Product Manager

Company / Location Information

A.O. Smith is a global leader applying innovative technologies and energy-efficient solutions to products manufactured and marketed worldwide. The company is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of residential and commercial water heating equipment and boilers, as well as a manufacturer of water treatment products for residential and light commercial applications. A. O. Smith is headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with approximately 12,000 employees at operations in the United States, Canada, China, India, Mexico, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom.

Primary Function

This role will be part of the Product Management team with a primary focus on supporting development and lifecycle management activities.  This role will uniquely interact with our NAWT sales channel leaders, marketing, engineering and other Product Managers to help drive revenue and profitability of the product portfolios. 

Expectations

• Help drive double digit growth across NAWT business units
• Deliver consistent product improvement and innovation by pursuing iterative upgrades between large scale new product offerings
• Build “best in-class” product offerings developed internally or in tandem with primary vendors
• Support the continued development and implementation of a roadmap and strategy for our product portfolios, with a focus on whole-home systems and water softening products

Responsibilities

• Research and investigate new or existing opportunities to drive product innovation
• Operate within the AOSNPD framework for development projects that provides one or more of the following benefits:
  • Development of unique and proprietary functionality within our markets
  • Adds to the Customer Value Proposition for our existing products
  • Allows A.O. Smith to have full ownership of designs or other intellectual property for key components currently sourced externally
• Using business data, help drive SKU reduction opportunities across our business unit as part of integration strategy or product consolidation
• Lead End-of-Life product activities including monitoring timing, inventory, warranty/service support as part of the lifecycle management process
• Provide stakeholder communication, both internal and external, to keep them informed of product changes, improvements, or obsolescence
• Communicate with representatives from NAWT business units and primary customers to gain insight into market/business product needs
• Help to coordinate and maintain project schedules, timelines and budgets for product development projects
• Participate in cost-down/improvement activities representing “Voice of Customer”
• Serve as product liaison between Sales, Customer Service and our customers
• Translate business needs and technical specifications between Sales and Engineering during product development

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or equivalent experience in a relevant field such as business, engineering, or marketing
• Minimum 3+ years of related experience in product management
• Experience working with Operations, Marketing, and Supply Chain functions 
• Minimum 3+ years of related experience in product management
• Strong analytical and strategic thinking skills to identify market trends, customer needs, and competitive insights
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills to collaborate with cross-functional teams and stakeholders
• Proven ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously, set priorities, and meet deadlines
• Familiarity with project management tools and methodologies

We Offer

Competitive compensation package and comprehensive benefits plans which include medical and dental insurance, company-sponsored life insurance, retirement security savings plan, short- and long-term disability programs and tuition assistance.

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ADA Statement & EEO Statement

In developing this job description care was taken to include all competencies needed to successfully perform in this position. However, for Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) purposes, the essential functions of the job may or may not have been described for purposes of ADA reasonable accommodation. All reasonable accommodation requests will be reviewed and evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

We consider all applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, gender identity and expression, marital or military status. We also provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and applicable state and local law.