Director of Product Management
Zurn Elkay Water Solutions
Lead product strategy & growth for drinking water solutions in education markets
10 days ago ago
$140,000 - $200,000
Expert & Leadership (13+ years), Experienced (8-12 years)
Full Time
Downers Grove, IL
Office Full-Time
Company Size
2,500 Employees
Service Specialisms
Water Solutions
Plumbing
Engineering
Consulting
Design
Manufacturing
Installation
Sector Specialisms
Education
Healthcare
Hospitality
Multifamily
Municipal
Office
Retail
Commercial
Role
What you would be doing
npd delivery
roadmap execution
zebs process
stage-gate
financial modeling
market insights
- Champion voice-of-customer (VOC) insights to influence product design and innovation priorities.
- Strategic Roadmap Execution: Achieve key milestones outlined in the 3-year strategic roadmap for the business. Goal of driving >20% new product vitality within the category.
- On-Time Program Delivery: Achieve 90%+ of NPD projects delivered on-time and within budget.
- Oversee all drinking water-related NPD programs, ensuring timeline, budget, scope, product requirement definitions, and resource alignment.
- Partner with sales, marketing, & REP network to develop successful business plans for NPD projects. This includes providing clear guidance on customer persona, target verticals, value propositions, competitive differentiation, pricing strategy, etc.
- Translate market and customer insights into a compelling and actionable product roadmap.
- Utilize Zurn Elkay Business System (ZEBS) for effective process development, problem solving and countermeasure activities.
- Lead the organization in the development of a vision and strategic business plan for our product category or accounts in collaboration with other key cross-functional stakeholders.
- Define and lead the Expanded Markets strategy with a focus on educational institutions and emerging channels for Elkay drinking water solutions.
- Product Profitability: Meet or exceed product margin targets (e.g., >65% gross margin) within 12–24 months of launch.
- Team Development: Improve team engagement and capability through mentoring, training, and performance management (e.g., internal mobility, high-potential readiness, engagement score improvement).
- Work closely with engineering, supply chain, commercial teams, and senior leadership to ensure alignment with company goals.
- Lead the Product Lifecycle Management Process (PLCM) to define the product strategy and market positioning of the product line. This includes conducting internal product performance review, external market review, competitive review, identifying commercial strategies, and overall development of the overall 3YR product roadmap.
- Utilize stage-gate and agile methodologies to drive cross-functional collaboration and timely execution.
- Provide coaching, mentorship, and career development for direct reports.
- Develop and maintain business cases, including financial modeling, ROI, and pricing strategy.
- Market Penetration Growth: Deliver year-over-year growth in revenue and market share within defined expanded markets (e.g., >10% YoY growth).
- Serve as holistic organizational business expert and owner for their product category. This includes expert knowledge on Elkay, our competition, end-user insights, channel partner needs, market trends, market pricing, manufacturing methods and costs, our suppliers, etc.
- Lead and develop a high-performing team of 3–5 product managers and program leader.
- Create a culture of accountability, innovation, and customer focus.
- Act as a central point of leadership for program risk management, resource allocation, and cross-functional alignment.
- Collaborate with finance and senior business leaders in establishing financial targets and delivering to those targets.
- Establish and nurture strong, collaborative relationships with all functional areas within Elkay.
- NPD Pipeline Health: Maintain a robust, balanced, and gated NPD pipeline with projects aligned to strategic priorities (e.g., >$125M NPD Funnel & >$1M Cost Out Funnel).
What you bring
mba
10+ years
product management
project management
cross-functional
durable goods
- Prior channel marketing and / or sales experience a plus.
- Bachelor’s degree in marketing, business, or related studies is required; MBA preferred.
- 10+ years product management experience required
- Strong project management and cross-functional leadership skills required.
- Ability to collaborate across all levels and functions within the organization a must
- Prior supervisory experience preferred.
- Strategic “general manager” mindset essential. The ideal candidate will want to manage a business, not just products.
- Durable goods experience strongly preferred.
- Demonstrated success in leading cross-functional teams in the development launch of new products and other business initiatives a must.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills required, as well as excellent presentation skills. Ability to confidently and persuasively present to senior leadership team and key customers essential.
- Ability to develop and present comprehensive business recommendations and proposals within the organization as well as to customers essential.
- Employee Stock Purchase Plan – purchase company stock at a discount!
- Educational Reimbursement
- The compensation range identified below are a good faith estimate of the salary expected to be paid as performed from these locations. Actual salaries may vary based on compensable factors including but not limited to skillset, experience, education and training, and other relevant business and organizational factors. Most candidates will start in the lower half of the range.
- Up to 3 weeks starting Vacation (may increase with tenure)
- Matching 401(k) Contribution
- Competitive Salary
- Medical, Dental, Vision, STD, LTD, AD&D, and Life Insurance
- Matching Gift Program
- 12 Paid Holidays
- The Salary Range: $140,000 - $200,000. A comprehensive relocation package is available for out-of-market candidates.
- Health Savings Account
- Annual Bonus Eligibility
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Interview process
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Company
Overview
$50 Million
Synergy Value
Targeting $50 million in synergies from the merger, driving strategic growth and efficiency.
Billions Reduced
Plastic Bottle Impact
Reducing billions of single-use plastic bottles, contributing to environmental sustainability efforts.
- Headquartered in Milwaukee, weaving product portfolios from sensor-based faucets and filtered bottle fillers into turnkey building solutions.
- Financially backed as a pure-play water business, publicly traded on NYSE: ZWS, focused on doubling scale and maximizing opportunities.
- Typical projects include outfitting hospitals with hygienic flushing systems, schools with lead-reducing hydration stations, and commercial campuses with low-flow plumbing.
- Specialized in water safety, quality, hygiene, flow control, and conservation across healthcare, education, municipal, industrial, residential, and government sectors.
- Offers a suite of branded solutions, including Zurn, Elkay, Hadrian partitions, and World Dryer hand dryers, showcasing vertical integration from toilets to hand-drying.
- Continuous Improvement
- Integrity in Everything We Do
- Customer First
- Culture of Winning
- Total Associate Engagement
- Do the Right Thing
38% GHG Reduction
Carbon Emissions Intensity
Achieved a 38% reduction in Scope 1 & 2 GHG intensity since 2021, with a target to reach 50% by 2030.
64.4% Waste Recycled
Operational Waste Management
Recycled or reused 64.4% of operational waste during 2024.
32.5B Water Saved
Water Conservation
Saved 32.5 billion gallons of water and prevented 19 billion single-use plastic bottles in 2024.
86% Sustainable Revenue
Sustainable Products
86% of revenue generated from sustainable-attribute products, exceeding the 75% target.
- Maintained less than 1% hazardous waste; landfill waste reduced by 6.5% in 2024
- Validated roadmap to zero-waste-to-landfill at 5 facilities by 2030
- Invested $74 million in R&D in sustainability (goal: $90 million by 2025)
- Net-zero target: 50% reduction in GHG intensity by 2030 (Scope 1 & 2)
8% by 2025
Supplier Diversity Goal
Aim to achieve 8% supplier diversity spend by 2025, currently at 5.6% in 2024.
- Built DEI strategy on pillars: Inclusion; Recruitment & Development; Community outreach
- Established ERGs: Black; AAPI; Latinx; Women; Veterans; LGBTQ+; Early Career
- Women‑focused leadership programs and support via Women ERG
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