Product Manager - Manufacturing Business Systems

About the role

<div class="content-intro"><p><strong>About MISUMI Americas</strong></p> <p>MISUMI Americas, a division of MISUMI Group, is a leading provider of standard, configurable, and custom manufacturing solutions. By integrating a vast catalog of components with a world-class digital manufacturing platform, MISUMI Americas empowers engineers and procurement teams to accelerate innovation across the entire product lifecycle. With operations in the San Francisco Bay Area and Chicago, the company serves as a vital partner for the most innovative companies in the Americas.</p></div><h3><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><strong>Impact In This Role:</strong></span></h3> <p><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;">As the Product Manager for Manufacturing Business Systems, you will shape and drive the internal systems that power Fictiv and MISUMI Americas’ manufacturing operations — including PLM, ERP, TMS, MRP, and other business systems we adopt or build over time to support how the business runs. You will contribute to the strategy and roadmap for this systems landscape and own the execution of solutions that deliver against it, balancing customer satisfaction, growth, reliable delivery, and operational efficiency.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;">This role is focused on solution implementation and optimization rather than IT support. You'll identify and validate business opportunities that can be unlocked through technology, partner with engineering to define the right solution, build the business case for the investment, and drive execution from planning through implementation, qualification, and launch. The solutions you contribute to are foundational to the MISUMI Americas manufacturing business - enabling it to scale, deliver differentiated value, and drive growth by serving product innovators.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Areas of Responsibility</span>&nbsp;</strong></span></p> <p><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><strong>Business acumen and domain awareness</strong></span></p> <ul> <li style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Research and evaluate the needs of internal users (operations, finance, supply chain, engineering, IT) to understand priorities and pain points within manufacturing workflows, and assess their feedback on current systems.</span></li> <li style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Understand the needs of Fictiv and MISUMI America's customers, and how the workflows and tools used by internal teams shape the experience those customers receive. Use that lens to identify and evaluate opportunities.</span></li> <li style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Develop deep knowledge of Fictiv and MISUMI America's PLM, ERP, and other manufacturing business systems — including data models, integrations, and dependencies — and translate that knowledge into product opportunities.</span></li> <li style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Assess the needs of our growing network of manufacturing partners where they touch internal systems, and identify opportunities to improve data flow, traceability, and partner experience.</span></li> <li style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Contribute to the strategy and roadmap for evolving the manufacturing business systems landscape to support Fictiv and MISUMI Americas’ growth trajectory.</span></li> <li style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Roadmap execution and project delivery</span></li> <li style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Analyze, comprehend, and take ownership of the assigned roadmap items related to manufacturing business systems and translate high-level goals into detailed objectives and projects.</span></li> <li style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Contribute to building the business case for system investments (new systems, modules, configurations, integrations) and secure alignment on those investments with leadership and stakeholders.Develop a framework for tracking input and output metrics that provides a quantitative view of the success and impact of each project.</span></li> <li style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Scope and define requirements for each roadmap item to ensure clarity and alignment with product and operational objectives.</span></li> <li style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Surface trade-offs between speed of delivery, configuration vs. customization, and long-term scalability of the architecture.</span></li> <li style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Proactively identify risks (data, integration, change management) and work with teams to develop mitigation strategies.</span></li> </ul> <p><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;"><strong>Cross-functional collaboration</strong></span></p> <ul> <li style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Based on research, analysis, and deep understanding of the problem space, develop conviction in your product initiatives and vision, and communicate them effectively across the business to drive awareness and alignment.</span></li> <li style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Build and maintain strong working relationships with stakeholders across operations, finance, supply chain, engineering, IT, and external system implementers and vendors.</span></li> <li style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Work with cross-functional partners — software engineering, IT, UX, operations, finance, sales, and marketing — to develop hypotheses and high-impact solutions.</span></li> <li style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Lead scoping and prioritization discussions across teams, bringing the right people in at the right time and incorporating their feedback to sharpen the work.</span></li> <li style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Execution and risk management</span></li> <li style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Use Agile methodologies to organize and manage sprints across development and configuration work.