Product Manager

Direct Recruiters, Inc.; United States; On-site; USD 120,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Direct Recruiters, Inc. is seeking a Product Manager for its Coating Systems team. This technical, customer-facing role focuses on tablet coating processes, partnering with pharmaceutical manufacturers from R&D to production to optimize results.

The successful candidate will serve as the authority on coating system features, support customers technically, define product strategy, lead trials, and coordinate cross-functional teams to drive market success.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in chemistry, pharmaceutical science, chemical engineering or related field; master’s preferred.
• 5+ years of process-focused experience in pharma or life sciences (R&D, formulation, applications, or technical service).
• Hands-on experience with tablet coating is required.
• Deep understanding of solid dosage manufacturing and GMP/FDA/EMA standards.
• Approximately 30–40% domestic and international travel to customer sites and events.

Responsibilities

• Be the product and process expert for the coating systems line, explaining how machine features affect process outcomes.
• Support customers technically; build relationships with key pharmaceutical accounts and solve process challenges.
• Own product strategy; define and evolve the product vision and roadmap based on market needs.
• Lead lab work and trials; coordinate lab operations and run product trials with customers.
• Support sales; provide technical expertise during quoting and customer-specific solutions.
• Act as liaison between Sales, Marketing, and Engineering to align on product requirements.
• Analyze market and competitors; translate insights into actionable positioning.
• Contribute to brochures, case studies, and trade articles; represent product at trade shows.
• Maintain product documentation; update specification sheets and quoting tools.

Skills

Tablet coating

Process expertise

Customer engagement

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree in chemistry, pharmaceutical science, chemical engineering

Master’s degree preferred

Job description

Our client is an established global manufacturer of pharmaceutical processing equipment. It is adding a Product Manager to its Coating Systems team as part of a long-term plan to build a stable, experienced group. This is a technical, customer-facing role for a process expert. You'll be the go-to authority on how the equipment's features connect to the tablet coating process. You'll work with pharmaceutical manufacturers, from R&D through production, to help them get the best results.

The company already has a dedicated sales team for the commercial side of capital equipment. What it needs here is someone who deeply understands solid oral dose manufacturing, especially tablet coating, and can turn that knowledge into product direction, customer support, and market success.

What you'll do

• Be the product and process expert. Serve as the subject-matter authority on the coating systems line, explaining how machine features and configurations affect process outcomes for customers.
• Support customers technically. Build relationships with key pharmaceutical accounts, help solve process challenges, and find new opportunities with existing and prospective customers.
• Own product strategy. Define and evolve the product vision and roadmap based on market needs, customer feedback, and business goals.
• Lead lab work and trials. Coordinate lab operations and run product trials with customers to demonstrate performance and value.
• Support sales. Give the sales team technical expertise throughout the sales cycle, including equipment quoting and customer-specific solutions.
• Work across teams. Act as the key liaison between Sales, Marketing, and Engineering so everyone understands product requirements and goals.
• Analyze the market and competitors. Track industry trends and competing technologies, and turn those insights into recommendations that strengthen positioning.
• Help bring products to market. Contribute to brochures, case studies, and trade articles, and represent the product at trade shows and industry conferences.
• Maintain product documentation. Keep specification sheets current and make sure quoting tools reflect current equipment configurations.

What you bring

• A bachelor’s degree in chemistry, pharmaceutical science, chemical engineering, or a related science or engineering field. A master’s degree is preferred.
• 5+ years of process-focused experience in the pharmaceutical or life sciences sector. Good backgrounds include process development, R&D, formulation, applications, technical service, or a process role at a pharmaceutical manufacturer.
• Hands-on experience with tablet coating is required.
• A deep understanding of solid oral dosage manufacturing processes.
• Familiarity with regulatory standards such as GMP, FDA, and EMA.
• Experience with pharmaceutical capital equipment or process technology is a plus but not required.
• 30-40% domestic and international travel to customer sites, trade shows, and conferences, with occasional weekend travel.