Director, Product Management - HVAC

Rite-Hite • Dubuque, IA

11d

About The Position

The Director of Product Management, HVAC Solutions is responsible for defining and executing the strategic direction, growth, and lifecycle management of Rite-Hite’s HVAC product portfolio. This role leads the development and implementation of short- and long-term product strategies that drive profitable growth, innovation, and differentiated customer value. This leader owns the global HVAC product portfolio end-to-end — from market insight and opportunity identification through product development, commercialization, and lifecycle optimization — ensuring alignment with Business Unit objectives, global product strategies, and regional market needs. The role partners cross-functionally with engineering, operations, sales, service, marketing and IT to deliver high-impact solutions that improve energy efficiency, environmental control, and overall customer experience in industrial and warehouse environments. This role is a key member of the Business Unit leadership team, influencing portfolio investment decisions and guiding global HVAC strategy.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, business, or related field required.
• 8–12+ years of progressive product management experience, including portfolio leadership.
• Experience in HVAC, industrial equipment, building systems, or related technical products strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated success managing products through the full lifecycle.
• Skilled at partner and market access development.
• Strong strategic thinking and market insight capabilities.
• Technical aptitude in HVAC systems, environmental control, or related technologies (preferred).
• Financial acumen, including pricing strategy and business case development.
• Ability to lead cross-functional teams and influence without direct authority.
• Strong analytical and data-driven decision-making skills.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to balance customer needs, technical feasibility, and business outcomes.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities.

Nice To Haves

• MBA or advanced degree preferred.
• M&A experience preferred.

Responsibilities

• Market Insight & Strategy: Lead voice-of-customer and market analysis to identify unmet needs, emerging trends, and growth opportunities within HVAC and environmental control solutions.
• Develop a deep understanding of regulatory requirements, energy efficiency trends, and sustainability drivers impacting global HVAC markets.
• Define competitive positioning and differentiation strategies to expand market share.
• Translate insights into actionable product strategies, investment priorities, and business cases.
• Identify adjacent opportunities (e.g., smart building integration, IoT-enabled HVAC, energy optimization solutions) and the appropriate strategy (build, acquire, partner).
• Product & Portfolio Strategy: Establish and communicate a clear product vision and multi-year strategy aligned with Business Unit growth and innovation objectives.
• Own the HVAC portfolio strategy, balancing customer value, financial performance, and operational feasibility.
• Prioritize initiatives using data-driven analysis and strategic alignment.
• Collaborate with global teams to ensure alignment across regions and platforms.
• Portfolio Roadmap: Develop and maintain a forward-looking 3+ year product roadmap that enables the business strategy and delivers key financial objectives.
• Lead cross-functional prioritization and trade-off decisions across scope, cost, and timing.
• Define product requirements incorporating customer, sales, service, and market inputs.
• Build and manage business cases and financial models for new product investments and major continuous improvement projects.
• Partner with engineering, operations, sales, service, marketing and IT to ensure successful execution of the roadmap.
• Product Lifecycle Management: Lead new product development from concept through commercialization and post-launch support and performance tracking to ensure ROI success.
• Own pricing strategy and margin targets in partnership with sales and finance.
• Drive lifecycle decisions including product enhancements, cost reduction, rationalization, and end-of-life planning.
• Monitor portfolio performance (revenue, margin, quality, adoption) and take corrective actions as needed to achieve business performance objectives.
• Identify and mitigate product and execution risks.
• Operational Excellence & Continuous Improvement: Lead initiatives to improve product cost, manufacturability, installation, serviceability, and customer experience.
• Simplify portfolio complexity to maximize profitability and operational efficiency while providing the required customer experience.
• Align product strategy with manufacturing capabilities, supply chain, and service models.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives across quality, delivery, and cost.
• Leverage Stage Gate product launch methodology to deliver on time and on budget new product development launches.
• Go-to-Market & Commercial Enablement: Partner with marketing and sales to define value propositions, positioning, and launch strategies.
• Support development of sales tools, pricing guidance, and training programs.
• Enable distribution and sales teams to effectively position HVAC solutions in the market.
• Provide subject matter expertise for key customers and strategic opportunities.

Benefits

• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage
• life and disability insurance
• A robust well-being program with an opportunity to receive an extra day off and more.
• A strong retirement savings program with 401(k), company match, and profit sharing.
• Paid holidays, vacation time, and personal/sick days each year.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director