Product Manager in Newcastle upon Tyne

We are seeking a seasoned Product Manager with experience in LV and MV fusegear to lead development, standardization, and life cycle management (Introduction, growth, maturity and decline) 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. Lawson Fuses Limited (LFL) is an established British and global brand that operates in the fusegear market with a focus on design, development and manufacture of low voltage High Rupture Capacity (HRC) fuse-links and associated fuse holders. LFL's products are ASTA certified and comply with IEC/BS/ENA standards and accepted throughout the world.

With manufacturing facilities based in UK and India, LFL's global clientele is spread across several countries including UK, Middle East, Africa, India, Malaysia, Australia, South Korea and Hong Kong. With ISO 17025 ASTA certified R&D lab and ASTA certified manufacturing plants, LFL is keen on safety, quality and speed of product delivery. From 2018, LFL is part of Lucy Group which is a diversified international group headquartered in Oxford, UK and operates in multiple sectors including Power Distribution, Smart Lighting, Fusegear and Real Estate.

The role of Product Manager will be directly influencing the vision of the business. This is a new role within the business and will sit within the department of Product Management but will work closely with other departments. Since this is a techno-commercial role, there is a possibility of integrating marketing function within product management.

Job Dimensions – 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.

• Product Strategy and Portfolio Management: Own and manage the fusegear product portfolio including fuses (gG, aM, aR etc), 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.
• Product Development and Engineering Interface: 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. Defining, leading and owning product road maps and deadlines for product launches is critical. 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. Support R&D in 3rd party labs for type test and approvals. Maintain technical documentation, datasheets, catalogues and certification records for all products.
• Marketing and Communications: Gather data, analyse and report on market positioning within target markets and sectors. Track competitors, market trends, historical information, channels and identify gaps in the market to enable targeted strategy for maximising sales for each product category. Collaborate with marketing team on needs of target market, channel strategies and optimised route to market. Include product communication strategies as necessary. Support in identification of new opportunities across Utilities, Industrial, Wholesale, Datacentres and OEM segment. Collaborate with marketing communications to develop product and segment specific technical collaterals.
• Commercial and Market Support: 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. Assist in product launches, customer presentations and tender support. Engage with OEMs, panel builders, utilities, EPCs and renewable energy customers.
• Manufacture, Quality and Supply Chain: Collaborate with R&D, Quality and Manufacturing pertaining to design for manufacture, cost optimisation, delivery readiness and serviceability. Support alternative material development and vendor qualification. Work with quality to analyse failures, warranty claims and field issues to ensure the product line and segment remains healthy.

Qualifications and Experience: 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.

Behavioural Competencies: 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.