Senior Product Manager - Industrial Drives (VFDs)

Manpower Engineering is hiring a Senior Product Manager to lead a mature Variable Frequency Drive (VFD) product portfolio, shaping North American strategy and guiding growth from planning through commercialization. This role balances roadmap ownership, customer input, and portfolio decisions to strengthen competitive position.

Role Overview

You will own the product roadmap and drive portfolio strategy for an established drives offering used by industrial customers across North America. The position includes leading Voice of Customer activities, identifying investment opportunities, and influencing key decisions related to positioning, pricing, and commercialization.

Key Responsibilities

• Own the strategy and direction for a critical product portfolio
• Lead Voice of Customer efforts and apply customer insights to future product development
• Collaborate directly with customers, distributors, sales leaders, engineers, and global product teams
• Identify growth opportunities and develop the business case for portfolio investment
• Influence product positioning, portfolio decisions, pricing strategies, and commercialization efforts
• Own a mature, well-established drives portfolio serving industrial customers throughout North America
• Continuously evaluate what comes next, where growth opportunities exist, how to better serve customers, how to strengthen competitive positioning, and which investments to prioritize for future success

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Business, Marketing, or a related discipline
• 5+ years of Product Management experience in an industrial, technical, manufacturing, automation, or related environment
• Experience managing product portfolios, product roadmaps, and lifecycle strategies
• Experience with Variable Frequency Drives (VFDs), motor controls, motion control products, industrial automation, or closely related technologies
• Demonstrated ability to develop product strategies using customer and market insights
• Experience conducting Voice of Customer (VOC) activities
• Strong cross-functional leadership skills and proven ability to influence without direct authority
• Strong communication and presentation skills
• Strong technical credibility and commercial curiosity
• Strategic thinking skills, customer-first problem-solving abilities, and a growth mindset
• High ownership and accountability, with the ability to balance long-term strategy and day-to-day business needs
• Comfort operating across engineering, sales, operations, and executive leadership teams
• Enjoy building something better rather than maintaining the status quo
• Travel domestically approximately 25%

Preferred Qualifications

• Direct experience with industrial drives and drive applications
• Experience with electrification, motion control, automation, motors, or power electronics
• Product launch and commercialization experience
• Experience supporting OEM, distributor, channel, or industrial end-user markets
• Exposure to pricing strategy and profitability initiatives
• Experience working in a global organization

Relevant Technologies

• Variable Frequency Drives (VFDs)
• Motor controls
• Motion control products
• Industrial automation

Location and Work Arrangement

• Milwaukee, WI (hybrid)
• Southeastern Wisconsin location
• Approximately 2-3 days onsite per week