Director of Product Management

Founded in 1983, Kele Inc. is a leading distribution, and solutions partner with national reach and a global presence. Built around our customers and powered by our people, Kele provides millions of in-stock parts from more than 300 brands to drive automation & efficiency in nearly every type of facility, from office towers and factories to data centers and hospitals.

Our goal is to empower progress for maintenance managers, engineers, contractors, and all those building the future. We do this by delivering parts rapidly, providing custom assemblies upstream, and offering unmatched support to ensure projects run smoothly and downtime is minimized.

With 12 locations nationwide and headquarters in Tennessee, Kele combines deep technical expertise, rapid logistics, and a solutions-first mindset to help customers simplify supply chains, meet tight schedules, and deliver high-quality outcomes.

Kele fosters a culture rooted in collaboration, innovation, and customer obsession, empowering associates at every level to contribute, grow, and make a meaningful impact.

We are currently hiring for the role of Director of Product Management.

SUMMARY Leads Kele's Product Management function and is accountable for building and managing a profitable, differentiated portfolio of BAS and HVAC-control products. The Director establishes the product-management operating system across category strategy, supplier-product alignment, product lifecycle, NPI and private label, supplier contract governance, pricing and margin health, product-data quality, and sales/customer enablement. Working closely with Sales, Marketing, Supply Chain, Finance, Operations, Technical Support, and suppliers, the Director ensures Kele offers the right products, from the right suppliers, at the right price, with reliable availability, accurate product data, and clear customer value.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Lead the development and execution of Kele's multi-year product and category strategy, including growth priorities, portfolio differentiation, market positioning, supplier strategy, and investment priorities.

Establish category scorecards and hold Product Managers accountable for revenue, gross-margin dollars and rate, price realization, working-capital performance, inventory productivity, lifecycle actions, NPI results, and supplier performance.

Lead a disciplined NPI and private-label stage-gate process from market need and concept validation through business case, sourcing, technical validation, commercialization, adoption, and post-launch review.

Identify category gaps, customer needs, regulatory changes, competitive moves, and emerging BAS/HVAC technologies that create opportunities or risk for Kele.

Direct portfolio lifecycle management, including assortment architecture, make/buy/partner decisions, SKU rationalization, product quality improvement, substitution planning, obsolescence, and exit decisions.

Own strategic supplier segmentation and supplier-product alignment; develop executive relationships with key suppliers, private-label manufacturers, and technology partners.

Partner with Supply Chain, Finance, and Legal to manage supplier contract and commercial-term governance, including cost, payment terms, rebates, returns, warranty/quality, exclusivity, co-marketing, data obligations, change notices, and supply-continuity expectations.

Own product-pricing and margin governance, including pricing architecture, competitive benchmarking, margin guardrails, approval authority, exception management, and regular pricing reviews. Ensure pricing decisions are separated from system execution and supported by market and financial data.

Partner with Supply Chain on demand and inventory strategy, supplier continuity, alternate-source plans, lead times, stocking policies, and excess/obsolete inventory while preserving clear ownership of purchasing and inventory execution within Supply Chain.

Establish product-data governance, minimum data standards, data-quality measures, change-control requirements, and service levels so product data supports e-commerce, customer selection, operational execution, and scalable growth.

Lead Product Management operating cadence, including weekly priorities, monthly category reviews, NPI/private-label stage gates, quarterly strategic supplier reviews, portfolio/pricing reviews, and annual strategy refresh.

Ensure Sales, Customer Care, Marketing, Technical Support, and Operations receive clear product positioning, value propositions,…