Photonic Instrumentation Product Line Manager

At Thorlabs, we design and manufacture components, instruments, and systems that transform the world by identifying, enabling, and accelerating key photonics (i.e., light-based) technologies. Backed by a dedicated workforce of more than 3,000 employees worldwide, Thorlabscontributes to cutting-edge research and real-world innovation.

Whether you're early in your career or bringing years of experience, you'll find opportunities to grow, take ownership, and make meaningful contributions from day one. We know every employee brings unique talents and perspectives that fuel our success, and we seek driven individuals who are excited to make an impact in a fun, fast-moving culture.

The Photonic Instrumentation Product Line Manager (PLM) is a member of the Office of the CTO (OCTO) and is accountable for driving the commercial success and the strategic direction and alignment of Thorlabs  Photonic Instrumentation portfolio. The portfolio encompasses benchtop photonic, electronic, and opto-electronic instruments. These instruments are used as test and measurement equipment, instrumentation, and control electronics supporting multiple markets including, but not limited to, commercial and university basic research, quantum optics, spectroscopy, and datacom-telecom.

The product line will be developed and produced across multiple Business Units (BUs) and legal entities globally. The PLM owns the definition and execution of product roadmaps, go-to-market strategies, and portfolio optimization initiatives.

The PLM works closely with engineering, manufacturing, marketing, sales, and executive leadership to identify growth opportunities, strengthen product positioning, and expand both catalog and OEM/custom business.

Success in this role depends on the ability to combine technical credibility, commercial insight, and cross-functional leadership to align multiple organizations behind a common product strategy and successfully execute it.

• Own and actively steer the Benchtop Instrumentation portfolio across participating BUs, ensuring alignment with corporate strategy and market requirements.
• Define, prioritize, and drive and govern roadmap execution, including new product development, product lifecycle management, and rationalization of underperforming offerings.
• Maintain a comprehensive understanding of market segmentation, competitive positioning, and Thorlabs  relative strengths.
• Lead market analysis efforts to identify trends, adjacencies, and whitespace opportunities, translating insights into actionable portfolio decisions.
• Drive initiatives to increase market share and wallet share within key accounts in close collaboration with Sales and Applications teams.
• Originate and lead strategic OEM and custom solution opportunities, coordinating efforts between customers and internal engineering/manufacturing teams.
• Cross-Functional Alignment & Execution
• Act as the central decision-making and coordination point across BUs for the assigned portfolio, ensuring alignment on priorities, timelines, and resource allocation.
• Partner with Marketing and Tech Marketing to define and enforce high-quality, consistent digital content, specifications, and application positioning.
• Shape and guide a coherent tradeshow and business development strategy for the portfolio.
• NPI Governance & Delivery
• Play a leading role in the New Product Introduction (NPI) process, including concept approval, prioritization, and design validation.
• Hold teams accountable to agreed development timelines, milestones, and deliverables.
• Ensure that new product introductions are aligned with portfolio strategy and commercial objectives.
• Performance Management & Accountability
• Define, monitor, and report on key portfolio KPIs, including:
• New product introduction timelines
• R&D investment allocation and effectiveness
• Revenue growth and gross margin performance
• Take corrective actions where performance deviates from plan, including reprioritization of projects and resource reallocation.

Experience:

• 8+ years of experience in photonics, opto-electrical, or optical instrumentation, or a related high-technology industry.
• Demonstrated experience in product management, product line management, systems engineering, applications engineering, business development, or a comparable cross-functional leadership role.
• Strong understanding of photonic instrumentation markets, particularly research instrumentation, test & measurement, and quantum/AMO laboratory environments.
• Experience with sales, marketing, use or integration of both photonic and electronic test equipment, familiarity with automation and/or system integration preferred.
• Experience working with cross-functional teams spanning engineering, manufacturing, sales, marketing, and operations.
• Demonstrated ability to influence and lead without direct organizational authority.
• Proven ability to build consensus across multiple organizations while maintaining focus on business objectives.
• Strong decision-making skills with the ability to…