Director of Product Development

Primary Duties & Responsibilities

• Manage P&L and Financial Performance
• Lead product line strategy in alignment with company vision and growth objectives
• Drive revenue growth of new and existing products
• Collaborate across Coherent to drive vertical integration and product offering expansion
• Develop annual product line vision, strategies, and goals based on relevant market and business data
• Drive actions to achieve annual strategies and goals
• Create and present business cases for major investments, ensuring alignment with financial and strategic goals
• Define product requirements and features for the product line, connecting customer needs to competitive advantages
• Drive product engineering teams to design and develop manufacturable standard and customized products to achieve market share leadership and meet revenue and profit goals
• Prepare and present revenue and gross margin forecasts and capacity planning
• Define capacity needs and work with Operations on capacity expansion
• Provide business case inputs for any capital expense needs
• Serve as the executive voice of the product, influencing stakeholders and shaping organizational priorities
• Continuously evaluate product and portfolio performance using financial metrics (revenue, gross margin) and customer data
• This may include defining and driving cost reduction activities
• Drive executive-level presentations, storytelling, and data-driven decision-making
• Oversee full product lifecycle management, adapting strategies to evolving markets and technologies
• Partner with engineering, R&D, marketing, operations, and sales to deliver cohesive and differentiated product offerings
• Collaborate with R&D to define and develop the next generation of product designs and process capabilities
• Manage the investment, including ensuring periodic gate reviews, with reviews of the business case and any changes in the competitive landscape
• Monitor competitive landscapes and develop mitigation and/or response plans as necessary
• Define marketing needs and strategies for attainment
• Responsible for orchestrating product launches or product releases

Sustaining Support of The/Your Business

• Develop and manage strong business/technical relationships at customers
• Review customer requirements and work with Sales/marketing/R&D/Operations teams on winning proposals, including specifications and pricing
• Drive sales teams to maximize bookings and revenues for your products
• Provide sales with customer communications messages and strategies relevant to the product line
• Drive the engineering team to provide customers outstanding technical support, leading to repeat business and new bookings at the expense of our competitors
• Monitor and coordinate order fulfillment processes to meet cost, lead-time, on-time delivery, volumes, quality and margin objectives
• In case of constraints or issues, escalate and drive mitigation actions with other members of the team
• Drive ongoing cost-reduction activities

Education & Experience

• BS in Engineering or a technical field is required
• MBA or MS/PhD in Engineering strongly preferred
• The ideal candidate will have significant business experience (Product Management, Engineering, Operations Management, Sales, R&D, and/or Product Marketing) in the Datacom and/or Telecom market
• Experience working with optical transceivers and customer engagement within leading Datacom market companies is strongly preferred
• Proven track record of delivering results, influencing organizational strategy, and driving innovation
• 15+ years of experience in Product Management/Engineering Leadership roles in the Datacom and/or Telecom industry

Skills & Other Requirements

• Advanced strategic, systemic, and entrepreneurial mindset
• Deep product acumen with the ability to identify and capture market opportunities
• Strong technical knowledge of the product line(s) and the product applications
• Strong financial and business analysis skills to evaluate investments and product line performance
• Excellent executive communication and persuasive presentation skills
• Demonstrated ability to lead and mentor cross-level product management talent
• Ability to influence decision-making across all levels of the organization
• Highly adaptable and decisive in dynamic market environments
• Experience with problem analysis and resolution at the strategic and functional levels
• Ability to travel internationally, up to 25% anticipated
• Support of customers and team members in Asia and the US
• Evening calls, ~1-2 nights per week
• Working Conditions: Normal office conditions
• Physical Requirements: Must be able to remain in a stationary position, often standing or sitting for prolonged periods; must be able to communicate clearly and effectively with others to exchange information; constantly operates a computer and other office equipment
• Safety Requirements: All employees are required to attend scheduled training, follow the site EHS procedures and Corporate EHS standards. This includes the use of proper protective equipment (PPE) as required by the job responsibilities. Managers will ensure that all safety and environmental procedures are followed consistently. They will ensure that risk assessments are performed, proper training, work instructions, required PPE is available, and will monitor compliance.
• Quality & Environmental Responsibilities: Depending on location, this position may be responsible for the execution and maintenance of the ISO 9000, 9001, 14001 and/or other applicable standards that may apply to the relevant roles and responsibilities within the Quality Management System and Environmental Management System. Employees are required to maintain a quality work environment that is safe, clean, organized and environmentally compliant.

Culture Commitment

• Ensure adherence to company’s values (ICARE): Integrity – Create an Environment of Trust Collaboration – Innovate Through the Sharing of Ideas Accountability – Own the Process and the Outcome Respect – Recognize the Value in Everyone Enthusiasm – Find a Sense of Purpose in Work

About Us

Coherent is a global leader in lasers, engineered materials and networking components. We are a vertically integrated manufacturing company that develops innovative products for diversified applications in the industrial, optical communications, military, life sciences, semiconductor equipment, and consumer markets. Coherent provides a comprehensive career development platform within an environment that challenges employees to perform at their best, while rewarding excellence and hard work through a competitive compensation program. It's an exciting opportunity to work for a company that offers stability, longevity and growth. Come Join Us!