Product Manager - Diving

Johnson Outdoors Inc.; Racine (WI); On-site; USD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonus program

Paid time off & holidays

Tuition assistance

401(k) with company match

Employee discounts

Job summary

SCUBAPRO, part of Johnson Outdoors, seeks a Product Manager to guide next-generation diving products from concept to launch. You will translate strategy into clear requirements, work with engineering, design, and marketing, and ensure exceptional customer experiences across embedded hardware and connected devices.

This role emphasizes data-driven decision making, market insights, and strong collaboration with brand and engineering teams to deliver world-class dive products.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, computer science, business, product management or equivalent.
• Experience translating strategy into technical requirements and user stories.

Responsibilities

• Translate product strategy and consumer needs into clear requirements and user stories.
• Lead products from concept through launch with cross-functional teams.
• Coordinate with engineering, design, marketing, and operations for successful releases.
• Monitor product performance using data-driven insights and competitive analysis.
• Support go-to-market activities with detailed product information and training.

Skills

Product strategy

Cross-functional leadership

Hardware development

Embedded systems

Data-driven decision making

Education

Bachelor’s degree in engineering, computer science, business, product management or equivalent

Tools

Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)

Job description

SCUBAPRO, a Johnson Outdoors company, is one of the most respected and recognized brands in the global diving industry, trusted by recreational and professional divers for more than 60 years. We are seeking an innovative Product Manager to lead the development and launch of next-generation diving products and technologies used by underwater explorers around the world.

Help Shape the Future of Diving

Working at the intersection of Brand and Engineering, this role will translate product strategy, consumer needs, and business priorities into clear technical requirements, user stories, development priorities, and coordinated product releases. Partnering closely with engineering, design, marketing, brand, sales, and operations teams, you will lead products from concept through launch, ensuring exceptional customer experiences, strong commercial results, and continued market leadership. This is an ideal opportunity for Product Managers with demonstrated experience working with electronic hardware, embedded firmware, mobile applications, connectivity technologies, sensors, user interfaces, and cross-functional engineering teams.

Johnson Outdoors operates globally with 1,300 employees across 19 facilities and a portfolio of market-leading brands in fishing, watercraft, camping, and diving. Together, we create amazing outdoor experiences for adventurers around the world in more than 80 countries.

Key Responsibilities:

• Partners with Brand to translate product vision, strategy and roadmaps into clear product requirements and successful execution.
• Ensures product requirements, priorities and execution plans remain aligned with Brand strategy, consumer needs, and technical feasibility throughout development.

Market Research

• Reflects consumer insights, needs and market opportunities in product requirements.
• Translates brand and consumer insights into clear product requirements and user stories that guide development.
• Facilitates product innovation and development of new features that solve consumer needs delivering product value through features, functionality, and performance.

Product Development, Launch Planning & Execution

• Oversees the product development lifecycle from concept to launch.
• Partners and supports cross functional teams in developing comprehensive product launch plans.
• Partners with brand and marketing teams to ensure product features align with consumer expectations and brand promise.
• Coordinates with engineering, design, operations, brand, and marketing teams to ensure successful product execution.
• Partners with engineering and cross functionally to ensure a timely delivery and a successful launch.
• Provides the sales team with detailed product information and training to support go-to-market efforts.

Performance Monitoring & Optimization

• Monitors and analyzes product performance using data-driven insights.
• Conducts competitive analysis and makes informed recommendations to optimize product features, functionality, and user experience.

Customer/Consumer Interaction

• Participates with brand in understanding consumer feedback and concept product fit to ensure product features deliver consumer promise.

User Experience

• Translates customer needs, brand direction, business goals, and technical constraints into clear, actionable product features and user stories.
• Collaborates with UX/UI designers, engineers, and stakeholders to define features that solve real user problems and align with the Brand-owned product vision and roadmap.

Campaigns and Promotions

• Supports brand on technical, feature, and product aspects of launches.

Technology and AI Integration

• Champions an AI-first mindset and the responsible integration of AI and other digital technologies into business strategy, prioritization, risk management, decision-making, and operations. Guides organizational adoption while ensuring alignment with company governance, security, privacy, and ethical standards.

Other

• Performs other duties as assigned.

