Product Manager in Monticello, Minnesota at Wiha Tools USA

As a Product Manager at Wiha Tools, you will own the end-to-end lifecycle of professional-grade hand tools, from identifying market opportunities to launching products within the product portfolio. This role blends strategic product management with hands-on product development, requiring both vision and execution.

You will translate user needs, field insights, and market trends into innovative product solutions through structured ideation, generating, evaluating, and refining concepts based on functionality, ergonomics, manufacturability, and cost. You will then guide those concepts through engineering, manufacturing, commercialization, and continuous improvement.

Working cross-functionally with Marketing, Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality, as well as international factory partners you will ensure every product meets Wiha’s standards for quality, safety, ergonomics, durability, and brand integrity.

General Responsibilities

• Identify product opportunities through market research, user observation, competitive analysis, and industry trends
• Define product strategy, positioning, pricing, and roadmap alignment with business objectives
• Translate customer needs and insights into clear product requirements and opportunity briefs
• Lead product development from concept through commercialization
• Conduct mechanical, durability, and performance testing to ensure safety and reliability
• Create detailed product specifications, packaging requirements, and technical documentation
• Partner with manufacturing teams to optimize designs for cost, scalability, and process capability
• Maintain daily communication with factories to manage development timelines, quality, and production readiness
• Evaluate and qualify suppliers based on technical capability and quality systems
• Travel domestically and internationally to improve manufacturability, quality, and delivery
• Develop and execute go-to-market strategies including launch plans and sales enablement
• Support product messaging, sell sheets, merchandising assets, and website content
• Partner with Sales and Marketing to communicate product value and technical differentiators
• Track product performance post-launch and analyze customer feedback
• Drive continuous improvement in product performance, usability, and cost structure
• Ensure product compliance with industry regulations and safety standards

Skills & Qualifications

• Proven ability to bring products from concept to launch with measurable success
• Strategic thinker who can identify gaps and translate them into well-defined product concepts
• Strong mechanical aptitude and hands-on problem-solving ability
• Deep understanding of materials, manufacturing processes, and design trade-offs
• Ability to balance innovation, feasibility, cost, and business impact
• Excellent collaboration and communication skills across cross-functional and global teams
• High standards for accountability, quality, and execution

Education & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, or Industrial Design, Product Design, with strong marketing skills
• 4+ years of experience in product development and/or product management with examples of current products (hand tools preferred or tangible consumer products)
• Working knowledge of material science (steel alloys, heat treatment, coatings, polymers)
• Experience with manufacturing processes (forging, machining, injection molding, assembly)
• Familiarity with product compliance and regulatory standards
• Strong project management skills with the ability to manage multiple timelines

Physical Demands

• Willingness to travel domestically and internationally as required.
• This position is working mainly in an office environment and may require long periods of sitting and working on a computer.
• The ability to lift a minimum of 15 pounds is required.

Benefits Offered

• Medical, dental and vision insurance
• 401(k) matching
• Health savings account
• Flex spending account
• Paid time off
• Company paid life insurance & voluntary life insurance
• Short-term and long-term disability insurance
• Paid holidays
• Employee product discount

Pay: Starting at $85,000 per year - Eligible for bonus program

About Willi Hahn Corporation

Willi Hahn Corporation USA dba Wiha Tools is a wholly owned subsidiary of Wiha Werkzeuge Gmbh Schonach Germany Beginning in 1985, Wiha Tools has developed into the largest subsidiary of Wiha Worldwide. Offering over 3000 products from our Monticello, Minnesota based North American Headquarters, we service all 50 states, Canada, Mexico, Central and South America. www.wihatools.com

About Wiha

Founded in 1939, Wiha is a leading global manufacturer of premium hand tools, application-oriented sets, transport solutions, and digital tools for professional tradespeople and industrial markets. What began as a small family business is now an internationally recognized company with operations around the world, headquartered in Schonach, Germany, and led by the third generation of the Hahn family.

Guided by its motto, “Tools that work for you,” Wiha is known for its commitment to innovation, ergonomic design, safety, and sustainability. The company’s user-focused approach delivers measurable improvements in efficiency, comfort, and performance across a wide range of products, including screwdrivers, torque tools, L-keys, bits, pliers, and measuring tools. Wiha was the first hand tool manufacturer to receive the internationally recognized AGR seal, validating the ergonomic effectiveness of its products.

Wiha’s dedication to quality and innovation has been recognized through numerous international awards, including the TOP 100 Innovation Award, iF Design Award, and Red Dot Award, as well as the Manufacturing Excellence Award (MX Award) as one of Germany’s top-performing SMEs. Today, more than 900 employees worldwide develop, manufacture, and market Wiha’s premium tools, trusted by professionals in electrical, industrial, and trade sectors, as well as retail partners and demanding DIY users.

www.wihatools.com