Vice President of Marketing & Product Management – Industrial Manufacturing – Milwaukee, WI

Role Overview for Vice President of Marketing & Product Management – Industrial Manufacturing – Milwaukee, WI

JRG Partners is proud to partner with a globally recognized leader in the industrial manufacturing sector, headquartered in the vibrant and resurgent city of Milwaukee, WI. With a rich history of engineering excellence and an unwavering commitment to quality and innovation, our client designs, manufactures, and markets highly engineered solutions for a diverse range of demanding industries worldwide. Their reputation is built on a foundation of reliability, performance, and customer-centricity, making them a trusted partner to their B2B clients.

We are seeking a visionary and results-driven Vice President of Marketing & Product Management to join their executive leadership team. This is a pivotal and highly visible role, reporting directly to the Chief Executive Officer. The successful candidate will be the chief architect and executor of the company’s comprehensive marketing and product strategy on a global scale. This position offers a unique opportunity to shape the future of a market-leading company, driving its next phase of growth and solidifying its brand as an industry innovator.

The ideal candidate is a strategic, transformational leader with a deep and nuanced understanding of the industrial B2B landscape. You will be responsible for seamlessly integrating the marketing and product management functions to create a powerful engine for sustainable growth. This involves not only leading the teams responsible for brand management, lead generation, and digital marketing but also overseeing the entire product lifecycle, from initial ideation and market analysis to successful launch and portfolio management. You will be instrumental in translating market insights and customer needs into a compelling product roadmap and a powerful go-to-market strategy that resonates with a sophisticated, technical customer base. Your leadership will directly impact market share, profitability, brand equity, and the company’s long-term competitive advantage.

Key Responsibilities of Vice President of Marketing & Product Management – Industrial Manufacturing – Milwaukee, WI

The Vice President of Marketing & Product Management will have a broad and impactful scope of responsibilities, encompassing strategic planning, tactical execution, and inspirational team leadership.

Strategic Leadership & Vision

• Collaborate intimately with the CEO and the executive leadership team to define and champion the company’s long-term strategic goals, ensuring that marketing and product initiatives are in perfect alignment with the overall business objectives.
• Develop, articulate, and implement a cohesive global marketing and product management strategy that drives profitable growth, market expansion, and enhanced brand positioning across all regions and channels.
• Conduct continuous, in-depth market analysis, including comprehensive competitive intelligence, market sizing, segmentation, and trend identification, to uncover new opportunities and mitigate potential risks.
• Own and manage the P&L for the marketing and product departments, demonstrating strong financial acumen in budgeting, forecasting, and resource allocation to maximize return on investment (ROI).
• Provide critical strategic input on potential mergers, acquisitions, and strategic partnerships, leading due diligence efforts related to market position, brand value, and product portfolio integration.

Marketing Leadership & Execution

• Lead the development and stewardship of a world-class brand strategy, ensuring consistent messaging, visual identity, and brand experience across all touchpoints.
• Oversee all marketing communications, including public relations, media relations, corporate messaging, and internal communications, to build and protect the company’s reputation.
• Direct the creation and execution of innovative, integrated, and multi-channel marketing campaigns designed to generate high-quality leads and build a robust sales pipeline. This includes digital marketing (SEO, SEM, PPC), account-based marketing (ABM), content marketing, email marketing, trade shows, and events.
• Champion a data-driven, analytical approach to marketing. Establish key performance indicators (KPIs) and build dashboards to track, measure, and report on the effectiveness of all marketing initiatives, making data-informed decisions to optimize performance.
• Manage and optimize the marketing technology stack, including CRM (e.g., Salesforce) and Marketing Automation platforms (e.g., HubSpot, Marketo), to improve efficiency, personalization, and campaign effectiveness.
• Develop and nurture strategic relationships with key channel partners, distributors, and industry influencers to amplify marketing reach and drive channel sales growth.

Product Management & Innovation

• Direct the entire product lifecycle with a disciplined, market-oriented approach, from new product concept and ideation through development, launch, maturity, and end-of-life planning.
• Develop and maintain a forward-looking, multi-year product roadmap that aligns with the company’s strategic vision, addresses unmet customer needs, and secures a competitive technological edge.
• Champion the Voice of the Customer (VOC) throughout the organization, implementing robust processes for gathering, analyzing, and translating customer feedback and market insights into clear product requirements.
• Establish, manage, and refine a disciplined and effective product pricing strategy across all product lines and regions to optimize revenue, market share, and profitability.
• Collaborate closely and effectively with Engineering, R&D, and Operations teams to ensure the timely and on-budget delivery of high-quality products that meet market specifications.
• Proactively identify new product opportunities, market adjacencies, and potential technology acquisitions that can accelerate growth and expand the company’s addressable market.

