Director of Product Development

Coherent Corp.•Sherman, TX

13h•$155,000 - $175,000•Onsite

About The Position

The Optical Components Director of Product Management is strategic and customer-focused, leading and managing the optical devices product line. This person is a “mini-CEO” and as such is responsible for driving product strategy, engaging with customers, managing financial performance, and delivering marketing and technical content that supports business growth. The ideal candidate will be adept at cross-functional collaboration and passionate about delivering high-impact solutions to customers worldwide. The ideal candidate is an Engineer with sales experience at a market-leading optical transceiver company within the Datacom market. This individual possesses strong technical knowledge of optical transceivers, understands evolving market trends, and is passionate about anticipating how the market will change. They will be responsible for ensuring CTS is prepared to adapt with the market and maintain a leadership position within the industry. This position requires an understanding of the Datacom and Telecom markets, the technologies deployed within the markets, and the thermal management needs and opportunities; this person is responsible for continued growth of demand for TECs within the Optical Components market, including identifying market trends and aligning CTS products with the market needs. The Director of Product Management leads cross-functional teams and represents the product function at the executive level.

Requirements

BS in Engineering or a technical field is required.
The ideal candidate will have significant business experience (Product Management, Engineering, Operations Management, Sales, R&D, and/or Product Marketing) in the Datacom and/or Telecom market.
Experience working with optical transceivers and customer engagement within leading Datacom market companies is strongly preferred.
Proven track record of delivering results, influencing organizational strategy, and driving innovation.
15+ years of experience in Product Management/Engineering Leadership roles in the Datacom and/or Telecom industry.
Advanced strategic, systemic, and entrepreneurial mindset.
Deep product acumen with the ability to identify and capture market opportunities.
Strong technical knowledge of the product line(s) and the product applications.
Strong financial and business analysis skills to evaluate investments and product line performance.
Excellent executive communication and persuasive presentation skills.
Demonstrated ability to lead and mentor cross-level product management talent.
Ability to influence decision-making across all levels of the organization.
Highly adaptable and decisive in dynamic market environments.
Experience with problem analysis and resolution at the strategic and functional levels
Ability to travel internationally, up to 25% anticipated.
Support of customers and team members in Asia and the US. Evening calls, ~1-2 nights per week.

Nice To Haves

MBA or MS/PhD in Engineering strongly preferred
Experience working with optical transceivers and customer engagement within leading Datacom market companies is strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

Manage P&L and Financial Performance – 60%
Lead product line strategy in alignment with company vision and growth objectives; drive revenue growth of new and existing products.
Collaborate across Coherent to drive vertical integration and product offering expansion.
Develop on an annual basis, product line vision, strategies, and goals based on relevant market and business data. Drive the actions to achieve the annual strategies and goals.
Develop long-term roadmaps, balancing current product needs with future market opportunities.
Create and present business cases for major investments, ensuring alignment with financial and strategic goals.
Define product requirements and features for the product line, connecting customer needs to competitive advantages.
Drive product engineering teams to design and develop manufacturable standard and customized products to achieve market share leadership and meet revenue and profit goals.
Prepare and present revenue and gross margin forecasts and capacity planning.
Define capacity needs and where necessary, work with Operations on capacity expansion. Provide the business case inputs for any capital expense needs.
Serve as the executive voice of the product, influencing stakeholders and shaping organizational priorities.
Continuously evaluate product and portfolio performance using financial metrics (revenue, gross margin) and customer data. This may include defining and driving cost reductions activities.
Drive executive-level presentations, storytelling, and data-driven decision-making.
Oversee full product lifecycle management, adapting strategies to evolving markets and technologies.
Partner with engineering, R&D, marketing, operations, and sales to deliver cohesive and differentiated product offerings.
Collaborate with R&D to define and develop the next generation of product designs and process capabilities. Manage the investment, including ensuring periodic gate reviews, with reviews of the business case and any changes in the competitive landscape.
Monitor competitive landscapes and develop mitigation and/or response plans as necessary.
Define marketing needs and strategies for attainment.
Responsible for orchestrating product launches or product releases.
Sustaining Support of The/Your Business – 40%
Develop and manage strong business/technical relationships at customers
Drive sales teams to maximize bookings and revenues for your products
Review customer requirements and work with Sales/marketing/R&D/Operations teams on winning proposals, including specifications and pricing
Provide sales with customer communications messages and strategies relevant to the product line
Drive the engineering team to provide customers outstanding technical support, leading to repeat business and new bookings at the expense of our competitors
Monitor and coordinate order fulfillment processes to meet cost, lead-time, on-time delivery, volumes, quality and margin objectives. In case of constraints or issues, escalate and drive mitigation actions with other members of the team.
Drive on-going cost-reduction activities