Product Manager

What You'll Do

• Strategic Sourcing & Material Science
• In this role, "sourcing" isn't just finding a vendor; it’s ensuring the integrity of the supply chain.
• Raw Material Procurement: Identify, audit, and secure global suppliers for specialized materials (e.g., medical-grade polymers, vacuum-sealed alloys, or active pharmaceutical ingredients).
• Sustainability & Ethics: Implement a "Tier 2" sourcing strategy to ensure not just your suppliers, but their suppliers, meet environmental and ethical standards.
• Cost-Benefit Analysis: Balance the high cost of "over-engineered" materials (typical of YETI-style products) with the strict margin requirements of the pharma industry.
Physical Design & Hands-on Prototyping
• BOM (Bill of Materials) Management: Own the master list of every screw, seal, and chemical component. You are responsible for the COGS (Cost of Goods Sold) and ensuring no "single point of failure" in the parts list.
• Form vs. Function Iteration: Lead physical teardowns of prototypes. You must evaluate the "tactile" quality—how a lid snaps, how a coating feels, or how a vial fits into a casing—to ensure it meets premium brand standards.
• Durability Testing: Define "torture tests" for products. If a pharmaceutical carrier is dropped from six feet, it must remain sterile and functional. You design those parameters.
Regulatory Rigor & Quality Assurance
• CGMP Compliance: Ensure all physical assembly processes adhere to Current Good Manufacturing Practices.
• Packaging & Stability: Oversee the development of primary and secondary packaging that maintains product efficacy (e.g., UV protection, moisture barriers, or temperature control) while maintaining a high-end aesthetic.
• Risk Mitigation: Author and maintain the FMEA (Failure Mode and Effects Analysis) to predict where a physical product might fail in the hands of a consumer and fix it before it hits the market.
Manufacturing & Operational Excellence
• Assembly Line Optimization: Work directly with plant managers to design the assembly flow. You should understand how the product is put together well enough to spot inefficiencies on the line.
• Quality Control (QC) Standards: Establish the "Acceptable Quality Limit" (AQL). You decide what constitutes a "minor cosmetic defect" versus a "functional failure" that requires a batch recall.
• International Logistics: Navigate the complexities of shipping regulated physical goods, including customs requirements for pharmaceutical-grade materials and cold-chain logistics if necessary.
Brand & Lifecycle Management
• Product Storytelling: Translate technical specs (e.g., "304 Stainless Steel" or "Hermetic Seal") into consumer benefits (e.g., "Built to last a lifetime" or "Preserved for Peak Potency").
• Feedback Loops: Analyze returns and warranty claims to identify "field failures." Use this data to trigger immediate engineering changes for the next production run.
Qualifications
Education & Technical Foundation
• Academic Background: A Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Industrial Design, or Material Science. An MBA is a plus, but the "hard science" or engineering foundation is critical for understanding how physical products fail or succeed.
• Domain Expertise: Deep knowledge of materials and finishes. The candidate should be able to discuss the pros/cons of different polymers (e.g., HDPE vs. Tritan) or metals (e.g., 18/8 Stainless Steel) regarding chemical leaching, durability, and thermal properties.
Physical Product Mastery
• Hardware Lifecycle: Proven experience taking a physical product from Concept to Shelf. This includes managing a CAD design team, overseeing tooling (molds), and managing the "Golden Sample" approval process.
• Assembly & BOM Management: Advanced proficiency in managing complex Bills of Materials (BOM). They should have experience with "Exploded View" assembly—knowing exactly how 50+ individual components come together on a production line.
• DFM (Design for Manufacturing): Ability to look at a product design and identify where it will be too expensive or too difficult to manufacture, without sacrificing the premium aesthetic.
Pharmaceutical Regulatory Experience
• Regulatory Frameworks: Working knowledge of FDA, EMA, or ISO 13485 standards. They must understand how "Physical Hardware" intersects with "Medical/Pharma" requirements (e.g., sterilization compatibility, biocompatibility, and tamper-evident packaging).
• Quality Management Systems (QMS): Experience working within a QMS environment where every change to the product must be documented, validated, and "version controlled" to prevent safety risks.
• Sourcing Compliance: Experience auditing suppliers for GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices). They shouldn't just take a vendor’s word for it; they should know how to read a Certificate of Analysis (CoA).
• Supply Chain & Sourcing Grit
• Global Vendor Network: A "rolodex" of experience dealing with overseas and domestic manufacturers. They should be comfortable managing late-night calls with factories in Asia or Europe to troubleshoot production stalls.
• Negotiation Skills: Ability to negotiate not just price, but MOQs (Minimum Order Quantities) and lead times. This is vital when sourcing specialized pharma-grade materials that may have volatile availability.
• Logistics Logic: Understanding of "Landed Cost." They should be able to calculate how a 2mm change in product thickness affects shipping container density and, ultimately, the bottom-line margin.
Perks
• 100% company-paid Medical, Dental, Vision premium coverage, plus Short-Term Disability and Life Insurance.
• 401K with company match
• Paid time off and company-paid holidays
• Enjoy free daily lunch