Senior Director, Product Management - Water AMI - Solon, OH

Job Overview

The Senior Director, Product Management – Water AMI is responsible for providing strategic product leadership, product vision, and commercial direction for Aclara’s Water Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) portfolio. This role owns the strategic direction and execution of the Water AMI portfolio, including smart water meters, AMI communications, network infrastructure, software-enabled solutions, sensors, data and analytics, and emerging technologies that enable water utilities to improve operational efficiency, reduce non-revenue water, enhance leak detection, and improve customer engagement. The ideal candidate understands the technology landscape, water utility needs, competitive dynamics, and evolving smart water trends, and can translate these insights into a compelling product strategy and multi-year roadmap.

The Senior Director serves as a key voice of the customer and works closely with Engineering, Sales, Marketing, Operations, Software, and Professional Services to bring new products and capabilities to market. The role also identifies opportunities in adjacent markets, emerging technologies, strategic partnerships, and potential acquisitions that can expand Aclara’s Water AMI portfolio and value proposition. This is a senior individual-contributor role with significant cross-functional influence and executive visibility.

Responsibilities

Product & Portfolio Strategy

- Develop and communicate a comprehensive Water AMI product strategy aligned with Aclara’s business objectives.

- Own product vision spanning smart meters, AMI communications, sensors, software, analytics, and related services.

- Develop and maintain a multi-year product roadmap balancing customer requirements, technology trends, competitive positioning, financial objectives, and organizational capabilities.

- Manage the product lifecycle, including modernization, expansion, rationalization, and new product development.

- Identify emerging technologies and market opportunities that can strengthen Aclara’s Water AMI portfolio.

- Develop product business cases and investment recommendations for senior leadership.

Customer & Market Leadership

- Serve as a senior product-management representative with water utility executives, customers, consultants, industry organizations, and strategic partners.

- Develop a deep understanding of utility challenges, including non-revenue water, meter replacement, workforce constraints, operational efficiency, aging infrastructure, and customer engagement.

- Engage directly with customers to identify unmet needs and validate product concepts, roadmaps, and value propositions.

- Monitor market trends, regulatory developments, technology changes, and competitive activity.

- Represent Aclara at water conferences, customer meetings, and strategic industry events.

- Serve as an internal voice of the customer, translating market requirements into product priorities.

Innovation & New Product Development

- Lead the identification, prioritization, and development of new Water AMI products and capabilities.

- Leverage data, analytics, sensors, and software to increase the value of Aclara’s installed AMI base.

- Establish disciplined product-development processes incorporating customer validation and market feedback.

- Evaluate emerging technologies for inclusion in the product roadmap.

- Balance innovation, speed to market, quality, cost, and long-term profitability.

- Lead product concept development, business-case analysis, and stage-gate processes for strategic initiatives.

Growth & Business Development

- Identify organic growth opportunities within Water AMI and adjacent smart water markets.

- Develop business cases for new products, technologies, partnerships, and strategic initiatives.

- Identify and evaluate strategic partnership and acquisition opportunities to increase penetration within existing and new utility accounts.

- Expand Aclara’s value proposition beyond hardware and communications into software, analytics, leak detection, and other value-added solutions.

- Monitor competitive offerings and recommend strategic actions.

Cross-Functional Product Leadership

- Lead complex cross-functional product initiatives through influence rather than direct authority.

- Partner with Engineering, Sales, Marketing, Operations, Finance, Software, and Professional Services.

- Align stakeholders around product priorities, investments, roadmaps, and success metrics.

- Drive accountability for milestones and commercial objectives across functional teams.

- Facilitate product reviews, roadmap discussions, customer feedback sessions, and strategic planning.

- Resolve competing priorities using customer needs, market data, financial analysis, and strategic objectives.

- Communicate product strategy, recommendations, and investment priorities to senior leadership.

What will help you thrive in this role?

- Speak with enthusiasm and clarity about Water AMI business strategy and vision.

- Build strong relationships with utility executives and understand their operational and financial priorities.

- Demonstrate strong commercial and operational judgment.

- Continuously refine knowledge of market trends, competitive dynamics, technology, and emerging opportunities and threats.

- Operate comfortably in ambiguity and rapidly changing technology environments.

- Use customer insights and market data to inform product investment decisions.

- Influence cross-functional teams without formal authority.

- Communicate effectively with engineers and sales teams as well as utility executives and senior leadership.

- Balance near-term customer needs with long-term portfolio strategy.

- Take ownership of portfolio performance and strategic outcomes.

- Align stakeholders around complex product and investment decisions.

- Understand the intersection of utility operations, technology, customer value, and financial performance.

- Demonstrate curiosity and strategic thinking beyond traditional AMI solutions.

Qualifications

Required

- Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Business, Computer Science, or a related field.

- 10+ years of progressive experience in product management, product development, business leadership, or a related commercial or technical function.

- Significant experience in water utilities, AMI, smart metering, utility technology, or related infrastructure.

- Demonstrated experience developing and executing product strategy and multi-year product roadmaps.

- Experience leading complex cross-functional initiatives without direct authority.

- Strong commercial and financial acumen.

- Experience working directly with senior customers and executive stakeholders.

- Experience taking products from concept through commercialization and lifecycle management.

- Strong communication, presentation, analytical, and strategic-thinking skills.

Preferred

- Experience with Water AMI or smart water solutions.

- Knowledge of smart water meters, RF, mesh, cellular, head-end systems, meter data, analytics, and utility software.

- Experience with acoustic leak detection or water-loss management technologies.

- Experience with SaaS, analytics, AI/ML, or software-enabled utility solutions.

- MBA or advanced technical degree.

- Experience with M&A, strategic partnerships, or new business development.

- Established relationships with water utilities, consultants, technology providers, or industry organizations.

- Experience with AWWA, SWAN, or smart water industry initiatives.

Hubbell Incorporated

Hubbell creates critical infrastructure solutions that power our customers, communities, people and the planet. Our company is strategically aligned around enabling grid modernization and electrification. As more products plug in to an aging grid, Hubbell solutions enable the transition to a more reliable, resilient and efficient energy infrastructure. Founded in 1888 our innovation has made us a leading global manufacturer of high quality electrical and utility solutions enabling customers to operate critical infrastructure reliably and efficiently.

The company operates in two segments. Hubbell Utility Solutions (HUS) enable the grid to conduct, communicate and control energy across utility applications and Hubbell Electrical Solutions (HES) are essential to managing power across a wide range of industries and applications. Our vertical market solutions can be applied to markets including Data Centers, Renewables, Commercial Buildings, Industrial, Telecom and Transportation. Supporting both of our business segments is our corporate and Hubbell Unified Business Solutions teams that provide consistent process, tools technologies across our businesses.

We are committed to operating sustainably and ethically while promoting an inclusive and supportive culture for our people to grow and develop in their careers. Our employees proudly work and serve our communities from our headquarters in Shelton, CT, across the United States and around the globe.

Hubbell Utility Solutions

Hubbell Utility Solutions (HUS) enable the grid to conduct, communicate and control energy across utility applications. HUS provides the critical components that allow the grid to reliably transmit and distribute energy, as well as the communications and controls technologies to make the grid smarter and more flexible.

Hubbell Incorporated, its subsidiaries and affiliates, is an EO Employer AA: M/F/Veteran/Disability. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or any other protected class.

The above summary of position responsibilities and requirements is not intended, and should not be construed, to be an exhaustive list of duties, skills, efforts, physical requirements, or working conditions associated with the position. It is intended to be an accurate reflection of those principal position elements essential for making decisions related to position performance, employee development, and compensation.