Business Unit Manager

Position Purpose:

Responsible for serving as the product line leader for the sliders business, managing the product segment in an entrepreneurial environment and directing the coordinated efforts of program management, product development, sales, manufacturing, and related functions. Establishes and executes the product line vision, strategy, product roadmap, financial plans, market growth initiatives, and continuous improvement priorities to strengthen customer value, competitive position, intellectual property, operational readiness, and profitable growth for slider products in the commercial vehicle market.

Essential Functions:

1. Establish the vision, strategy, direction, and measurable objectives for the slider product line, including product positioning, market growth priorities, financial performance expectations, customer value proposition, and long-range product line direction.
2. Direct and coordinate cross-functional product line activities across program management, engineering, new product development, sales, purchasing, manufacturing, manufacturing engineering, quality, finance, supply chain, production facilities, suppliers, and customers.
3. Lead product line operating plan, annual product development plan, product portfolio priorities, and continuous improvement initiatives, including the development of standardized tools, processes, metrics, and governance routines to improve business performance and program execution.
4. Develop and implement annual and long-range business plans with specific actions to achieve revenue growth, profitability, market share, product development, cost, quality, launch, capacity, and operational objectives for the slider product line.
5. Conduct and apply market research to identify customer needs, competitive dynamics, technology trends, product gaps, pricing opportunities, regulatory impacts, and market opportunities that support profitable growth and product line strategy.
6. Represent the voice of the customer and translate customer requirements, application needs, field performance feedback, and commercial opportunities into product definitions, business cases, technology evolution plans, protected intellectual property opportunities, and product development priorities.
7. Lead and oversee current and future slider product development programs, ensuring compliance with financial targets, SPPD deliverables, program timing, launch readiness, quality expectations, customer commitments, and product line objectives.
8. Manage product lifecycle activities, including product positioning, pricing input, product releases, customer notices, changeovers, rationalization, cost reduction, margin improvement, product support, and end-of-life recommendations.
9. Develop, monitor, and communicate key performance indicators across relevant functional areas, including sales, profitability, market share, program execution, launch performance, quality, cost, capacity, customer satisfaction, and strategic initiative progress.
10. Serve as the primary slider product line interface to executive management, field sales, service, customers, suppliers, and internal leadership by preparing and presenting business plans, product strategy, financial performance, market outlook, program status, risks, recommendations, and quarterly progress updates.

Education and Training

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Business, Marketing, Finance, Operations, Program Management, or related discipline required; technical degree and/or MBA preferred.

Minimum Qualifications

• 5–10 years of experience in industrial business, product line management, product line leadership, engineering management, product program management, business development, or related technical business leadership required.
• Demonstrated ability to lead a product segment or complex product portfolio in a matrixed organization, including strategy development, cross-functional alignment, prioritization, execution, and performance management.
• Experience developing business plans, operating plans, product strategies, product roadmaps, financial plans, business cases, budgets, pricing recommendations, market analyses, and executive-level performance updates required.
• Strong commercial, financial, mechanical, and technical aptitude required, including the ability to understand product applications, customer value drivers, competitive differentiation, manufacturing implications, cost structures, pricing dynamics, and technical tradeoffs.
• Thorough understanding of product management, marketing planning, product positioning, life cycle management, pricing, customer communications, promotional planning, and sales enablement preferred.
• Working knowledge of manufacturing processes, planning, logistics, supply chain constraints, quality systems, launch readiness, and operational performance metrics required.
• Entrepreneurial approach to business leadership with the ability to evaluate risk, reward, investment needs, market opportunity, organizational capability, and strategic fit when making recommendations.
• Experience leading or influencing product development, program management, new product launch, change management, continuous improvement, and cross-functional business processes required.
• Excellent presentation, written, and verbal communication skills required, including the ability to communicate strategy, financial performance, customer needs, risks, priorities, and recommendations to executive management, customers, sales, staff, and cross-functional teams.
• Fluent computer skills and ability to effectively use business, financial, presentation, data analysis, and technology applications required.

Physical Demands

• Frequent sitting and computer work for extended periods of time.
• Occasional lifting or handling of lightweight parts, drawings, test materials, or equipment.
• Occasional travel as required to suppliers, customers, production facilities, field trial locations, or other business locations.
• Ability to safely access and observe products, equipment, prototypes, and manufacturing or test activities as needed.

Environmental Conditions

• Primarily office environment with regular computer and desk-based work.
• Occasional exposure to R&D, prototype, test lab, manufacturing, warehouse, supplier, customer, or field trial environments.
• Required use of appropriate personal protective equipment when entering designated manufacturing, test, or customer environments.

Behavioral Traits

• Strategic, entrepreneurial leader with ownership mindset and ability to set direction for a product line in a matrixed organization.
• Results-oriented, commercially focused, and capable of balancing customer needs, financial performance, operational constraints, and long-term strategic priorities.
• Able to manage complex opportunities, negotiate favorable outcomes, influence decisions, and drive alignment across customers, internal stakeholders, and senior leadership.
• Collaborative and credible communicator who is comfortable interfacing with customers, field sales, staff, cross-functional teams, and executive management.
• Assertive, mature, reliable, and proactive with strong judgment, clear communication, and the ability to critically assess business performance and drive continuous improvement.

*This is not a comprehensive list of duties. Duties may change without notice in management’s sole discretion. Hendrickson is an at-will employer, each employee is free to resign at any time, just as Hendrickson is free to terminate employment at any time without cause or notice.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or other characteristics protected by law.