Senior Horticulture Product Leader - Portfolio & Launch

Ball Horticultural Company; Elburn (IL); On-site; USD 95,000 - 115,000; Full time

Job summary

Ball Horticultural Company—PanAmerican Seed division seeks a Senior Product Manager to lead a defined crop portfolio’s development and lifecycle management. You will shape product strategy, drive commercialization, and collaborate with breeders, research, Sales, Marketing, Production, and QA teams to ensure successful market introductions.

The role requires a minimum of seven years in product management within horticulture, strong leadership and communication skills, and a proven track record of

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in horticulture or related field.
• Minimum 7 years of product management or related experience in horticulture.
• Experience managing product portfolios through full lifecycle.
• Proven ability to lead cross-functional teams without direct authority.
• Strong leadership, mentoring, and coaching skills.
• Excellent project management and organizational abilities.
• Strong analytical skills using market data and customer insights.
• Excellent verbal, written, and presentation communication.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute comprehensive product strategies aligned with company goals and values.
• Lead cross-functional teams through development, commercialization, and lifecycle management of product lines.
• Provide leadership, coaching, and mentorship to the product team and collaborate with internal stakeholders.
• Partner with breeders and research teams to set breeding goals for customer needs and product introductions.
• Track new product development and implement commercialization strategies for market success.
• Manage product trialing, data collection, photography, reporting, and performance assessments.
• Analyze trial data and market feedback to guide introductions, assortments, and retirements.
• Plan and execute product launches with positioning, pricing, marketing support, and launch strategies.

Skills

Leadership

Cross-functional

Project management

Analytics

Communication

Collaboration

Horticulture knowledge

Education

Bachelor's degree in horticulture/plant science/related

Job description

Ball Horticultural Company—PanAmerican Seed division seeks a Senior Product Manager to lead a defined crop portfolio’s development and lifecycle management. You will shape product strategy, drive commercialization, and collaborate with breeders, research, Sales, Marketing, Production, and QA teams to ensure successful market introductions.

The role requires a minimum of seven years in product management within horticulture, strong leadership and communication skills, and a proven track record of