The Product Development Manager will lead the design and engineering teams to develop innovative product enhancements and new products to build upon our client's strong market position in their industry.  This includes the evolution of the client's proprietary product family, which adds sensors with continuous, high-resolution data, utilized locally, and transferred to the cloud. A key part of these new offerings is leveraging on-machine and cloud-based computing power to turn data into actionable information.

Our client is seeking a confident and experienced engineering leader who can help build on their history of providing products and services essential to running an efficient manufacturing plant. The ideal candidate will be a bright, technically astute engineering professional with at least ten years of experience related to product engineering and development. Experience in developing engineered electromechanical products for use in industrial environments is critical.

Reports to: Director of Product Development (position intended to be successor)

Direct reports include two engineers, as well as overseeing contract and outsourced engineering and technology services.

Salary: $150-180k/yr. plus 10% + bonus. DOE.

Benefits: Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Short and Long-term Disability Insurance, plus 401(k) company contributions and other benefits.

Role & Responsibilities:

• Identify and implement enhancements to current products to improve performance in alignment with customer needs.
• Utilize customer input and industry general knowledge in creating new and enhancing existing products.
• Lead the development of new electromechanical products.
• Develop concepts for products to meet target market opportunities.
• Provide product feature guidance to software developers, in-house and contract.
• Assess the feasibility of concepts from a performance, manufacturability, and cost perspective and select which concepts to pursue.
• Create product development plans to establish resource requirements, timelines, and budgets.
• Manage the product development process using a phase gate approach against product objectives and project parameters.
• Coordinate internal and external resources as needed to support the product development process.
• Coordinate with the Director of Operations on product introductions and configuration changes.
• Provide relevant technical communication to customers based on configuration changes.
• Work with sales and customer service to identify market and customer opportunities for new product development and coordinate the launch of new products.
• Represent the Company in its relationships with customers, channel partners, and prospects to promote a positive image in the industry to support business growth and success.

Required Skills and Experience:

• A Bachelor's degree in mechanical or electrical engineering is required.
• Experience in developing engineered electromechanical products for use in industrial environments is critical.
• Technical Aptitude
• Demonstrated ability to lead the development of PC/PLC controlled electromechanical hardware and applications.
• Ability to understand and manage the development of software-based solutions.
• Ability to conceptualize product enhancements and/or new products.
• Ability to manage projects to achieve agreed-upon outcomes.
• Possess a strong blend of analytical, decision-making, and creative problem-solving skills.
• Possess the technical expertise necessary to oversee and direct electronic and mechanical design, documentation development, reliability testing, and analysis.
• The ability to communicate effectively in person, in writing, and in presentations.
• The ability to lead other engineers and work effectively at all organizational levels is necessary. 
• S/he must be willing to travel both domestically and internationally on occasion to visit customers, up to 10% including trips that are 1 week in duration.
• The successful candidate must possess or be able to obtain a U.S. passport and must have a valid driver's license.
• The ideal candidate will demonstrate advanced interpersonal skills and possess hands-on leadership abilities.
• S/he will have the desire and the capabilities to be fully engaged with both sales and operations to align product offerings with the Company's strategic direction effectively. 
• Utilize and enhance product development processes.
• Able to organize people and processes to achieve product development outcomes and timelines.
• Build and maintain internal and external relationships that foster collaboration.
• Supports a culture of teamwork throughout the organization.
• Communicates and coaches effectively.
• Models, creates, and fosters a culture that demands superior quality and achieves the highest standards.
• Focused on developing and maintaining long-term relationships with customers.
• Entrepreneurial person and/or driven to win business through the advanced integration of technology within products. 

About Versique:  

Versique: /ver-seek/?adj. being both versatile and unique; n. a high-performance recruiting firm specializing in executive leadership search, direct hire, and interim hiring solutions.  

 Versique Executive, Professional, & Interim Recruiting?is a locally owned and operated hiring and placement firm based in the Twin Cities of Minnesota. With specialized practice areas across our three divisions, Versique delivers tailored expertise to a wide range of industries. What sets us apart is our team of recruiters—seasoned professionals who have worked in the very fields they now hire for, providing unmatched industry insight and connections.  

We believe people are more than just resumes—they are transformative, unlocking the potential for organizational growth and success.  
Versique is proud to be an award-winning company, earning recognition on the?Inc. 5000?list of fastest-growing private companies and the?Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Journal's Fast 50?list for 2023. We are also consistently recognized as a?Star Tribune Top Workplace?and were named a?Best Place to Work?in 2022 by the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal.  

Let's find your people, together.  

 Versique is an equal opportunity employer committed to creating a diverse workforce. We consider all qualified applicants regardless of race, religion, color, sex, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or veteran status. 

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