Director Product Management

Woodward is committed to creating a great workplace for all team members. Our company and its members are committed to acting with integrity, being respectful and accountable to one another, and staying humble and driven, while maintaining the highest professional and ethical standards.

We are steadfastly committed to attracting the best talent across our communities creating a rewarding workplace. Together we are fulfilling our purpose to design and deliver energy control solutions our partners count on to power a clean future.

Woodward supports our members’ wellbeing and regularly benchmarks with other companies in our industry to offer an extensive Total Reward package for this position. Salary will be determined by the applicant's education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities, as well as internal equity and alignment with market data. 

• Estimated annual base pay:  $186,400 (minimum) - $233,000 (midpoint) - $279,600 (maximum)
• Long-term incentive compensation in the form of equity

• All members included in annual cash bonus opportunity. 
  • 401(k) match (4.5%)
  • Annual Woodward stock contribution (5%)
  • Tuition reimbursement and Training/Professional Development opportunities for all members  
• 12 paid holidays, including floating holidays. 
• Industry leading medical, dental, and vision Insurance upon date of hire

• Vacation / Sick Time / Vacation Buy-up / Short Term Disability / Bereavement leave. 
• Paid parental leave.
• Adoption Assistance  
• Employee Assistance Program, including mental health benefits. 
• Member Life & AD&D / Long Term Disability / Member Optional Life 
• Member referral bonus 

• Spouse / Child Optional Life / Optional AD&D / Healthcare and Dependent Care Flexible             Spending 
• Voluntary benefits, including:  

• Home / Auto Insurance discounts 
• Whole Life Insurance / Critical Illness Insurance / Legal Assistance / Military Leave 

 Are you ready to make your mark? If you’re a Product Management Leader, we have an exciting opportunity for you. 

The Product Management Director is responsible for leading the product management team and driving the strategic vision, development, and lifecycle of the company's products. This role involves collaborating across departments, understanding customer needs, analyzing market trends, and ensuring products meet business objectives. The Product Management Director plays a critical role in shaping the company's competitive position and delivering exceptional value to customers
The Product Management Director will lead the strategic and tactical oversight of product strategy and lifecycle management to ensure the success of products in the marketplace and on the company’s income statement. This leadership role is critical to establishing and maintaining the product management discipline within the organization, driving margin expansion goals, improving cross-functional communication, and ensuring alignment with corporate objectives.

The Product Management Director will be responsible for leading Product Focus Teams, chairing product lifecycle management initiatives, and serving as the P&L advocate for product lines. This role requires a collaborative, disciplined, and forward-thinking approach to managing product health and wealth, ensuring all aspects of product strategy align with customer needs and organizational financial targets.

What You Will Be Doing 

Product Lifecycle Management:

• Collaborate with marketing and engineering to develop comprehensive product and technology roadmaps, MGPPs (Multi-Generation Product Plans), and strategies for upgrades, services growth, and pricing.
• Own product offering decisions, including product launches, authority to offer (ATO), superseding, phase-out, sunsetting, and removal of obsolete products.
• Oversee OEM and service products, repairs, spares, kits, catalogues, marketing collateral, and documentation.
• Approve product pricing in collaboration with marketing and sales; establish lead times with operations and sourcing.
• Set quality standards, corrective action levels, and budgets for engineering efforts to improve product reliability, quality, and first-pass yield.
• Ensure field support, corrective actions, and containment plans for reliability issues.
• Define New Product Introduction (NPI) project decks aligned with budgets, capacity impacts, and market strategies to achieve target pricing and business plan objectives.

Corporate Business Cycle Cadence:

• Establish orders and sales targets for the annual profit plan (AOP) and 1+3 plan, using market demand forecasts (e.g., aircraft build rates, engine shop visit rates, industrial OEM build rates).
• Set product cost targets and strategies, including deflation targets, Material Cost Productivity (MCP) project decks, and labor productivity budgets.
• Develop and refresh product roadmaps and competitive positioning by segment, channel, and customer scope, ensuring alignment with strategic planning cycles.
• Identify and resolve margin discrepancies and resource inefficiencies that may offset attractive CM1 performance.

Management of Product Line:

• Chair weekly Product Focus Team meetings to address production, margin, and customer issues, while driving progress on lifecycle topics and corporate business cycle priorities.
• Serve as the escalation point for functional challenges and P&L-related targets, facilitating resolution through cross-functional collaboration.
• Advocate for volume demand in Sales, Inventory, and Operations Planning (SIOP) processes, ensuring accurate forecasting and alignment with business needs.
• Chair Product Change Control Board (PCB) for Class 1 product configuration changes, validating engineering, production, supplier, and tooling impacts and ensuring seamless product transitions.

Leadership and Collaboration:

• Foster cross-functional alignment among marketing, sales, engineering, quality, sourcing, operations, and customer service teams to optimize resource allocation and achieve business goals.
• Drive continuous communication and priority setting across departments, enhancing decision-making speed and quality.
• Provide mentorship and development opportunities for product management teams, cultivating future P&L leaders within the organization.

What We Are Looking For 

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Business, Engineering, or related field required; MBA or advanced degree preferred.
• Experience: Qualified candidates typically have 8+ years of product management experience with increasing levels of responsibility; prior leadership roles preferred.
• Proven track record in managing product lifecycles, strategic planning, and delivering financial results.
• Strong understanding of product development, engineering, manufacturing, and quality assurance processes.
• Experience in cross-functional team leadership and collaboration in matrixed organizations.
• Familiarity with SIOP processes and corporate business cycles preferred.

Skills:

• Exceptional analytical and strategic thinking abilities.
• Strong P&L management and financial acumen.
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to lead through influence and drive cross-functional alignment.
• Proficiency in project management and change control processes.

Competencies:

• Customer-focused mindset with a commitment to delivering high-quality products and services.
• Results-oriented approach with the ability to balance short-term problem-solving with long-term strategy development.
• Adaptable and resilient in dynamic business environments.
• Strong leadership and team-building capabilities.

This position requires use of information which is subject to the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and/or the Export Administration Regulations (EAR).   All applicants must be U.S. Persons within the meaning of the ITAR and EAR, or eligible to obtain all required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State and/or the U.S. Department of Commerce. The ITAR defines a U.S. Person as a U.S. citizen or national, lawful permanent resident (i.e., 'Green Card holder'), or a protected person (e.g., asylee, or refugee).