Director, Product Management

Fortune Brands•Grand Rapids, MI

3h•Hybrid

About The Position

Fortune Brands is looking for a Director of Hardware Product Management to lead the hardware product strategy and execution for our Connected Security portfolio. This is a role for someone who wants to leave real fingerprints on the business — build on a strong foundation, shape where it goes next, and help define what the next generation of intelligent access looks like across Yale, August, Master Lock, and Sentry Safe. Our connected security products are trusted by millions of users across consumer and commercial channels — and we partner with the top companies in the smart home industry to help shape where it goes, not just react to it. The category is evolving fast, and we have a seat at the table where those decisions get made. As the primary 4P owner for hardware, you will drive product strategy, pricing, positioning, forecasting, and channel planning across both B2C and B2B verticals. You'll lead a hardware PM team supported by dedicated software and design resources aligned to each vertical — giving you the leadership surface to think and operate strategically, not just execute tactically. The leaders who thrive here are builders: people who create clarity from ambiguity, strengthen process as they go, and get more done through influence and ingenuity than org chart. Connected Products is one of the highest-visibility growth bets across Fortune Brands Innovations — with direct exposure to senior leadership and a mandate that spans the full enterprise. For the right person, this role is also a launching pad: FBIN's portfolio spans Moen, Therma-Tru, Master Lock, and beyond, and leaders who perform here find no shortage of opportunity to grow within the broader organization.

Requirements

10+ years of Product Management experience, with a meaningful portion in hardware or connected device categories
Demonstrated experience in consumer electronics, smart home technology, or comparable hardware/software product environments
Proven track record owning full 4P strategy and taking hardware products from concept through commercial launch
Experience managing cross-functional teams across engineering, industrial design, supply chain, and go-to-market functions
Strong background in both primary and secondary customer research; ability to synthesize insight into product strategy
Experience navigating both retail/e-commerce (B2C) and commercial/B2B go-to-market models
Demonstrated ability to build and improve product management processes and team capability — not just execute within existing ones
BA/BS in Engineering, Marketing, or a related field required; MBA preferred
Ability to travel up to 20%, including occasional international travel
Excellent verbal and written communication skills; executive-ready presentation capabilities

Nice To Haves

Hands-on experience with smart home ecosystem partnerships and an understanding of how the leading smart home platforms operate and integrate with connected hardware
Familiarity with access control, physical security, or safety product categories
Experience in multi-brand portfolio management
Background in channel management across mass retail, specialty, and e-commerce (Amazon 1P/3P, owned DTC)

Responsibilities

Own the full 4P strategy (Product, Price, Place, Promotion) for hardware across the Connected Security portfolio, serving as the primary product authority for Yale, August, Master Lock, and Sentry Safe smart security devices
Define and maintain a rolling 3-year hardware product roadmap aligned to business strategy, customer needs, and competitive positioning
Lead by doing as much as by directing — the best hardware PMs on our team are as comfortable writing a product brief or running a line review as they are presenting roadmap to senior leadership
Lead cross-functional new product development teams through the full product lifecycle — from unmet need identification through commercial launch — across retail, e-commerce, and B2B channels
Partner closely with engineering, industrial design, operations, and marketing to deliver hardware products that are differentiated, manufacturable, and profitable
Develop winning go-to-market plans incorporating pricing strategy, channel mix (retail, e-commerce, B2B/MDU), demand forecasting, and messaging frameworks
Conduct primary and secondary market research, competitive analysis, and consumer insight development to identify category trends and whitespace opportunities
Translate voice-of-customer and channel partner feedback into clear, actionable product requirements
Build and develop the hardware product management team — establishing practices, raising the bar on craft, and developing the next generation of PMs
Align roadmap investments to strategic customer requirements across both consumer (B2C) and business (B2B) segments