The Product Strategy & Commercialization Manager is responsible for identifying market opportunities, translating customer and field insight into product requirements, leading new product development projects, and managing product lifecycle strategy for an assigned Flex-Tek business. This role bridges sales, engineering, operations, quality, and executive leadership to ensure technologies are placed in the right applications and converted into profitable, scalable product platforms.The position will be hired for two business contexts: Gastite, focused on plumbing, HVAC, tubing, fittings, and engineered connection systems; and HVAC Air Distribution, focused on Royal Metal Products, Thermaflex, sheet metal components, flexible ducting, and adjacent HVAC air movement applications.Primary Purpose of the RoleOwn and advance product strategy, portfolio priorities, and lifecycle decisions for the assigned business.Lead cross-functional new product development and commercialization projects from concept through launch.Identify new applications for existing technologies, manufacturing capabilities, and product platforms.Create a disciplined field-to-engineering-to-sales communication loop that converts customer feedback into actionable product requirements.Feed validated market and technology insights into long-term business strategy, roadmap planning, and innovation priorities.Key Responsibilities1. Product Strategy and Portfolio ManagementDevelop and maintain product roadmaps aligned with business-unit growth objectives and Flex-Tek strategy.Manage assigned products through lifecycle stages including concept, launch, growth, margin optimization, refresh, and end-of-life.Assess portfolio gaps, market trends, competitive offerings, technology shifts, code changes, and customer pain points.Support pricing, positioning, channel strategy, margin improvement, product rationalization, and investment prioritization.Create business cases for new products, product extensions, and technology-driven growth opportunities.2. New Product Development Project LeadershipLead cross-functional NPD projects from opportunity definition through commercialization and launch handoff.Define project scope, customer requirements, target economics, launch criteria, risks, timing, and success metrics.Coordinate engineering, sales, marketing, operations, sourcing, quality, manufacturing, and finance stakeholders.Facilitate stage-gate or equivalent project reviews and ensure decisions are documented and action-oriented.Drive launch readiness, field validation, training content, sales enablement, and post-launch performance tracking.3. Technology Commercialization and Application DevelopmentIdentify new applications where existing manufacturing capabilities, product platforms, or technologies can solve customer problems.Translate technical capabilities into commercial value propositions and market-entry plans.Partner with engineering and operations to evaluate feasibility, manufacturability, compliance, risk, and cost position.Build early opportunity funnels and screen concepts based on market size, differentiation, margin potential, channel fit, and execution complexity.Support strategic make/buy/partner recommendations when capability gaps limit commercialization speed.4. Voice of Customer and Field-to-Engineering CommunicationEstablish a structured process for capturing field feedback, customer needs, competitive intelligence, and installation challenges.Convert Voice of Customer input into clear product requirements, application use cases, and prioritized development actions.Serve as the communication bridge between sales, field teams, customers, engineering, and leadership.Participate in customer visits, ride-alongs, distributor meetings, trade shows, product training sessions, and field troubleshooting reviews.Ensure product decisions reflect both technical feasibility and real-world customer adoption drivers.5. Long-Term Strategy SupportProvide market and product insight for annual strategic planning, roadmap reviews, and innovation portfolio discussions.Maintain a forward-looking pipeline of product, application, technology, partnership, and adjacent-market opportunities.Identify growth themes, capability gaps, regulatory shifts, competitive threats, and customer trends that should shape long-term strategy.Prepare concise executive recommendations supported by market evidence, customer insight, financial assumptions, and risk assessment.Working RelationshipsInternal: Sales, engineering, innovation, operations, quality, sourcing, finance, marketing, customer service, product training, business-unit leadership, and Flex-Tek leadership.External: Customers, contractors, distributors, OEMs, rep agencies, suppliers, industry partners, installers, and relevant standards or code stakeholders.
