Product Portfolio Director

Valid8 Financial, Inc.; Schaumburg (IL); On-site; USD 130,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

RapidAir is seeking a commercially driven product leader to own the strategy, lifecycle management, pricing discipline, and commercialization of our compressed air piping and system portfolio. This role blends strategic direction with hands-on execution in a lean, growth-focused organization.

The Director / Senior Product Manager will influence revenue growth, gross margin expansion, and competitive positioning across ICP and IAP channels, partnering with Sales, Operations, Engineering, and

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Engineering, Marketing, or related discipline required.
• 7–12+ years of product management experience in industrial or technical B2B markets.
• Demonstrated experience influencing pricing and margin outcomes.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute 3–5 year product roadmap.
• Lead pricing strategy and margin improvement initiatives.
• Drive new product development and launch execution.
• Own product positioning and competitive differentiation.
• Oversee all product-related marketing and ecommerce collateral.
• Serve as internal product expert and strategic advisor to Sales leadership.

Skills

Product management

Pricing strategy

Financial modeling

Cross-functional leadership

Strategic thinking

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business, Engineering, Marketing, or related discipline

Tools

Salesforce

ERP systems

Ecommerce platforms

Job description

RapidAir is seeking a commercially driven product leader to own the strategy, lifecycle management, pricing discipline, and commercialization of our compressed air piping and system portfolio.

This role blends strategic direction with hands‑on execution in a lean, growth‑focused organization. The Director / Senior Product Manager will influence revenue growth, gross margin expansion, and competitive positioning across ICP and IAP channels — while partnering closely with Sales, Operations, Engineering, and Marketing to drive measurable results.

This role does not carry formal P&L ownership but is accountable for influencing financial performance through disciplined product strategy and execution.

RapidAir competes against industry leaders such as Parker Hannifin, AIRnet, Applied System Technologies, and AirPipe USA. This position ensures our portfolio strategy and execution remain differentiated, disciplined, and growth‑oriented.

Role Scope

• Develop and execute 3–5 year product roadmap
• Lead pricing strategy and margin improvement initiatives
• Drive new product development and launch execution
• Own product positioning and competitive differentiation
• Oversee all product‑related marketing and ecommerce collateral
• Serve as internal product expert and strategic advisor to Sales leadership

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain multi‑year product roadmap aligned to company growth objectives
• Identify portfolio gaps, whitespace opportunities, and competitive risks
• Conduct voice‑of‑customer research and market analysis
• Drive SKU simplification and complexity reduction initiatives
• Develop structured pricing strategy by segment (Industrial Direct, Distribution, Contractor, Retail, Ecommerce)
• Recommend and support annual price adjustments
• Analyze margin performance and recommend corrective actions
• Build business cases for new product investment
• Monitor and report KPI performance tied to portfolio financial outcomes
• Partner with Engineering and Operations to bring new products to market
• Define value proposition and competitive positioning
• Execute launch readiness plans (inventory, packaging, training, digital assets)
• Conduct post‑launch performance analysis

Marketing & Ecommerce Product Ownership

• Own creation and maintenance of technical documentation, sell sheets and launch kits, website product pages, ecommerce listings (SEO, product descriptions, cross‑sell logic), and accurate distributor and channel data
• Ensure product messaging aligns with RapidAir brand positioning
• Support vertical market campaigns and growth initiatives

Cross‑Functional Leadership (Player‑Coach)

• Train and equip sales teams on product value positioning
• Present portfolio performance and roadmap updates to executive leadership
• Influence Engineering, Operations, and Marketing priorities without direct authority
• Build scalable product processes as the function matures

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• Portfolio Revenue Growth (in partnership with Sales)
• Gross Margin Improvement (in partnership with Finance & Operations)
• New Product Revenue vs. Business Case
• SKU Complexity Reduction
• Time‑to‑Market Performance
• Ecommerce Content Accuracy & Conversion Support

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Engineering, Marketing, or related discipline
• 7–12+ years of product management experience in industrial or technical B2B markets
• Demonstrated experience influencing pricing and margin outcomes
• Experience leading product launches in a manufacturing environment
• Strong analytical and financial modeling skills
• Ability to operate strategically while executing tactically

Preferred

• Experience in compressed air, piping systems, HVAC, or industrial distribution
• Experience in growth‑stage or private equity‑backed organizations
• MBA or advanced business trainingFamiliarity with Salesforce, ERP, and ecommerce platforms

Ideal Candidate Profile

• Commercially minded with strong financial awareness
• Structured and disciplined in approach
• Comfortable operating in a lean organization
• Strong communicator with executive presence
• High accountability without formal authority
• Hands‑on and execution‑oriented

Why This Role Matters

In a lean organization, disciplined product strategy directly impacts growth, margin, and competitive positioning. This role ensures RapidAir’s product portfolio supports our ICP / IAP segmentation strategy while driving measurable financial performance.