Product Manager - Dampers

Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) employer. The Company provides equal employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, protected veteran or disabled status, or genetic information.

Director, Product Group

The Product Manager 2‑3, Dampers is accountable for driving the overall performance, strategy, and lifecycle management of the North American Dampers product portfolio. This role guides a cross‑functional team (indirect) while owning portfolio‑level decisions spanning growth, profitability, product roadmap, investment prioritization, and end‑of‑life management. The position balances customer requirements, market trends, engineering capacity, manufacturing capability, and financial performance across OE and Aftermarket channels.

• Manage and implement the Damper product portfolio strategy, including ideation, development, and end‑of‑life.
• Drive Damper profitability through cost reduction programs, growth, and pricing initiatives via improved plant operating performance.
• Work with the Product Group director to develop Strategic Planning (STRAP), Mid‑Term Operating Plan (MOP), and Risk/Opportunity outputs for the assigned product lines, present them to Business Unit leadership, and deliver results.
• Develop and mentor others, and regularly engage with peers across Product Groups to evaluate best practices and propose continuous improvement efforts.
• Lead multifunctional integrated program teams, building strong interfaces with external customers and OE/AM sales.
• Manage Excess & Obsolescence (E&O), warranty investigation, customer Request for Quote (RFQ), and Sales Planning for the assigned portfolio.
• Lead new production introductions, change management, and ongoing C&S of the current business.
• Engage with global R&D teams and Product Owners to provide input to the product backlog, ensuring robustness of business cases across SG&A, R&D resources, capital needs, and global impacts.
• Provide periodic presentations to executive management on the business status of the product portfolio, including key project updates.
• Build and lead relationships with key supplier partners, collaborating with GPE on critical contract negotiations, milestone planning, financial arrangements, and long‑term strategies, while leading supplier meetings to track and resolve open items.
• Build strong relationships and influence with customers and suppliers to drive profitability and sustainability of the assigned product portfolio.
• Monitor the market and define the company’s short, mid, and long‑term strategy for the portfolio, including new business cases, customers, markets, and potential M&A.

• Strong understanding of Bendix systems: electrical, safety systems, and air brake systems.
• Strong technical knowledge of system components and their impact on overall vehicle performance.
• Intermediate knowledge of design and/or manufacturing processes used to produce system components.
• Demonstrated strategic planning skills.
• Knowledge in authorizing and developing business cases and financial P&L elements.
• Intermediate understanding of the trucking industry, its customers, manufacturers, associations, and regulatory issues.

• Excellent strategic and visionary thinking skills.
• Ability to prioritize time, resources, targets, and goals.
• Ability to work with international teams and adapt to diversity and challenges of local and global working teams.
• Ability to understand complex problems and develop effective solutions.
• Ability to innovate, develop, and execute against all product initiatives.
• Strong analytical and research capabilities to evaluate categorical opportunities and challenges and uncover new consumer insights.
• Excellent understanding and embracing of the importance of communication and its role relative to the consumer.
• Ability to have a proficient understanding of the consumer and competitive dynamics of the brand.
• Excellent business management and negotiation skills.
• Strong interpersonal, written, and oral communication skills in a…