Director of Product Management & Innovation

Buckhorn•Milford, OH

About The Position

The Director, Product Management and Innovation is responsible for leading Buckhorn’s product strategy, innovation roadmap, and portfolio management for reusable packaging and material handling solutions. This role identifies market needs, translates customer and channel insights into product opportunities, and drives cross-functional execution from concept through commercialization. By aligning Buckhorn’s capabilities, customer-driven innovation, and end-market requirements, the position strengthens the portfolio, accelerates profitable growth, and advances Buckhorn’s leadership in reusable packaging systems across industrial, automotive, food, agriculture, and distribution applications.

Requirements

Strong knowledge of product management principles, portfolio strategy, innovation processes, and lifecycle management within industrial or business-to-business manufacturing environments.
Deep understanding of reusable packaging systems, material handling products, and application requirements across industrial, automotive, food, agriculture, and distribution markets.
Ability to translate customer needs, market insights, and technical requirements into differentiated product strategies and innovation roadmaps.
Commercial acumen in pricing, margin analysis, market positioning, business case development, and go-to-market planning.
Working knowledge of injection molding, product development, manufacturing operations, and the technical considerations involved in scaling new products.
Strong analytical, strategic thinking, and problem-solving skills with the ability to prioritize high-impact opportunities.
Proven ability to lead and influence cross-functional teams and senior stakeholders in a matrixed environment.
Excellent communication, executive presentation, and customer engagement skills.
Ability to balance strategic innovation with operational feasibility, speed to market, and financial performance.
Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, Engineering, Supply Chain, or a related field.
10+ years of progressive experience in product management, innovation, product development, strategic marketing, or related commercial leadership roles within industrial manufacturing or business-to-business environments.
Demonstrated experience leading product portfolios, innovation pipelines, and commercialization strategies for technically complex products.
Proven success working cross-functionally with Sales, Marketing, Engineering, Operations, Supply Chain, and Finance to bring new products and portfolio improvements to market.

Nice To Haves

MBA or other advanced degree preferred.
Experience in reusable packaging, material handling, plastics, injection molding, or closely related industrial product categories strongly preferred.
Experience using customer insights, market analysis, and financial evaluation to prioritize investments and drive profitable growth preferred.

Responsibilities

Lead Buckhorn’s product management strategy across reusable packaging and material handling solutions, including portfolio prioritization, lifecycle management, and roadmap development.
Assess market trends, customer needs, application requirements, and competitive offerings to identify high-value innovation and product enhancement opportunities.
Define strategic product priorities that align with Buckhorn’s growth objectives, manufacturing capabilities, and target end markets.
Own portfolio performance by evaluating product profitability, market penetration, customer adoption, and opportunities for rationalization or expansion.
Drive Buckhorn’s innovation pipeline by converting customer insights, market intelligence, and emerging industry needs into actionable product concepts and development priorities.
Partner with Engineering, Operations, and Technical teams to guide new product development from concept, validation, and testing through launch and commercialization.
Champion customer-driven innovation that improves product performance, supply chain efficiency, sustainability, and application-specific value.
Collaborate with Sales, Marketing, and Commercial leaders to develop positioning, value propositions, launch plans, and pricing strategies for new and existing products.
Support product launches, portfolio communication, and market adoption strategies that improve growth, margin, and customer retention.
Translate technical product capabilities into compelling commercial strategies for Buckhorn’s core and adjacent end markets.
Serve as the strategic link across Product Development, Engineering, Operations, Supply Chain, Finance, and Commercial teams to align priorities, timelines, and execution.
Lead decision-making related to product feasibility, investment, product changes, cost optimization, and launch readiness.
Guide cross-functional teams through stage-gate or similar product development processes to ensure disciplined execution and business impact.
Engage with customers, distributors, OEMs, and internal stakeholders to gather insights that shape product strategy, application development, and innovation priorities.
Monitor industry trends, sustainability drivers, regulatory considerations, and competitive developments relevant to reusable packaging and material handling systems.
Use customer feedback, voice-of-customer data, and market analysis to continuously strengthen Buckhorn’s product portfolio and differentiation.