Product Manager in Newcastle upon Tyne

We are seeking a seasoned Product Manager with experience in LV and MV fusegear to lead the development, standardization, and life cycle management of low-voltage and medium-voltage fusegear products. The role involves working closely with engineering, manufacturing, quality and commercial teams to deliver reliable, compliant and cost competitive protection solutions for Industrial, Utility and infrastructure applications.

This is a new role within the business and presents a fantastic opportunity for the right candidate, as you will influence and help shape the profile, reputation and growth of Lawson Fuses globally.

Product Manager will be responsible for setting the vision, mission, direction and strategy for both new and existing products addressing the full life cycle of the fusegear products within LFL. Product Manager will define standards, features and requirements necessary to deliver a complete product to the market. Product Manager must articulate the business value to wider teams including R&D, so they can understand and align behind these plans.

There are several dimensions to this role:

• Product Strategy and Portfolio Management
• Product Development and Engineering Interface
• Marketing and Communications Support
• Commercial and Market Support
• Collaboration with manufacturing, quality and supply chain

Key Accountabilities:

• Own and manage the fusegear product portfolio including fuses, fuse bases, carriers and other ancillary products.
• Define product roadmap aligned with market demand, customer needs, standards and customer segments and manage product lifecycle including rationalisation.
• Conduct competitive benchmarking on ratings, performance, form factor and pricing.
• Identify opportunities for new product introductions, variants and localisation.
• Market research via customer visits to understand current and future needs of the customer enabling creation of a clear technical product roadmap incorporating market requirements.
• Offer continued support to R&D team during the new product development and legacy product modification process.
• Define product specifications including voltage, current ratings, breaking capacity, temperature rise and coordination requirements.
• Work with R&D on fuse element design, arc extinction, striker mechanisms and insulation systems and ensure compliance with market requirements.
• Support type testing, routing testing and validation activities.
• Manage engineering changes and variant rationalisation.
• Ensure Standards, Testing and Compliance: IEC 60269, IEC 60947, ENA12-6, BS88, UL etc.
• Maintain technical documentation, datasheets, catalogues and certification records for all products.
• Gather data, analyse and report on market positioning within target markets and sectors.
• Support pricing strategy, cost structures, margin improvement initiatives.
• Participate in Industry Exhibitions and articulate product benefits to customers.
• Provide technical support and training to sales teams, distributors and customers.
• Engage with OEMs, panel builders, utilities, EPCs and renewable energy customers.

Qualifications, Experience & Skills:

• Strong technical expertise in LV&MV fusegear and/or other electrical protection systems.
• In depth knowledge of fuse characteristics, selectivity, coordination and application engineering.
• Experience in product lifecycle management within a manufacturing setup.
• Understanding of electrical standards, testing protocols and certification processes (ISO, IEC, ENA, BS, UL etc).
• Strong cross functional coordination and communication skills.
• Bachelor’s degree in electrical or mechanical or materials engineering.
• 5-12 years’ experience in fusegear, switchgear or other electrical protection products.
• Hands on experience with LV, MV development, testing and application engineering.
• Team player, results-focused, determined, and responsible.
• Ability to manage multiple projects.
• Good people management skills and good customer handling skills.
• Strategic thinking, enthusiastic, able to work under pressure, initiative and strong analytical skill.
• Strong “customer comes first” focus and delivering on commitments.
• Proactive; takes the initiative and effectively deals with resistance.
• Assertive, tenacious and willing to challenge when required.
• Strong work orientation, taking ownership to deliver on time, every time.
• Forms effective relationships with key stakeholders across the matrix.
• Precise and to the point.

About Us: Lawson Fuses specialises in the design, development and manufacture of low-voltage, high-rupturing capacity (HRC) fuse links and fuse holders. Sold directly and via distributors, applications are suitable for electric and electronic capital equipment, utilities, renewable energy and domestic households.