Senior Product Manager- Traditional Keys

The Hillman Group; Cincinnati (OH); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits including medical and dental

401(k) with company contributions

Paid time off for various purposes

Education assistance

Job summary

A manufacturing company in Cincinnati seeks a Senior Product Manager to lead product development and manage key product categories. The role involves collaboration with engineering, sales, and marketing teams to ensure alignment with business goals. Competitive pay and benefits are offered, including health coverage and paid time off. The ideal candidate has a strong background in project management, product innovation, and market strategy. This is a full-time position aimed at mid-senior level professionals.

Qualifications

• 10 years’ experience managing consumer product lines preferred.
• Experience in developing consumer-focused product packaging.
• Proficient in Microsoft office software systems.

Responsibilities

• Lead product development from concept through commercialization.
• Monitor product line performance and identify improvement opportunities.
• Analyze revenue, margin, and market trends for strategic decisions.

Skills

Project Management

Cross-functional Leadership

Market Research

Consumer Engagement

Analytical Skills

Education

Bachelor’s degree in marketing or related area

5 years equivalent experience

Tools

Microsoft Office

Advanced Excel

PowerPoint

Microsoft Project/Teams/Agile

Job description

Senior Product Manager – Traditional Keys

Apply for the Senior Product Manager – Traditional Keys role at The Hillman Group.

Benefits

Competitive base pay and performance-based incentive awards. Health benefits include medical, vision, dental, short-term and long-term disability. Financial benefits include 401(k), education assistance, Military Leave Pay, stock purchase plan, and company-paid life insurance. Paid time off (PTO) covers parental leave, family care leave, bereavement, jury duty, voting, vacation, sick leave, holidays, or other purposes. PTO amounts depend on job classification and length of employment and meet or exceed applicable paid sick leave laws.

Job Summary

The Senior Product Manager leads product development, planning, and lifecycle management across the portfolio. Responsibilities include evaluating and prioritizing new product and customer requirements, defining performance specifications, and developing merchandising and point‑of‑purchase (POP) solutions. The role partners closely with Engineering, Operations, and Sales to achieve revenue targets, meet customer expectations, and support overall business goals. It also oversees key product categories—residential keys, office keys, and key fobs—drives market research, merchandising strategies, and supports sales channels during product line reviews, business reviews, and trade shows.

Essential Job Functions

• Lead new product development, guiding cross‑functional teams from concept through commercialization.
• Partner with Engineering, Design, Sales, Marketing, and Licensors to guide product design, development, and launch activities.
• Research, develop, and test merchandising and product strategies to enhance consumer engagement and market relevance.
• Manage full lifecycle execution for new products and machines from initial concept through end‑of‑life planning.
• Monitor product line performance, identify improvement opportunities, and drive strategic enhancements aligned with business goals.
• Develop and communicate a comprehensive roadmap for all machine‑based products with a focus on traditional keys.
• Forecast, implement, and monitor new and existing product lines to maximize revenue, margin, and business performance.
• Support collaborative product development through ongoing coordination with cross‑functional stakeholders.
• Partner on planogram creation tailored to multiple retail channels and partners.
• Support Sales and Channel teams by contributing to customer presentations, line reviews, and new program opportunities.
• Provide timely communication, issue resolution, and product expertise to Sales and Support teams across the retail network.
• Analyze revenue, margin, and market trends to identify growth opportunities and guide strategic decision‑making.
• Develop customer‑aligned promotional strategies to drive category performance and strengthen retailer partnerships.
• Collaborate with partners to refresh and strengthen channel strategies, enhancing product visibility and consumer engagement.
• Rebuild and strengthen customer relationships within the traditional specialty retail channel to drive long‑term growth.

Education & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in marketing or related area, or equivalent experience.
• Ten years of experience managing consumer product lines, retail distribution channels, or related business analysis.
• Proficient with Microsoft Office; advanced Excel & PowerPoint required; Microsoft Project/Teams/Agile and Oracle experience preferred.
• Experience developing engineered products with internal and external R&D resources.
• Experience developing consumer‑focused product packaging, pricing, positioning, messaging, collateral, demos, presentations, and sales tools.

Competencies – Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Analytical background for managing pricing and project management tools.
• Excellent organizational and planning skills; able to multi‑task and meet deadlines.
• Ability to travel as required.
• Problem solving: identifies and analyzes problems, evaluates alternatives, and makes recommendations.
• Resilience: remains optimistic, recovers quickly from setbacks, and positively impacts the team.
• Leadership: demonstrates integrity, honesty, ethical behavior, and confidentiality.
• Continual learning: pursues self‑development and recognizes strengths and weaknesses.
• Organizational awareness: aligns decisions with the organization’s mission, vision, and values.
• Planning and results orientation: balances customer requests with organizational capabilities and resources.
• Identifies opportunities to improve work processes.
• Supports others in completing tasks and improving overall effectiveness.
• Contributes to setting work priorities and direction.
• Anticipates challenges that may impede intended results.
• Participates in development of project plans.
• Customer focus: makes decisions based on organizational goals and customer insights.
• Actively solicits customer feedback to improve business relationships.
• Suggests ways to enhance the customer experience.
• Collaborates with colleagues to deliver high‑quality service.

Work Environment and Physical Demands

Office setting. Occasional exposure to fumes or airborne particles. Loud working environment in shop area. Functional vision and hearing required.

Office, sedentary work.

The Hillman Group is an Equal Employment Opportunity and affirmative action employer and will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, national origin or ancestry, sex, age, disability, veteran status, genetics, citizenship, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, or any other legally protected basis under federal, state or local laws, regulations, or ordinances. The information collected by this application is solely to determine suitability for employment, verify identity, and maintain employment statistics on applicants.