Product Manager

This is Where Tradition Becomes Legend 

Ritchie Engineering Co., Inc. is a family-owned company that has been innovating HVAC & Refrigeration tools and test equipment for more than 75 years. From idea conception through development, production, and shipment; every team member plays a crucial role ensuring the quality, reliability, and efficiency of these American-made products.

What We Offer:

 Join our team and enjoy a comprehensive benefits package designed to support you and your loved ones:

Benefits 

• 401(k) Retirement Plan: 100% company match with no vesting schedule on up to 4% of your contributions
• Health Insurance: Two Medical Plans, Dental, Vision and Flexible Spending Account options to suit your needs
• Company Paid Insurance: Short-term disability, long-term disability, accidental death and dismemberment, and life insurance at no additional cost
• Paid Time Off (PTO): We value work life balance and offer a generous PTO plan for exempt employees. You will start with 52 hours during the first 6 months, with the accrual increasing to 160 hours annually after 6 months. The accrual rate will continue to increase with tenure up to 202 hours annually after 20 years of service.
• Holiday Pay: In addition to PTO, all employees receive up to 80 hours of paid holidays annually
• Telemedicine: 24/7 access to healthcare professionals for you and your family
• Referral program: Earn rewards for helping the team grow

Compensation

• As you evaluate your career options, we recognize that salary is a key consideration. For this role, the pay range is $90,000-144,000, with individual compensation determined by your unique skills, experience level, and other relevant factors

 Schedule: 

• Enjoy a 4-day work week, 10-hours a day (Monday–Thursday Between 6:00am and 6:00pm). 
  • During travel and trade show weeks schedule may be modified to accommodate Friday or weekend demands
  • Additional hours may be required during busier times

 What You Will be Doing:

Identifies and analyzes opportunities for new products or changes to existing products based on market needs, competition, and product performance. Prioritizes these opportunities and creates product design specifications for engineering projects. Helps train both internal and external stakeholders on products

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. 

• Research to identify market opportunities for new products
• Lead user focus groups and collect user feedback on new and existing products 
• Acts as the point person for receiving new product ideas from employees, end users, sales, and outside inventors
• Work with potential new vendors who have new product offerings 
• Establish target specifications for new products
• Create and manage Business Cases for new products
• Collaborate with leadership to develop and maintain product roadmap
• Evaluate competitive product offering and identify where we fall short or prevail and advise where we should go
• Be aware of market/ industry innovations, new refrigerants, changes to regulation, etc.
• Manage product life cycles; evaluate existing products for profitability, market share, and trends
• For new products, evaluate whether to organically develop or utilize other options (purchase from another manufacturer) 
• Help with new product roll-out, including training of salespeople and customer service
• Support company social media programs and content creation
• Develop product training for on-site training and video production
• Execute on-site training where applicable 
• Collaborate internally to write new product manuals to help customers understand proper equipment operation
• Work with marketing to provide features & benefits and other marketing materials
• Assist Technical Support Representatives on field customer product complaints
• Attend sales meetings to discuss trends and market change
• Attend trade shows where applicable
• Work with stage gating team throughout approval process
• Propose quarterly business travel agendas, confirm monthly travel plans the month prior, and follow Travel and Expense policy on trips including booking flights two weeks prior to trip
• Other duties as assigned including training others on known processes

What You Will Bring:

 Required:

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Business, Marketing, or equivalent field experience
• 3+ years of demonstrated success in fast-paced product management or product marketing role for HVAC based products
• Proven ability to successfully collaborate with internal stakeholders from various levels and areas of the organization and drive successful outcomes cross-functionally 
• Proven record of accomplishment of launching successful new products/services and enhancing and scaling them through product releases

• Translate market research data, customer feedback, and technology trends into product requirements
• Knowledge and experience with Refrigeration and A/C systems and their functions

• Experience with early-stage products and new product development from ideation specification through market launch and revenue generation.
• Experience working closely with an engineering organization to define applications and manage them through the entire product lifecycle
• Willingness to travel 35% - 50%
• Proficiency in reading and writing in English
• Highly organized, self-motivated and can work independently
• Strong interpersonal and leadership skills as well as excellent communication skills (both written and oral) with ability to manage multiple priorities.

Where and How You Will Work

 Engagement and Collaboration:

This role is open to both Minnesota and non-Minnesotan residents. For non-local residents the travel demands include up to 50% travel, including one week per month on-site in Bloomington, MN, which will allow you to collaborate closely with others, build meaningful relationships, and play a key role in our company success. Those that live in the area will be expected to work in office primarily, with approximately 25-30% travel. 

Physical Requirements:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. 

• Required to sit, stand, walk, handle or feel objects, tools and controls
• Vision required to inspect products and documents in detail
• Occasionally required to reach with hands and arms, and to stoop, kneel, or crouch
• Must regularly lift and/or move up to 10 pounds; some workstations require lifting and/or moving up to 60 pounds

 Work Environment:

The performance of this position may occasionally require exposure to the manufacturing areas where certain areas require the use of personal protective equipment, may work near moving equipment, and exposed to dust, odors, oil, fumes, and noise.