Jr. Manager Product Line

LUFKIN•Missouri City, TX

51d

About The Position

This role focuses on managing R&D stage-gate processes, engineering requests, and product line performance, leveraging AI-automated systems. The Jr. Manager Product Line will be responsible for driving R&D projects through the stage-gate process, acting as a gatekeeper for engineering requests, capturing and synthesizing customer feedback, conducting market research, and tracking product line KPIs. A key aspect of this role involves owning and improving the AI systems that support these functions, ensuring efficient intake, prioritization, and decision-making.

Requirements

R&D stage-gate process management
AI-automated workflow system operation
Gatekeeping, intake, and prioritization of engineering requests
Voice-of-customer capture and synthesis
Competitive and market research
Product line performance tracking and reporting
AI systems ownership and ways of working
Experience with AI systems for streamlining intake, prioritization, research, and reporting
Ability to identify and pilot new AI-enabled improvements
Ownership of criteria and logic for AI systems

Responsibilities

Manage R&D stage-gate process and operate the AI-automated stage-gate system.
Track gate readiness, flag blockers, and ensure deliverables and criteria are met at each gate.
Provide stage-gate status and pipeline visibility to leadership.
Serve as the gatekeeper for engineering requests directed at the mechanical systems team.
Own and operate the AI-built engineering request system for intake, prioritization, and routing.
Ensure engineering requests are complete with necessary data, specifications, and context.
Manage the request backlog and priorities in partnership with stakeholders.
Gather and synthesize customer and field feedback into structured insights.
Surface unmet needs, recurring issues, and opportunities to relevant teams.
Conduct competitor and market research to support various departments.
Operate the product/research agent to maintain current competitive analysis.
Translate research findings into inputs for product roadmaps, positioning, and commercial plans.
Monitor product line KPIs (volume, margin, win/loss) and report trends and recommendations.
Support commercial and product planning with performance data.
Coordinate cross-functionally around product priorities and timing.
Support commercial and marketing planning with product, customer, and competitive intelligence.
Operate, maintain, and improve AI-built systems (stage-gate workflow, engineering request system).
Use AI to streamline processes and review outputs for accuracy.
Identify and pilot new AI-enabled improvements to R&D and engineering request processes.
Own the criteria and logic that the AI systems run on.