</span></li> <li style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Analyze metrics to measure success and optimize systems for business outcomes and strategic priorities.</span></li> <li style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Keep stakeholders informed of progress, milestones, risks, and timeline changes as work progresses.Partner with development and configuration teams in India and the US, communicating business needs, requirements, and priorities while removing friction where needed.</span></li> <li style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Drive launches and go-lives by ensuring the organization is prepared, including training and change management.</span></li> <li style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Travel 10% annually for team meetings, research, and training.</span></li> <li style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Maintain a daily time overlap with stakeholders in India and China to facilitate communication with collaborating development teams, stakeholders, and users.</span></li> </ul> <p><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;"><strong>Desired Traits, Qualifications, Education and Experience Equivalency</strong></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;">Past Experience</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;">Required:</span></p> <ul> <li style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;">3+ years of experience as a product manager, business systems analyst, or application manager working directly on manufacturing business systems such as PLM, ERP, or similar.</span></li> <li style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;">Demonstrated track record of taking business problems or opportunities, translating them into actionable plans, and driving them through to completion.</span></li> <li style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;">Experience navigating systems with interdependencies and integrations, and the ability to manage complex technical landscapes.Experience in business analysis, optimizing internal workflows, and considering downstream impact on customers and end users.</span></li> <li style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;">Experience working in Agile environments.</span></li> <li style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;">Practical experience leveraging user insights and metrics to drive strategic decisions.</span></li> </ul> <p><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;">Desired</span></p> <ul> <li style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;">Familiarity with the manufacturing service provider business model (contract manufacturers, job shops, on-demand manufacturing platforms, etc.).</span></li> <li style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;">Experience in manufacturing, supply chains, or industries where intricate processes and logistical considerations are important to product development and delivery.</span></li> <li style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;">Some operating or technical knowledge in one or more manufacturing processes (3D Printing, CNC, Injection Molding, Sheet Metal, etc.).</span></li> <li style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;">Hands-on experience implementing, configuring, or developing on PLM or ERP platforms.</span></li> </ul> <p><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;">Desired Traits</span></p> <ul> <li style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;">Strong analytical skills to break high-level goals into actionable tasks and requirements, synthesizing insights and data to drive high-quality product decisions.</span></li> <li style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;">Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to rally cross-functional teams behind a product vision, collaborate across multiple time zones, and document decisions clearly.</span></li> <li style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;">Results-driven mindset with a focus on delivering high-quality outcomes within defined timelines.</span></li> <li style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;">Ability to lead and influence without authority: operate proactively, with empathy and accountability.</span></li> <li style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;">Comfortable working, negotiating, and communicating with internal users, customers, vendors, implementation partners, and leadership to develop insights about needs and solutions.</span></li> </ul> <p><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><strong>Physical Demands</strong></span></p> <p><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">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.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">While performing the duties of this job, the employee routinely is required to sit; walk; talk and hear; use hands to keyboard, fingers, handle, and feel; stoop, kneel, crouch, twist, crawl, reach, and stretch.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Salary Range: $150K - $185K per year, depending upon experience&nbsp;</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><strong>Interested in learning more?&nbsp; We look forward to hearing from you soon.</strong></span></p><div class="content-conclusion"><p>We’re actively seeking teammates who:</p> <ul> <li>Bring diverse perspectives and experience to our culture and company.&nbsp;</li> <li>Excel at being part of a strong, empathetic team.</li> <li>Thrive in an environment emphasizing respect, honesty, collaboration, and growth.</li> <li>Have an ‘always learning’ mindset that celebrates learning, not just wins.&nbsp;</li> <li>Help us continue to build a world-class organization that values the contributions of all of our teammates</li> </ul> <p>We encourage applications from members of underrepresented groups, including but not limited to women, members of the LGBTQ community, people of color, people with disabilities, and veterans.</p></div>