What are the responsibilities and job description for the Director of Product Management position at Kratos Industries, LLC?
Description
Director of Product Management
The Director of Product Management is responsible for shaping Kratos’ product direction by translating the voice of the customer into manufacturable, scalable, and market-relevant switchgear solutions. This role sits at the intersection of customer engagement, technical expertise, and product strategy—serving as the primary driver of product vision across the entire Kratos Industries product portfolio.
This leader brings deep switchgear domain expertise and credibility into customer conversations, identifies unmet needs and emerging requirements, and converts those insights into product concepts that engineering and operations can execute. While this role does not directly manage engineering resources, it is a primary customer and champion for R&D efforts within Engineering, ensuring that new and refined offerings are technically sound, commercially viable, and aligned with Kratos’ long-range growth objectives.
Key Responsibilities
Director of Product Management
The Director of Product Management is responsible for shaping Kratos’ product direction by translating the voice of the customer into manufacturable, scalable, and market-relevant switchgear solutions. This role sits at the intersection of customer engagement, technical expertise, and product strategy—serving as the primary driver of product vision across the entire Kratos Industries product portfolio.
This leader brings deep switchgear domain expertise and credibility into customer conversations, identifies unmet needs and emerging requirements, and converts those insights into product concepts that engineering and operations can execute. While this role does not directly manage engineering resources, it is a primary customer and champion for R&D efforts within Engineering, ensuring that new and refined offerings are technically sound, commercially viable, and aligned with Kratos’ long-range growth objectives.
Key Responsibilities
- Serve as the senior technical and product representative in customer and sales engagements, supporting complex pursuits, troubleshooting challenges, and solution development where standard offerings do not exist
- Translate customer requirements, operational constraints, and market signals into clear product concepts, design intent, and prioritization for Engineering and Operations
- Own product vision and roadmap for assigned products or portfolios, including Medium Voltage and Field Services, with responsibility expanding as the product organization scales
- Champion manufacturable design principles, ensuring product concepts can be reliably built, supported, and, where appropriate, standardized and repeatable
- Act as the primary interface between customers, Sales, Engineering, and Operations for Product definition, trade-offs, and feasibility decisions
- Identify opportunities to refine custom solutions into repeatable offerings that enhance speed, quality, and market reputation
- Influence R&D direction by defining customer-driven priorities, validating concepts, and providing ongoing feedback throughout development cycles
- Build and lead a small, high-impact product team over time, including future Product Managers aligned to specific products or portfolios
- Maintain deep awareness of industry standards, evolving customer expectations, and competitive dynamics within the switchgear market
- 10 years of experience in low- and/or medium-voltage switchgear, power distribution, or closely related electrical infrastructure domains
- Proven background as a technical authority, sales engineer, subject matter expert, or product leader in highly custom engineered-to-order environments
- Strong ability to bridge customer needs, engineering realities, and manufacturing constraints
- Demonstrated success influencing cross-functional teams without direct authority
- Exceptional communication skills and credibility with customers, engineers, and executive leadership
- Experience supporting or leading new product development, product refinement, or portfolio strategy in complex industrial settings
- Customers view Kratos as a trusted problem-solver and technical partner—not just a manufacturer
- Engineering teams receive clear, prioritized, and actionable product direction rooted in real customer needs
- New and refined offerings improve manufacturability, consistency, and market adoption over time
- Kratos’ product portfolio evolves deliberately, supporting both custom excellence and scalable growth