world. As a global market leader, we'll give you what you need to make it happen. It won't always be easy, growing takes grit. But at ABB, you'll never run alone. Run what runs the world.

This Position reports to: Global Reference Job

ABB Drive Products is a trusted provider of automation solutions across key industrial and commercial segments, including Machinery, HVAC, Water, and Food & Beverage. We deliver integrated bundles of Drives, Servos, and PLCs that are easy to integrate and fast to commission, helping customers improve efficiency and accelerate time to market.

We are seeking a Product Line Manager to lead the strategic direction of our Automation and PLC portfolio, aligning business objectives with market demands. This senior, high‑impact role reports directly to the Head of Global Product Management and is responsible for shaping global product strategy, driving innovation, and ensuring portfolio competitiveness and profitability. With ownership of roadmap and market positioning, this role is critical to achieving long‑term growth and strategic business objectives.

Location

This role is open globally, but the preferred location for this role is Europe with proximity to our Centers of Expertise in Finland and Germany. The work model is hybrid #LI-hybrid.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Lead Offering and Solution Strategy Creation

• Define and shape the Automation and PLC portfolio strategy based on business objectives and customer segmentation.
• Translate market requirements into differentiated solutions, including PLC/IPC platforms, industrial communication systems, product bundles, and automation software.
• Define competitive attributes and articulate a clear value proposition for our PLC and automation portfolio.

Evaluation and Prioritization

• Own the product portfolio and development roadmap for PLC/IPC and automation solutions.
• Prioritize investments to maximize value creation and shape a coherent portfolio, balancing short‑term deliverables with long‑term innovation.
• Coordinate with R&D teams to align development priorities, budgets, and resource allocation for PLC/IPC hardware, firmware, and software enhancements.

Business Landscape

• Analyze global market trends in industrial and machine automation, PLC/IPC technologies, and digitalization.
• Track competitor strategies, emerging technologies (e.g., edge computing, AI‑driven automation), and customer requirements.
• Coordinate together with other product lines for product bundling solutions to our customers with ease of use and integration as core value.

Lead Innovation

• Drive initiatives, including strategic partnerships and start‑up collaborations to create next‑generation automation solutions, including advanced PLC/IPC architecture and integrated control systems.

Lead Collaboration

• Foster collaboration across Centers of Excellence (CoEs) and business units to share best practices and accelerate strategy execution.
• Guide and motivate cross‑functional teams to deliver integrated automation solutions.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's in software engineering, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or related field.
• Proven experience in product management of industrial PLCs and automation products.
• Strong understanding of Drives, Servos, PLCs, IPC, and automation systems.
• Background in working with OEMs and system integrators with automation solutions.
• Excellent communication and cross‑functional leadership skills.
• Customer‑focused mindset with strong analytical and strategic thinking.
• Willingness to travel 30‑50% across Europe and globally.
• Candidates must already hold valid work authorization for the chosen location.

COLLABORATION / LEADERSHIP

• Achieving: Commercial focus and Result orientation—Align portfolio decisions with business growth and profitability.
• Leading: Managing conflict—Resolve cross‑functional challenges and drive consensus.
• Thinking: Strategic thinking—Anticipate market trends and translate them into actionable strategies.
• Relating: Collaboration—Build strong partnerships internally and externally to foster innovation.
• Self‑managing: Drive and persistence—Demonstrate resilience and commitment to achieving long‑term objectives.

KPIs

• Roadmap Ownership for Product Line: Ensure timely delivery and alignment of the PLC and automation roadmap with strategic goals.
• Product Line Business Results: Achieve revenue, margin, and growth for the automation and PLC portfolio.
• Product Line Competitiveness & Profitability: Maintain market‑leading position through innovation and cost optimization.

We want you to bring your full self to work—your ideas, your energy, your ambition. You'll have the tools and freedom to grow your skills, shape your path, and take on challenges that matter. Here, your work creates impact you can see and feel, every day.

Join us. Be part of the team where progress happens, industries transform, and your work shapes the world. Run What Runs the World.

• #ABBCareers
• #RunwithABB
• #Runwhatrunstheworld

We value people from different backgrounds. Could this be your story? Apply today or visit www.abb.com to read more about us and learn about the impact of our solutions across the globe.