Product Manager - CNC in Bellingham, Washington at Grizzly Industrial Inc

Grizzly Industrial is seeking an experienced CNC Product Manager to lead the strategy, development, and long-term growth of our CNC product portfolio. This role is responsible for the complete product lifecycle, from identifying market opportunities and defining product requirements to launching products and managing their ongoing performance.

The ideal candidate combines hands-on CNC machining experience with strong product management and commercial skills. They understand CNC equipment, software, tooling, and customer workflows, while also possessing the ability to translate market insights into successful products and business strategies.

As the business owner for the CNC category, this individual will serve as the Voice of the Customer, develop long-term product roadmaps, identify opportunities for innovation and portfolio expansion, and work cross-functionally with Engineering, Industrial Design, Sourcing, Quality, Sales, Marketing, Training, Service, and Operations to deliver industry-leading products.

Job Responsibilities:

Product Strategy & Portfolio Management

• Own the overall strategy and long-term vision for Grizzly's CNC product portfolio.
• Develop and maintain a multi-year product roadmap aligned with customer needs and company objectives.
• Manage the complete product lifecycle, including new product development, product updates, product rationalization, and end-of-life planning.
• Identify adjacent product opportunities, accessories, software, tooling, automation, and services that increase customer value and revenue.
• Build business cases for new products using market research, customer feedback, competitive analysis, and financial data.

Voice of Customer & Market Intelligence

• Serve as the internal Voice of the Customer throughout the product development process.
• Conduct customer interviews, shop visits, dealer visits, trade show research, and market analysis to identify unmet customer needs.
• Monitor industry trends, emerging technologies, competitive products, and market opportunities.
• Translate customer problems into product requirements and innovative solutions.
• Develop customer personas and define value propositions for target markets.

Product Development

• Lead cross-functional product development projects from concept through launch.
• Define product requirements, specifications, and feature priorities.
• Collaborate with Engineering, Industrial Design, Sourcing, and Quality to deliver products that meet performance, cost, quality, and schedule objectives.
• Balance customer needs, manufacturing capabilities, cost targets, and business objectives throughout development.
• Validate prototypes and participate in product testing to ensure customer expectations are met.

Go-to-Market Leadership

• Develop and execute launch strategies for new CNC products.
• Partner with Marketing to define product positioning, messaging, promotional campaigns, digital content, catalogs, videos, and training materials.
• Support Sales with competitive positioning, product training, demonstrations, and technical expertise.
• Ensure successful product launches across all sales channels.

Business Performance

• Manage the commercial performance of the CNC category.
• Monitor sales, margins, inventory performance, market share, and product profitability.
• Recommend pricing strategies based on customer value, competitive positioning, and financial objectives.
• Identify opportunities to improve profitability through product improvements, sourcing initiatives, and portfolio optimization.

Accessories, Services & Ecosystem Development

• Develop strategies to increase attachment rates for tooling, accessories, software, dust collection, workholding, measuring equipment, and consumables.
• Identify opportunities to expand service offerings, training, and aftermarket revenue.
• Build complete customer solutions rather than individual products.

Cross-Functional Leadership

• Collaborate with Engineering, Quality, Sourcing, Supply Chain, Marketing, Sales, Service, and Training throughout the product lifecycle.
• Build strong supplier relationships and participate in factory visits and product reviews.
• Represent the CNC category during trade shows, customer visits, vendor meetings, and industry events.
• Travel domestically and internationally as required.

Job Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Business, or a related field, or equivalent industry experience.
• 5+ years of product management, engineering, product development, or technical leadership experience within the CNC or machine tool industry.
• Hands-on experience programming, operating, or troubleshooting CNC machinery.
• Strong understanding of CNC machining processes, G-code, CAM software, machine construction, tooling, workholding, and manufacturing workflows.
• Experience leading new product development from concept through commercialization.
• Demonstrated success developing product roadmaps and managing product portfolios.
• Experience developing go-to-market strategies and supporting successful product launches.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to evaluate market opportunities and business performance.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills.
• Ability to influence cross-functional teams without direct authority.
• Willingness to travel domestically and internationally.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in woodworking CNC equipment.
• Knowledge of CNC controllers and CAD/CAM software.
• Experience working with overseas manufacturers and global sourcing.
• Familiarity with e-commerce and direct-to-consumer product strategies.

About Our Company:

Since our inception in 1983, Grizzly Industrial, Inc. (www.grizzly.com) has become one of the USA’s largest providers of woodworking and metalworking machinery, tools and related accessories, with almost a million square feet of warehouse space in two states. Grizzly products can be found in all sizes of shops, from the large industrial production users, to the smaller cabinet and machine shops.

We provide high-quality products at the lowest possible prices through strong internet and catalog presence. Grizzly was the first tool and machinery company to have a website over two decades ago.

Our Culture:

As a company, we value a strong work ethic and promote a corporate structure that is professional, collaborative, and organized. We place a strong value on respect, ethics and integrity and promote a positive, cooperative and fast-paced environment.

As an organization we focus on getting results, and in order to achieve results we remain focused on teamwork, maintaining high standards, and taking complete ownership of our work.

Compensation and Benefits:

For a complete summary of our current benefit offerings please go to: https://support.grizzly.com/hc/en-us/articles/4404709035415-Employment-Opportunities

Grizzly is a drug-free and equal employment opportunity employer.

To learn more about our company’s products and history, visit our website at www.grizzly.com.