What you need to succeed:

• Typically requires a bachelor’s degree in engineering, computer science, business, product management or equivalent.
• Typically requires a minimum of 5 years of experience in product management involving complex electronics, embedded firmware, mobile applications, connected products or consumer technology.
• Proven experience utilizing market insights, market research and data analysis to understand consumer needs, and market opportunities related to product requirements.
• Comprehensive understanding of product lifecycle management, product launch best practices, and the translation of consumer needs into technical product requirements.
• Skills and abilities to manage multiple complex projects simultaneously from product conception to launch which includes supporting the development and successful delivery of complex product solutions from concept to launch.
• Demonstrated success and experience developing new and improving product requirements, features, user experiences and product performance through consumer feedback, testing and data driven insights.
• Advanced consulting and leadership skills to effectively translate Brand strategy into product requirements and partner with cross functional teams to successfully deliver products.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills to collaborate effectively with diverse individuals internally and externally. Advanced consulting skills and ability to partner with cross-functional teams to ensure the successful launch and performance of our products.
• Proficiency in use of Microsoft Office suite including MS Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Strong understanding of AI capabilities, limitations, business impact, governance, risk, and ethical expectations. Ability to apply AI-supported insights to strategic decision-making, lead change, set expectations, and model responsible use.

A few pointers about our culture:

• Entrepreneurial spirit and innovation are in our bones! We authentically innovate trusted equipment that gets people out in the great outdoors.
• We are laser-focused on our consumers, and passionate about providing superior solutions flexible to meet any event’s needs or mission requirements.
• We strive to create meaningful, healthy change in the world as individuals and as a family of brands.
• We value team members who are willing to wear many hats; who take personal initiative, anticipating what needs to be done, and figuring things out to make them happen; but who are also willing to ask for help, to assist others and work together.

What you will receive:

• Share in the company’s success with competitive base salary with additional earning potential through participation in the management bonus program, and eligibility for annual pay increases.
• Find work/life balance with generous Paid Time Off and holiday benefits, a full benefits package, and broad range of employee support and fitness and wellness plans.
• Further your career with performance development and training opportunities, including our tuition assistance program.
• Have fun at work, enjoy a collaborative and casual work environment, participate in fun company events, and take advantage of great employee discounts on all our outdoor recreational products.
• Plan for your future with our 401(k) with company match and deferred retirement contributions, Sons & Daughters Scholarship program, college savings program, life and LTD insurance, and more.

Business & Brand Snapshot

• Industry: Outdoor Recreation & Consumer Products
• Business Unit: Diving
• Brands: SCUBAPRO®
• Products: Dive Computers, Regulators, BCDs, Dive Instruments, Underwater Equipment and Accessories
• Key Skills: Product Development, Consumer Insights, Industrial Design, Mechanical Engineering, Product Marketing, Product Management, Regulatory Compliance, Embedded Systems, Electronics, Mobile Applications
• Technology Focus: Dive Computers, Wearable Technology, Underwater Electronics, Pressure Systems, Life-Support Equipment, Connected Devices

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment at Johnson Outdoors (and all subsidiaries) without regard to race; creed; color; religion; national origin; sex; age; disability; sexual orientation; gender identity or expression; genetic predisposition or carrier status; veteran, marital, or citizenship status; or any other status protected by law. Johnson Outdoors is proud to be an affirmative action and equal opportunity employer. If, because of a medical condition or disability, you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application process, please contact Human Resources at [e-mail] to let us know the nature of your request and your contact information.

JOHNSON OUTDOORS is a leading global innovator of outdoor recreation equipment and technologies that inspire more people to experience the awe of the great outdoors. The company designs, manufactures and markets a portfolio of winning, consumer-preferred brands across four categories: Watercraft Recreation, Fishing, Diving and Camping. Johnson Outdoors' iconic brands include: Old Town® canoes and kayaks; Ocean Kayak™; Carlisle® paddles; Minn Kota® fishing motors, batteries and anchors; Cannon® downriggers; Humminbird® marine electronics and charts; SCUBAPRO® dive equipment; Jetboil® outdoor cooking systems. Founded in 1970 by Samuel C. Johnson, the Company has delivered double-digit compound annual growth over its history, evolving from a single brand into a nearly $663 million global enterprise with around 1,300 employees across 20 countries.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities