Product Manager - Plain Bearings

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A career at Timken means you can have an immediate impact doing Work That Matters to the world— improving the efficiency of today's industrial equipment and preparing for the future of motion on our planet and beyond. New employees can start contributing right away, and there are many opportunities to advance your career at your own pace. Join our global team of 19,000 people in 45 countries, and start helping our customers push the limits of what's possible in their world of motion.

Location: Thorofare, New Jersey (United States); Annecy, France (Europe); Sučany, Slovakia (Europe)
Reports To: Manager – Product and Marketing

Position Summary:

The Product Manager - Plain Bearings is responsible for developing and executing product strategies that drive profitable growth, market share expansion, and customer satisfaction across the Plain Bearings product portfolio. This role serves as the key liaison between customers, sales, engineering, operations, and manufacturing to ensure products meet market needs and align with business objectives.

The Product Manager will lead product lifecycle management activities, identify growth opportunities, develop business cases, support new product development initiatives, and drive strategic actions to improve revenue, profitability, and competitive positioning.

Key Responsibilities:

- Product Strategy & Portfolio Management

- Develop and execute product strategies aligned with the Plain Bearings business objectives.

- Manage the full product lifecycle from concept through obsolescence.

- Analyze market trends, customer requirements, competitive activity, and industry developments to identify new business opportunities.

- Develop and maintain product roadmaps and growth plans.

- Recommend product rationalization, cost reduction, and portfolio optimization initiatives.

- Commercial Growth & Profitability

- Drive revenue growth and margin improvement for assigned product lines.

- Monitor product performance, sales trends, pricing, and profitability metrics.

- Develop business cases supporting investments, product enhancements, and market expansion opportunities.

- Partner with Sales and Applications Engineering to support key customer opportunities and strategic account growth.

- Voice of Customer & Market Intelligence

- Gather and translate customer needs into product requirements and business priorities.

- Conduct market research and competitive benchmarking.

- Support customer visits, industry events, trade shows, and technical presentations.

- Identify emerging industry trends and assess potential business impacts.

- Cross-Functional Leadership

- Collaborate with Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality, Supply Chain, and Sales teams to execute product initiatives.

- Lead cross-functional teams supporting new product introductions and portfolio improvements.

- Coordinate product launch activities including pricing, positioning, training, and commercial readiness.

- Ensure alignment between customer requirements and internal capabilities.

- Pricing & Business Management

- Support pricing strategy development and execution.

- Analyze financial performance, market conditions, and competitive dynamics.

- Participate in annual planning, forecasting, and budget processes.

- Develop recommendations for actions to improve market share and profitability.

- Product Development Support

- Partner with Engineering to establish product requirements and priorities.

- Support stage-gate and product development processes.

- Assist in defining product specifications, value propositions, and customer benefits.

- Ensure product offerings align with market demands and strategic initiatives.

Qualifications & Experience:

- Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Business, Marketing or a related field required; Master's degree preferred.

- 5+ years of engineering experience in product management, engineering sales, marketing, or industrial manufacturing environments.

- Experience working with industrial products, bearings, or related engineered products.

- Demonstrated experience leading cross-functional initiatives and influencing stakeholders.

- Strong business and commercial acumen.

- Ability to analyze market opportunities and financial performance.

- Excellent communication, presentation, interpersonal and cross-functional collaboration skills.

- Strong project management and organizational capabilities.

- Experience with product lifecycle management principles.

- Ability to influence without direct authority.

- Proficiency in Microsoft Office and business analytical tools.

- Willingness to travel as required.

Compensation & Benefits (Thorofare, NJ)

- Salary Range: The yearly compensation for this role is commensurate with experience and qualifications.

- Benefits: Comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental, vision, 401(k) with company match, paid time off, tuition reimbursement, and more.

- Other Compensation: Includes participation in a short-term incentive program and wellness incentives.

All qualified applicants shall be treated equally according to their individual qualifications, abilities, experiences and other employment standards. There will be no discrimination due to gender or gender identity, race, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, sexual orientation, veteran/military status or any other basis protected by applicable law.