Senior Manager, Product

At Hillman, we offer competitive pay as well as performance-based incentive awards and other great benefits for a happier mind, body, and wallet. Health benefits include medical, vision and dental coverage as well as short-term and long-term disability. Financial benefits include 401(k), education assistance, Military Leave Pay, stock purchase and company-paid life insurance. Paid time off benefits include parental leave, family care leave, bereavement, jury duty, and voting. You will also receive PTO that can be used for vacation, sick leave, holidays, or other purposes. The amount you receive depends on your job classification and length of employment. It will meet or exceed the requirements of paid sick leave laws, where applicable. Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to a specific plan or program terms. For information about benefits and eligibility, see our Benefits Showcase. Job Summary The Senior Manager, Product & Program Management- Automotive Key Solutions is a strategic leader responsible for driving high-impact initiatives that align customer needs, product strategies, and organizational goals. This role integrates program management, portfolio optimization, and cross-functional leadership to accelerate growth, improve operational efficiency, and strengthen market positioning. Acting as the central link between Product, Operations, Engineering, Marketing, Finance, Retail, and Executive Leadership, you will transform insights into actionable plans that deliver measurable results. A key focus of this role is expanding and optimizing our auto key and instant key duplication programs, ensuring seamless customer experiences and driving kiosk-based sales growth. Essential Job Functions *Strategic Planning & Execution Develop and execute multi-phase strategic programs that deliver measurable business outcomes. Translate executive objectives into structured roadmaps, milestones, KPIs, and accountability frameworks. Identify opportunities for operational improvements across products, services, and workflows. Portfolio & Product Management Lead product lifecycle management, ensuring portfolio health and executing item rationalization. Manage end-of-life processes, including liquidation strategies. Drive value engineering initiatives to improve profitability of existing items. Adapt existing products (packaging, quantity, artwork) and coordinate design support for new opportunities. Oversee auto key and instant duplication product lines, ensuring innovation and operational excellence. Cross-Functional Leadership Serve as the connective tissue between Engineering, Product, Finance, Marketing, Sales, and Operations. Facilitate alignment meetings, executive updates, and decision-making forums. Build trusted partnerships with internal teams and external vendors. Program Delivery & Governance Oversee timelines, budgets, resource allocations, and risk mitigation plans. Implement consistent governance through reporting, dashboards, and communication cadence. Resolve program blockers quickly and effectively. Business Analysis & Insights Conduct market assessments, business case development, ROI modeling, and scenario planning. Monitor competitive intelligence and category trends. Define and track success metrics; provide transparent, data-driven updates to leadership. Sales Enablement Develop compelling category and product propositions that drive profitable growth. Support promotional item strategies and kiosk sales initiatives. Collaborate with channel teams to ensure pricing consistency and POS-driving actions. Change Management & Rollout Create rollout strategies, training plans, and communication frameworks for new programs. Ensure successful adoption across all organizational levels *This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change or new ones may be assigned at any time with or without notice. Employees are expected and encouraged to participate in safety and health program activities including immediately reporting hazards, immediately reporting unsafe work practices and incidents to supervisors, wearing required personal protective equipment, and participating in and supporting safety committee activities. Education & ExperienceBachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, Engineering, or related field; MBA preferred. 6-8 years of experience in program management, portfolio management, or strategic operations. Kiosk product experience; retail or manufacturing experience preferred. Proven track record managing complex, multi-stakeholder programs end-to-end. Strong analytical skills with experience in financial modeling and KPI definition. Excellent communication, executive presence, and stakeholder management. Proficiency in project management tools (Jira, Smartsheet, Asana, MS Project). Ability to travel up to 50% Competencies - Knowledge, Skills and AbilitiesStrategic thinking & business acumen Cross-functional leadership Executive communication Problem-solving & decision-making Process optimization Change management Results orientation Creative storytelling and presentation skills Operational EquipmentN/A Work Environment and Physical DemandsWork EnvironmentOffice: Office setting. Seldom exposed to fumes or airborne particles. Loud working environment of the shop area. Functional vision and hearing required. Physical DemandsOffice: Sedentary. The Hillman Group is an Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer and will not discriminate against an applicant or employee on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, national origin or ancestry, sex, age, physical or mental disability, protected veteran or military status, genetic information, citizenship status, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, or any other legally recognized protected basis under federal, state or local laws, regulations or ordinances. The information collected by this application is solely to determine suitability for employment, verify identity and maintain employment statistics on applicants.