Team Leadership & Development

• Recruit, mentor, and lead a high-performing, global team of marketing and product management professionals, providing clear direction, constructive feedback, and career development opportunities.
• Foster a culture of collaboration, innovation, accountability, and continuous improvement within and across teams.
• Establish clear performance goals, KPIs, and objectives for the team, ensuring alignment with departmental and corporate goals.

Requirements for the Vice President of Marketing & Product Management – Industrial Manufacturing – Milwaukee, WI

Education & Experience

• A Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Business Administration, Engineering, or a related field is required. An MBA or other relevant advanced degree is strongly preferred.
• A minimum of 15 years of progressive experience in senior-level marketing and/or product management roles, with at least 7-10 years in a significant leadership capacity (Director level or above) with proven team-building success.

Essential, non-negotiable experience within the industrial manufacturing sector is required.

Ideal candidates will have a background in engineered products, capital equipment, industrial automation, heavy machinery, or similar complex B2B technology environments.

• A demonstrable track record of successfully leading and integrating both marketing and product management functions within a global or multi-national organization.
• Proven experience managing departmental budgets, complex financial models, and full P&L responsibilities with a history of delivering on financial targets.

Skills & Competencies

• Exceptional strategic thinking and analytical skills, with the ability to synthesize complex market data and competitive information into clear, actionable, and compelling strategies.
• Deep expertise in modern B2B marketing principles and practices, including digital marketing, content strategy, account-based marketing (ABM), lead nurturing, and sales enablement.
• Strong command of product lifecycle management (PLM) processes, from new product introduction (NPI) frameworks to portfolio rationalization and end-of-life strategies.
• Demonstrated ability to stay ahead of the latest industrial manufacturing trends and translate them into actionable product and marketing strategies.
• Outstanding leadership and team-building skills, with a natural talent for mentoring, developing, and inspiring talent to achieve peak performance.
• Superb executive-level communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to influence and build consensus among stakeholders at all levels, including the Board of Directors, customers, and partners.
• Technical proficiency with CRM systems, marketing automation platforms, and business intelligence tools.
• Willingness and ability to travel domestically and internationally as required to connect with customers, partners, and global teams (approximately 25-30%).

Benefits & Perks Offered

Our client is committed to attracting and retaining top-tier executive talent and offers a comprehensive and competitive rewards package that includes:

Executive Compensation Package

A highly competitive base salary, a significant annual performance-based bonus, and a meaningful long-term incentive plan (LTIP) with equity participation.

Comprehensive Health & Wellness

Premium medical, dental, and vision insurance plans for you and your dependents, with low employee contributions. Access to a robust Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and corporate wellness initiatives.

Retirement & Financial Security

A leading 401(k) retirement plan with a generous company match and immediate vesting. Access to executive financial planning resources.

Work-Life Balance

A generous paid time off (PTO) policy, company-paid holidays, and a commitment to supporting a healthy work-life integration.

Professional Growth

A dedicated budget for executive coaching, professional development, industry conferences, and continuing education to ensure you remain at the top of your field.

Relocation Support

A comprehensive, executive-level relocation package is available for the successful candidate and their family to assist with a smooth transition to the dynamic Milwaukee metropolitan area.

Additional Perks

Executive car allowance, enhanced life and disability insurance, and other benefits befitting a senior leadership role.

How to Apply

JRG Partners, a leading executive search firm specializing in key leadership placements, has been exclusively retained to manage this critical search on behalf of our client. We are committed to a confidential, transparent, and thorough process for all prospective candidates.

If you are a transformative leader with the requisite experience in industrial manufacturing and a passion for driving growth through strategic marketing and product innovation, we encourage you to apply. To be considered for this confidential opportunity, please submit your resume and a detailed cover letter outlining your qualifications and accomplishments. For more information about our deep expertise in this sector, please explore the JRG Partners’ Industrial & Manufacturing practice page.