Software Product Manager

Software Product Manager

Job Summary:

Owns the product strategy and roadmap for our software offerings that support and extend our systems portfolio. This role connects engineering, customer needs, and business strategy - turning market and customer insight into a clear product vision and driving it through delivery.

Works closely with customers, systems engineering, sales, and marketing to define requirements, prioritize the roadmap, speed up development, and launch software features that deliver real value to customers and the business. The ideal candidate has experience developing, commissioning, or supporting automation applications, knows how to get to the heart of what users actually need, and is genuinely passionate about building and shipping customer-facing products.

Key Responsibilities:

Strategy & Roadmap

• Own the product vision, strategy, and roadmap for software products within the IPG Systems BU. Execute on strategy and analysis necessary to delight customers with world-class experience on IPG Systems software suites
• Work closely with global customers and an international team of software developers, mechanical and electrical engineers, applications engineers, sales and marketing colleagues to shape digital transformation of the IPG Systems portfolio
• Conduct competitive and market analysis to inform positioning and prioritization
• Present roadmap updates and business cases to senior leadership

Requirements & Execution

• Gather and synthesize input from customers, sales, applications engineers, and internal stakeholders to define market requirements
• Translate requirements into clear, prioritized product specifications (PRDs, user stories, acceptance criteria) for engineering teams
• Partner with software engineering leads to plan releases, balancing scope, quality, and timelines
• Manage the product backlog and lead sprint/release planning ceremonies with engineering
• Collaborate with marketing and engineering on usability and workflow improvements

Go-to-Market & Stakeholder Engagement

• Support go-to-market activities: pricing input, sales enablement materials, launch messaging, and training
• Act as the internal and external voice of the customer throughout the product lifecycle

Metrics & Impact

Define and track success metrics (adoption, usage, NPS, revenue impact) for owned products

Qualifications:

• BS degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Systems Engineering or related technical field (MBA is a plus)
• 6+ years of experience in software product management, with proven industry experience in control system design, implementation, commissioning, or support,
• Background in Agile/Scrum product delivery
• Proven track record of launching successful software products from concept through launch
• Familiarity with embedded software, controls software, or systems that pair software with physical hardware
• Strong technical fluency - comfortable discussing architecture, APIs, and system integration with engineers
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with experience presenting to executive stakeholders
• Experience writing PRDs, user stories, and managing product backlog (e.g., in Jira, Azure DevOps, or similar)
• Strong analytical skills; comfortable using data to drive prioritization decisions
• Ability to travel occasionally to customer sites or company sites

Preferred qualifications:

• Experience in photonics, laser systems, industrial automation, or related manufacturing technology
• Experience with B2B/industrial customer bases