Sr. Product Manager | Strategy

Sterling Engineering is partnering with a leading industrial manufacturer to hire a Senior Product Manager focused on pumps and fluid handling technologies. This is a strategic leadership opportunity to own product portfolio performance, drive new product development, and identify growth opportunities across agricultural and industrial markets. The ideal candidate combines strong business acumen, industry knowledge, and technical understanding to drive product strategy, profitability, and innovation.

Key requirements

Candidates must demonstrate at least two of the following three qualifications:

• Business Acumen: Experience with product strategy, financial performance, pricing, profitability, business cases, and market growth.
• Industry Knowledge: Experience with pumps, fluid handling, flow control, industrial equipment, agricultural equipment, or related engineered products.
• Technical Understanding: Ability to understand engineered products, collaborate with Engineering, and translate technical requirements into commercially successful solutions.

Responsibilities

• Own product portfolio strategy, profitability, market positioning, and multi-year product roadmaps.
• Identify new market opportunities through customer feedback, competitive research, and industry trends.
• Lead new product development initiatives from concept through commercialization.
• Develop business cases, pricing strategies, and product launch plans.
• Manage portfolio revenue, gross margins, market share, and return on investment.
• Partner with Engineering, Sales, Marketing, Operations, Supply Chain, and Quality.
• Conduct customer visits and gather Voice of Customer (VOC) insights to guide product development.
• Identify cost-reduction opportunities, optimize pricing, and improve product profitability.
• Lead SKU rationalization and portfolio optimization using 80/20 principles.
• Support sales teams with product training, competitive positioning, and technical knowledge.
• Drive strategic initiatives and influence cross-functional teams without direct authority.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Business, Marketing, Supply Chain, or related field.
• 7–10 years of experience in Product Management, Engineering, Business Development, Marketing, or a related industrial manufacturing function.
• Experience with engineered products, pumps, fluid handling, flow control, industrial equipment, or agricultural equipment preferred.
• Proven experience developing business cases and supporting new product launches.
• Strong understanding of product profitability, pricing, margins, and market growth.
• Experience working across Engineering, Sales, Operations, and other manufacturing functions.
• Strong analytical, strategic planning, communication, and leadership skills.
• Ability to translate customer needs into product strategies and actionable business opportunities.
• Comfortable traveling up to 30%.
• Ability to work fully onsite.

Benefits

• Opportunity to own and influence a significant industrial product portfolio.
• Work with established products serving agricultural and industrial markets.
• Lead product innovation, commercialization, and strategic growth initiatives.
• Join a stable, established industrial manufacturing organization.
• Relocation assistance may be considered for highly qualified industry experts.

Pay

$135,000–$145,000 base salary + 15% bonus.

Schedule

Fully onsite in Greenwood, NE. Travel up to 30%.