Director, Product Management - HVAC

Rite-Hite•Dubuque, IA

About The Position

The Director of Product Management, HVAC Solutions, defines and executes the strategic direction, growth, and lifecycle management of Rite-Hite’s HVAC product portfolio. The role leads short- and long-term product strategies that support profitable growth, innovation, and differentiated customer value, while aligning with Business Unit objectives, global product strategies, and regional market needs. The position owns the global HVAC portfolio end to end, from market insight and opportunity identification through product development, commercialization, and lifecycle optimization. It partners with engineering, operations, sales, service, marketing, and IT to deliver solutions that improve energy efficiency, environmental control, and customer experience in industrial and warehouse environments. As a member of the Business Unit leadership team, the director influences portfolio investment decisions and guides global HVAC strategy. The role may lead and develop a team of product managers and/or specialists. Travel up to 25% may be required.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in engineering, business, or a related field.
8–12+ years of progressive product management experience, including portfolio leadership.
Demonstrated success managing products through the full lifecycle.
Strong strategic thinking and market insight capabilities.
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 and ability to manage multiple priorities.
Travel up to 25% may be required.

Nice To Haves

MBA or advanced degree.
Experience in HVAC, industrial equipment, building systems, or related technical products.
Technical aptitude in HVAC systems, environmental control, or related technologies.
Experience in partner and market access development.
M&A experience.

Responsibilities

Lead voice-of-customer research and market analysis to identify unmet needs, trends, and growth opportunities in HVAC and environmental control solutions.
Develop understanding of regulatory requirements, energy-efficiency trends, and sustainability drivers affecting global HVAC markets.
Define competitive positioning and differentiation strategies to expand market share.
Translate market insights into product strategies, investment priorities, and business cases.
Identify adjacent opportunities, such as smart building integration, IoT-enabled HVAC, and energy optimization, and determine whether to build, acquire, or partner.
Establish and communicate a 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, and collaborate with global teams on regional and platform alignment.
Develop and maintain a forward-looking product roadmap of at least three years that supports business strategy and financial objectives.
Lead cross-functional prioritization and trade-off decisions involving scope, cost, and timing.
Define product requirements using customer, sales, service, and market input.
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 execute the roadmap.
Lead new product development from concept through commercialization, post-launch support, and performance tracking to ensure return on investment.
Own pricing strategy and margin targets in partnership with sales and finance.
Lead lifecycle decisions, including product enhancements, cost reduction, portfolio rationalization, and end-of-life planning.
Monitor revenue, margin, quality, and adoption; take corrective action to meet business performance objectives.
Identify and mitigate product and execution risks.
Lead initiatives to improve product cost, manufacturability, installation, serviceability, and customer experience.
Simplify portfolio complexity to improve profitability and operational efficiency while maintaining the required customer experience.
Align product strategy with manufacturing capabilities, supply chain, and service models.
Drive continuous improvement across quality, delivery, and cost.
Use the Stage Gate product launch methodology to deliver new product launches on time and on budget.
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 position HVAC solutions effectively.
Provide subject matter expertise for key customers and strategic opportunities.
May lead and develop a team of product managers and/or specialists.