Sr. Director, Product Management

The Senior Director of Product Management for the Specialty Vehicle segment leads the strategic direction, platform development, and lifecycle management of the ambulance and fire apparatus product lines. In this role, you will oversee a team of product managers and collaborate closely with engineering, operations, supply chain, sales, and executive leadership to build world-class, mission-critical vehicles. You’ll be responsible for defining and executing a cohesive product vision that prioritizes modularity, standardization, cost control, and responsiveness to evolving customer and regulatory needs.Key Responsibilities:Product & Platform StrategyDefine and lead the overarching product and platform strategy for modular fire apparatus and ambulances.Build and maintain a configurable product architecture that balances customization with manufacturing scalability.Own the multi-year product roadmap across all vehicle platforms, ensuring alignment with business goals, plant capabilities, and customer needs.Leadership & Team DevelopmentLead and mentor a team of product managers.Foster a culture of innovation, customer focus, and continuous improvement within the product organization.Manufacturing & Engineering IntegrationDrive design-for-manufacturing (DFM), platform modularity, and lean product design principles across the organization.Partner with operations and engineering leaders to streamline product architectures for build efficiency and quality.Customer & Market InsightIn conjunction with sales, serve as a key voice of the customer—gathering feedback from fire departments, EMS agencies, dealers, and industry events.Monitor market trends, technology developments, and competitor offerings to identify innovation opportunities.Business PerformanceOwn product profitability: define targets, monitor performance (cost, margin, volume), and lead improvement efforts.Standardize product configuration and BOM structures to optimize inventory, reduce variation, and lower build times.Align product lifecycle management with warranty data, service feedback, and total cost of ownership.Compliance & RiskEnsure compliance with all relevant regulatory standards (NFPA, KKK, SAE, CAAS, FMVSS, etc.).Manage product risk and obsolescence planning, working with supply chain and engineering.Qualifications:Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Product Design, Industrial Management, or related field (Master’s or MBA strongly preferred).8–15+ years of experience in product management, including 5+ years in a leadership role within manufacturing or complex vehicle systems.Proven track record of managing modular product platforms in a high-mix, low-volume manufacturing environment.Deep understanding of emergency vehicle design (fire apparatus and/or ambulances) and related standards and compliance.Strong business acumen and experience in P&L responsibility or product-level financial management.Exceptional leadership, communication, and cross-functional collaboration skills.Experience with PLM/ERP systems, configuration tools (CPQ), and BOM management at a system level.Preferred Experience:Background in chassis integration, upfitting, or specialty vehicle manufacturing.Experience leading product teams through major redesigns or platform transitions.Familiarity with Lean, Six Sigma, or value stream mapping methodologiesThe pay scale for newly hired employees in this position at this location in California is between $147,000 - $250,000 and in New York is $147,000 - $250,000. This is based on meeting all of the requirements of the role. The base pay offered for the role may vary depending on the candidate’s job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. We are proud to offer competitive benefits in addition to competitive pay. Our pay for performance philosophy allows top performers to earn more based on their continued success.This information applies to roles covered by New York and California's State’s pay transparency law. Base pay information is based on market location and may differ in other locations.