Product Line Manager

avav; Simi Valley (CA); On-site; USD 111,000 - 169,250; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical coverage

Dental coverage

401K with company matching

9/80 work schedule

Job summary

AeroVironment, Inc. in California seeks a Product Line Manager to design, develop and manage a product line through planning, production, release and end-of-life, coordinating with customers and internal teams to socialize roadmaps and align with strategic goals.

You will lead cross‑functional collaboration with Marketing, Strategy, Engineering and PMO, define pricing and GTM approaches, manage budgets and risk, and drive continuous improvement while ensuring ITAR compliance and quality

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent in engineering or related field.
• Minimum 8–12 years in a technical development environment.
• Experience leading product lines and roadmaps across lifecycle.

Responsibilities

• Holds complete responsibility for a product line and its lifecycle.
• Establishes go-to-market plans and pricing with cross-functional teams.
• Interfaces with customers to understand concepts of operations and feedback.
• Manages budgets, risk, and aligns with PMO, engineering and operations.

Skills

Project leadership

UAS knowledge

Cross-functional

Budget management

Roadmap planning

ITAR compliance

Stakeholder communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering

Tools

Office productivity software

Job description

Worker Type

Regular

Summary

The Product Line Manager designs, develops and manages activities for a specific group of products, or technologies, for AeroVironment, including, but not limited to, planning through production, release, and end of product life. This position communicates and facilitates relationships with customers, socializes roadmaps with internal teams, partners with executive and strategy teams, and works daily with Senior Product Line Management, Program Management and Engineering. May define creative, high quality, simple roadmaps for missions, products, and capabilities to achieve the company’s strategic goals.

Position Responsibilities

• Holds complete responsibility, accountability, and authority for a product line
• Supports a product line through the entire lifecycle, sunrise to sunset
• Establishes Go-to Market plans for new products while effectively balancing customer and business needs when retiring older products
• Collaborates with Marketing and Business Development to define product pricing, promotion, placement, and preferred features
• Supports the development of technical requirements, business requirements, and user stories which drive Product Requirements to Program Management, Engineering and Operations
• Supports the prioritization and trade-offs among projects to effectively manage SUAS portfolio, achieve a balance of products, and address resource needs
• Interfaces with customers to understand concept of operations and problem statements
• Supports fiscal year budgeting for product line R&D and sustainment activities and holds budget accountability for their respective product line
• Supports market assessments in support of current and future business opportunities
• Assess product and project risks and provide feedback risk mitigation and contingency plans developed by PMO and Engineering
• Supports the new product introduction activities with engineering and operations and ensures alignment with the Go-to-Market plans
• Reviews product line performance metrics and takes action to address issues and/or opportunities
• Ensures project and customer data is protected in accordance with ITAR, security classification guides and company proprietary information procedures
• Identifies and manages organizational and/or customer conflicts. Comprehends and improves relevant development processes, and ensure adherence
• Works closely with Senior PLM team members to determine methods and procedures on new or special assignments.
• Supports policy and procedure development for the Product Line team consistent with AeroVironment’s corporate Quality Management System
• Supports continuous improvement and seeks opportunities to drive change through the organization in support of product development, manufacturing, cost and quality.
• Other duties as assigned

Basic Qualifications (Required Skills & Experience)

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering or related is required or equivalent combination of education, training, and experience
• Minimum of 8-12 years’ experience in a technical development environment
• Proven track record of taking ownership and driving results – is a self-starter and self-directed
• Experience in R&D, and product sustainment activities
• Knowledge of UAS systems and products, and a track record of managing multiple projects simultaneously
• Demonstrated computer skills and proficiency with office productivity software
• Experience managing a department or project budget
• Experience with Defense products and customers
• Experience managing the work of others
• Familiarity with managing Profit/Loss

Other Qualifications & Desired Competencies

• Leads with rapid agility to deal with shifting priorities, demands, and timelines
• Displays strong critical thinking skills, demonstrated ability to analyze and break down problems into components
• Exhibits exceptional interpersonal and communication skills
• Able to excel in a fast‑paced, deadline‑driven environment, where small teams share a broad variety of duties
• Displays strong initiative and drive to accomplish goals and meet company objectivesTakes ownership and responsibility for work products
• Is committed to learning from mistakes and driven to improve and enhance performance of oneself, others, and the company
• Focuses on teamwork and puts the success of the team above one's own interests

Physical Demands

• Ability to work in an office and R&D environment (Constant)
• Required to sit and stand for long periods; talk, hear, and use hands and fingers to operate a computer and telephone keyboard (Frequent)

Clearance Level

No Clearance

Compensation

$111,000 – $169,250

ITAR Requirement

This position requires access to information that is subject to compliance with the International Traffic Arms Regulations (“ITAR”) and/or the Export Administration Regulations (“EAR”). In order to comply with the requirements of the ITAR and/or the EAR, applicants must qualify as a U.S. person under the ITAR and the EAR, or a person to be approved for an export license by the governing agency whose technology comes under its jurisdiction. Please understand that any job offer that requires approval of an export license will be conditional on AeroVironment’s determination that it will be able to obtain an export license in a time frame consistent with AeroVironment’s business requirements. A “U.S. person” according to the ITAR definition is a U.S. citizen, U.S. lawful permanent resident (green card holder), or protected individual such as a refugee or asylee. See 22 CFR § 120.15. Some positions will require current U.S. Citizenship due to contract requirements.

Benefits

AV offers an excellent benefits package including medical, dental, vision, 401K with company matching, a 9/80 work schedule and a paid holiday shutdown. For more information about our company benefit offerings please visit: http://www.avinc.com/myavbenefits.

AeroVironment, Inc. is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) employer and welcomes all qualified applicants. Qualified applicants will receive fair and impartial consideration without regard to race, sex, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, genetic data, sexual orientation, gender identity or other legally protected status.