Product Line Manager, Optical Componets

CommScope•Shakopee, MN

About The Position

CommScope Data Center Solutions is seeking an industry leader with a strong business development mindset and a hunter mentality to join their Passive Optical Devices Business. This role is responsible for developing new product lines into profitable ventures or expanding existing products into new regions and major customers. The position involves product line strategy, new product development, pricing, profitability, and marketing, with a strong emphasis on bringing new products and line extensions to market. The individual will also manage product lifecycles and commercially manage new products transitioned from other teams. This role requires cross-functional collaboration with Sales, Engineering, Manufacturing, and Distribution Channels, and involves managing and developing employees. The position requires research and analysis to define new product requirements, analyzing financial data to support managerial decisions, and managing the product line's P&L, including revenue, gross margin, and operating income. The role supports sales and marketing efforts through market opportunity and competitor research, develops sales and marketing presentations, and acts as the main customer contact for product-related issues. The individual will be responsible for new product visioning and idea generation through close customer and market contact, attending trade shows, and reviewing industry publications. They will participate in technology and product roadmap development, create business cases for new product development, define target markets and product positioning, and develop product definitions including price, cost, performance, reliability, and lifecycle forecasts. The role also involves identifying and selecting sales channels, developing new production introduction plans, launching new products, and initiating the development of marketing collateral. Additionally, the Product Line Manager will establish sales promotions, prepare technical databases, develop and conduct training, ensure successful transition to manufacturing, support sales through joint calls, conduct product review meetings, and manage the product introduction budget. Responsibilities also include profit and loss management, evaluating cost reductions, discount analyses, and inventory levels, as well as developing and evaluating opportunities for new products and line extensions, and identifying new target markets and strategies. The role includes recruiting, selecting, managing, and developing employees, making decisions regarding hiring, promotions, salary adjustments, and discipline.

Requirements

Deep understanding of passive optical networking technologies and applications, including: DWDM/CWDM solutions, WDM filters, Optical splitters, Couplers, TAPs, Coexistence modules, PON architectures and deployments.
Product Line Management, portfolio management, or business development experience within optical networking, broadband, telecommunications, or related markets.
Demonstrated ability to identify growth opportunities, develop strategic initiatives, and drive market share expansion.
Experience managing product lifecycles, pricing, forecasting, and investment priorities.
Strong business development mindset with a focus on creating new opportunities, expanding customer relationships, and identifying adjacent markets for growth.
Direct experience working with Tier 1 service providers, cloud providers, hyperscalers, enterprise customers, or the fiber broadband ecosystem.
Strong commercial orientation with the ability to translate market insights and customer requirements into profitable growth strategies.
Proven ability to influence customers, cross-functional teams, and senior leadership.
Industry leader with a strong business development mindset and a hunter mentality who actively seeks new opportunities, challenges conventional thinking, creates market momentum, and drives profitable growth.
Equally comfortable engaging customers, influencing strategy, identifying acquisition or partnership opportunities, and building the business beyond its current footprint.

Responsibilities

Developing a new product line into a profitable product line, or expansion of existing products into new regions and/or major customers through PLM team/s.
Bringing new products and line extensions to market.
Overall product line management responsibility.
Product line strategy, new product development, pricing, profitability, and marketing.
Commercially manage new products transitioned from a second product management team.
Cross-functional responsibility working with Sales, Engineering, Manufacturing, and Distribution Channels.
Recruit, select, manage and develop employees.
Determine what information is needed and conduct research analysis and market research to define new product requirements.
Analyze sales and other financial data to derive information vital to influence/support managerial decisions concerning market penetration, product modification, and market expansion for new products and propose recommendations as appropriate.
Manage the product life cycle.
Accountability for the product lines P&L, including: revenue attainment, gross margin and operating income.
Support sales and marketing efforts by leading research of market opportunities and competitors with existing product line in assigned markets.
Manage and develop sales and marketing presentations where additional technical expertise is required on specific solutions, applications, architectures, or assigned markets.
Provide expertise and maintain product evaluations on competitive product offers and act as main customer contact on issues related to the product.
Responsible for new product visioning and idea generation through close contact with target market and customers.
Attend trade shows, review market / trade publications and interface with sales workforce.
Participate in technology and product roadmap development.
Develop business cases for new product development including financial evaluations (RR, ROI, OPP, Cost), competitive and market analyses, customer needs, critical success factors, sales justifications, and other business case components.
Define target markets / customers and product positioning.
Develop product definition including price, cost and performance objectives, reliability and functional features, manufacturability, and life cycle forecasts.
Identify and select sales channels to distribute products to targeted markets / customers.
Develop new production introduction plan.
Responsible for the launch of new products.
Initiate and participate in the development of all marketing collateral material.
Establish sales promotions and special incentive programs.
Prepare technical databases for proposal generation.
Develop and conduct product, market and application training.
Ensure successful transition to manufacturing.
Support sales through joint sales calls.
Conduct product review meetings.
Establish and monitor product introduction budget.
Responsible for profit and loss (P&L), evaluating, recommending and initiating cost reductions, discount analyses and inventory levels.
Develop and evaluate opportunities for new products and / or line extensions.
Identify new target markets and related strategies.
Make decisions regarding hiring, promotions, salary adjustments, discipline, and any other changes of employee status.