Product Manager - Fiber Optic Equipment

Domaille Engineering•Rochester, MN

13d•$75,000 - $88,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The Product Manager – Fiber Optics Equipment is responsible for building and maintaining strong, long-term customer relationships by identifying needs, providing solutions, and coordinating internal teams to deliver the right outcomes. This role supports the optical product line, inventory responsibilities, warranty support, and lifecycle oversight, while collaborating with operations and engineering to drive product improvements, resolve issues, and support cost-effective, high-quality solutions. The position also supports customer engagement, contract negotiations, RFQ/RFP responses, and scope changes, ensuring a seamless and positive customer experience. ITAR REQUIREMENTS This position is subject to the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), which restricts access to export-controlled information to U.S. persons. A U.S. person is generally defined as a U.S. citizen, U.S. national, lawful permanent resident, or others specifically authorized under U.S. export regulations. General work authorization (e.g., work permit or EAD) or visa sponsorship does not meet ITAR requirements.

Requirements

Effective communication skills, including phone-based customer interactions and sales.
Ability to apply knowledge of the product line to develop effective customer solutions.
Strong product management skills, including risk management and conflict resolution.
Skilled with Microsoft Office Suite (including Excel) and ERP systems such as Global Shop.
Detail-oriented, with the ability to manage multiple tasks and priorities in a complex product development and production environment.
Motivated, reliable, and accountable, demonstrating tenacity in addressing challenges and following through on complex initiatives to completion.
Strong interpersonal, business, and technical skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively with coworkers, management, and external contacts.

Nice To Haves

Experience working in fiber optics and telecommunications industry is preferred, or in a parallel OEM or industrial sector.
Product knowledge is preferred, either from working with fiber optic solutions, production processes, or related equipment, or have the ability to quickly learn and apply new technical concepts.
Experience with marketing activities that support and drive sales is preferred (e.g., lead generation, website content, product literature, campaigns, event support, communications, social media content).
Willingness to travel up to 20% of the time for customer visits, trade shows, and related activities.
Ideal candidates will have approximately 5 years of experience in sales or product management or possess equivalent combination of education and experience.

Responsibilities

Customer Management Build and maintain strong, trusted customer relationships through timely, proactive communication and active listening to customer feedback.
Accurately identify customer needs and develop them into actionable solutions, proposals, or recommendations.
Drive RFQ/RFP response development, coordinating preparation of quotes and proposals.
Engage with customers to support both new and existing products, ensuring their requirements are understood and addressed.
Coordinate with internal teams to deliver the right solutions for customers, troubleshooting product issues and guiding technical understanding to ensure a seamless experience.
Cultivate long-term partnerships through frequent contact and in-person visits, optimizing the overall customer experience.
Product Management Support optical product inventory in coordination with scheduling and operations teams.
Track and resolve customer issues, SCARs, warranty returns, and corrective actions.
Provide input for product improvements and lifecycle management initiatives, supporting both new product launches and ongoing product enhancements.
Negotiate contracts and contractual changes to ensure legal compliance and protect organizational interests.
Collaborate across multiple levels of the organization to advance product offerings and support the distribution and growth of the fiber optics product line.
Apply technical and functional expertise with program management skills to ensure high-quality outcomes and continuous evolution of the product toolkit.
Manufacturing and Engineering Support Coordinate customer requirements with engineering and operations teams to align production with expectations and troubleshoot product or process issues as they arise.
Provide feedback to design engineering for cost reduction, product improvement, and optimization based on customer input.
Support preventive actions and continuous improvement initiatives to enhance product reliability and performance.
Manage scope changes from customers cross-functionally, ensuring product solutions meet technical and customer requirements.