Product Line Director - Optical Transceivers

Koch; Kansas City (MO); On-site; USD 130,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision insurance

Paid vacation and educational assistance

Life insurance and retirement benefits

Job summary

Smiths Interconnect, a Molex company, is seeking a Global Director of Product Line Management to lead a high-performing team in Kansas City. This role involves full P&L responsibility for rugged embedded fiber optic products serving aerospace, defense, and space markets. Key duties include defining product strategy, managing lifecycle, and collaborating with cross-functional teams. Preferred candidates will have experience in high-reliability sectors and possess a Bachelor’s degree. Benefits include comprehensive health coverage, life insurance, and paid time off.

Qualifications

• Experience leading product management teams in high-reliability markets.
• Ability to travel domestically and internationally, up to 50%.

Responsibilities

• Own full product line P&L accountability.
• Define and execute global product line strategy.
• Develop product roadmaps and go-to-market strategies.
• Identify growth opportunities in aerospace and defense.
• Manage full product lifecycle from concept to end-of-life.

Skills

Product line P&L management

Leadership in aerospace and defense sectors

Collaboration with engineering and sales

Market intelligence and competitive analysis

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Tools

Optical systems knowledge

Job description

Your Job

Smiths Interconnect, a Molex company, is seeking a Global Director of Product Line Management (PLM) to lead a high‑performing global team responsible for rugged embedded fiber optic transceiver product lines serving aerospace, defense, and space markets. This role has full ownership of product line strategy and P&L performance and plays a critical role in driving profitable growth, technology leadership, and long‑term value creation across mission‑critical optical communications portfolios.

Our Team

You will lead a distributed Product Line Management organization and partner closely with Engineering, Sales, Operations, Finance, and Marketing to align strategy, execution, and customer value across global markets.

What You Will Do

• Own full product line P&L accountability, delivering revenue growth, gross margin expansion, and operating income targets.
• Define and execute global product line strategy aligned with business objectives and long‑term market opportunities.
• Develop and maintain product roadmaps, business plans, and go‑to‑market strategies for current and next‑generation products.
• Identify and evaluate growth opportunities across aerospace, defense, and space segments, including new applications and adjacencies.
• Lead market, customer, and competitive intelligence to guide portfolio optimization and investment decisions.
• Translate customer and market requirements into differentiated, ruggedized optical solutions in partnership with Engineering.
• Actively manage the full product lifecycle, from concept through launch, production, and end‑of‑life decisions.
• Partner with Sales and Marketing to develop product positioning, messaging, pricing strategies, and sales enablement tools.
• Engage directly with key customers and strategic prospects, serving as the voice of the customer across the organization.
• Lead, develop, and mentor a global PLM team while strengthening organizational capability and succession.
• Collaborate cross‑functionally to improve execution, operational alignment, and customer outcomes.
• Support strategic initiatives, including partnerships, acquisitions, and other inorganic growth opportunities.

Who You Are (Basic Qualifications)

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution.
• Experience owning and managing product line P&L responsibility.
• Experience leading product management or product line teams in aerospace, defense, space, or other high‑reliability markets.
• Working knowledge of electrical and/or optical systems used in complex, mission‑critical applications.
• Experience collaborating across Engineering, Sales, Operations, and Marketing to deliver business results.
• Ability to travel domestically and internationally, up to 50%.

What Will Put You Ahead (Preferred Qualifications)

• MBA and/or technical degree.
• Experience with ruggedized fiber optic transceivers or optical communications technologies.
• Demonstrated success developing and executing global product strategies and roadmaps.
• Experience with value‑based pricing and commercial strategy in engineered products.
• Established customer relationships within aerospace, defense, or space markets.
• Experience leading teams through growth, change, or integration following acquisitions.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, vision, flexible spending and health savings accounts.
• Life insurance, accidental death and dismemberment (ADD), disability, retirement.
• Paid vacation and time off, educational assistance.
• Infertility assistance, paid parental leave, and adoption assistance.

Equal Opportunity

Equal Opportunity Employer, including disability and protected veteran status. Some offers of employment may be conditioned upon successfully passing a drug test. This employer uses E‑Verify.