Product Manager

David Aplin Recruiting; City of Rochester (NY); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Aplin is partnering with a recognized leader to hire a Product Manager who will direct product and engineering strategy across a comprehensive portfolio. The role oversees lifecycle management from concept through production, working closely with Sales, Marketing, Manufacturing, and other stakeholders.

The ideal candidate will combine product management with engineering leadership, manufacturing knowledge, and commercial awareness to drive portfolio improvement and growth.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical/Manufacturing/Industrial Engineering or related technical discipline.
• 7–10 years in product management, development, or engineering leadership within manufacturing.
• 3+ years managing engineers or technical teams with coaching and performance management.
• Experience taking products from concept to production launch.
• Experience with product-line margins, P&L, or financial management.
• DFM, cost reduction, product standardization, SKU rationalization or similar initiatives.
• Strong CAD, PLM/PDM, and ERP/BOM knowledge.
• Strong business and analytical skills; able to defend product business cases.
• Comfortable gathering market feedback from customers directly.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop the Engineering team and set priorities for product development.
• Develop and maintain product strategy and roadmaps based on customer needs and market trends.
• Own full product lifecycle from concept to production, launch, and post-launch improvement.
• Lead product innovation, redesign, and enhancement initiatives.
• Identify opportunities for proprietary features and differentiation.
• Collaborate with Engineering and Manufacturing to ensure manufacturability and cost-effectiveness.
• Standardize products, components, and processes to improve quality and efficiency.
• Drive cost reduction and SKU rationalization across the portfolio.
• Work with cross-functional teams to align priorities and execution.
• Manage budgets, team performance, and key product KPIs.
• Build business cases including costs, margins, and payback.
• Engage with customers via field visits, trips to shows, and dealer meetings.

Skills

Product management

Engineering leadership

Strategic thinking

Customer focus

Cross-functional collaboration

Business acumen

Education

P.Eng. designation

MBA

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.