Global Product Manager
Niterra North America•Wixom, MI
•Hybrid
About The Position
The Global Product Manager leads global new product development for assigned aftermarket product lines, from opportunity identification and concept validation through commercialization and launch, with a focus on multi-year strategy. The role builds a forward-looking product pipeline based on global market trends, develops business cases and launch plans, and owns revenue, gross profit, market coverage, and release-velocity targets. Serving as the primary program liaison among global headquarters, regional business units, technical centers, and functional teams, the Global Product Manager drives new products from development through ongoing lifecycle management across multiple global regions. The position is hybrid for candidates within commuting distance of Wixom, Michigan, and 100% remote for US-based candidates outside that area. The role is classified as salary, exempt, with a salary range of $130,000–$145,000 per year.
Requirements
- 10+ years of total product management experience, including 5+ years in automotive aftermarket product strategy, new product development, and multi-region commercial launches.
- Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Marketing, Engineering, Automotive Technology, or a related discipline; equivalent global aftermarket experience is considered.
- Experience with cataloging and industry standards such as ACES, PIES, and TecDoc, and catalog management platforms such as PIMS.
- Proven track record executing stage-gate discipline, developing business cases, and managing strategic cross-functional programs using collaboration tools.
- Strong technical comprehension of vehicle systems and automotive component lifecycles.
- Excellent verbal and written English communication skills, with demonstrated multicultural diplomacy across global business units in the Americas, Europe, and Asia-Pacific, and global headquarters in Japan.
- Flexibility to join early-morning and evening meetings across global time zones, including Europe, Japan, and Australia.
- Ability to travel domestically and internationally up to 15%, operate a vehicle, lift up to 40 lbs., and work around normal office and travel-related hazards.
Nice To Haves
- Fluency in Japanese or German.
- Experience with collaboration tools such as Asana, SAP, QlikView, and Google Workspace.
Responsibilities
- Lead global new product program development for assigned product lines, from opportunity identification and concept validation through commercialization and launch execution, with a focus on multi-year strategy.
- Research and prioritize global market trends related to products, technologies, applications, and market opportunities to build a forward-looking product development pipeline.
- Achieve target expansion revenues for global product lines across key global markets.
- Maintain predictable release velocity, targeting one major global new product line launch every two years, on time and within budget.
- Meet three-year and five-year post-launch gross profit targets and absolute margin expectations.
- Drive market gap coverage to target levels and ensure catalog findability and fill-rate alignment with Supply Chain.
- Establish processes to evaluate market opportunities, technology, competitive gaps, customer needs, technical feasibility, sourcing options, and financial viability for proposed new product programs.
- Build and maintain global and regional new product program plans, business cases, timelines, launch milestones, and documentation.
- Define launch support requirements, technical training needs, digital content, and commercialization materials in partnership with regional teams.
- Provide technical leadership to regional sales teams and internal departments during product validation, launch preparation, and market introduction.
- Produce competitive, customer, pricing, and positioning analyses to support program recommendations and launch decisions.
- Develop product positioning, feature-and-benefit messaging, value propositions, and launch training for sales teams, customers, distributors, and internal stakeholders.
- Serve as the primary program liaison among global headquarters, regional business units, technical centers, sourcing, and functional departments to advance requirements and resolve launch barriers.
- Manage new product development programs and workstreams, including application research, feasibility reviews, competitive analysis, catalog data readiness, pricing input, sourcing coordination, launch schedules, and stage-gate reporting.
- Coordinate departments across regions to enable new part setup, launch readiness, production availability, and go-to-market execution.
- Oversee post-launch handoff, performance tracking, lessons learned, and transition plans to move products into ongoing lifecycle management.
- Deliver product introductions on time, within approved budgets, and in alignment with program objectives, launch criteria, and regional market needs.
- Monitor New Part Number Introductions and rationalize slow-moving parts, including leading application research and validation to define product coverage, fitment, specifications, and launch scope.
- Benchmark key competitors on an ongoing basis to maintain the target value proposition.
- Consolidate demand forecasting to help supply chain management teams optimize inventory levels.
- Complete other tasks and projects as assigned to support personal development or department objectives.
- Adhere to applicable company policies and procedures.
Benefits
- Medical, dental, vision, and life insurance.
- Short-term and long-term disability coverage.
- 401(k) plan with a company match of up to 6%.
- Paid time off, including vacation, sick leave, and holidays.
- Paid maternity and paternity leave.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
