Assistant Product Manager, Situational Awareness
GENTEX AT A GLANCE:
At Gentex Corporation, we’ve created an environment where great ideas and great people can thrive. Leveraging a history that spans over 130 years, Gentex is a global leader in personal protection and situational awareness solutions for defense forces, emergency responders, and industrial personnel operating in high performance environments. Join our multinational team of exceptional and dedicated employees around the world and work on challenging and rewarding projects, grow your skills, and advance your career all while making a positive difference in the lives of our customers. Together, you and Gentex can build a career that’s uniquely yours.
EDUCATION:
A four-year degree, preferably in Business, Engineering, Industrial Design, or a related technical discipline. Prior experience or academic exposure to ground military, defense, law enforcement, or ruggedized communication or other electronic technologies and products is desirable.
Experience with tactical audio systems, radio communication equipment, hearing protection technologies, power and data distribution hubs, or visual augmentation systems is highly advantageous. A relevant advanced degree is a plus.
EXPERIENCE:
Experience in defense or adjacent technical industries is preferred, including exposure to product development, project or program management, or technical customer support. Candidates should demonstrate strong communication skills and familiarity with military or government user communities. Any understanding of government acquisition or evaluation processes is beneficial but not required.
Being a genuine end user of the products in this portfolio is a significant advantage and will help you contribute immediately. Ideally, you’re the type of gear enthusiast who stays on the cutting edge of the industry. You are someone passionate about advancing it and shaping its future.
About the Job:
Gentex’s Situational Awareness Value Stream (SAVS) encompasses the company’s portfolio of advanced communication, hearing protection, and power/data distribution products designed to enhance warfighter awareness and mission effectiveness. This includes communication headsets, such as the Ops-Core AMP, Push-To-Talk systems (PTTs), NFMI earplugs, RAILINK power and data solutions, microphones, and emerging next-generation situational awareness technologies and products. SAVS products integrate audio, video, sensing, and power systems to provide clear communications, hazard protection, and seamless interoperability with helmets, radios, and other mission critical equipment. The value stream plays a critical role in delivering modular, rugged, and user-centric solutions for military and law enforcement professionals operating in complex environments.
This position supports the management of the product lifecycle and roadmap for Situational Awareness Value Stream (SAVS) products within the Ground Business portfolio. The Associate Product Manager defines product and market requirements, monitors performance, and ensures alignment with business, customer, and market needs. The Associate Product Manager will work closely with other Product Managers and cross-functional teams.
This role contributes to pricing activities, managing to financial targets, customer engagement, and the continuous improvement of products. The position interfaces regularly with internal teams and external customers to support positive customer experiences and help represent the SAVS product portfolio.
Responsibilities:
Manage product lifecycle activities across the Situational Awareness Value Stream (SAVS)
Contribute to the development and maintenance of product roadmaps and related strategy documentation
Drive product pricing research, competitive analysis, and initial new-product pricing inputs
Maintain product configuration documentation and support product line extensions and end-of-life activities
Manage creation of business cases for new product capabilities and value-stream investments
Manage prioritization of product development activities and coordinate with engineering, operations, and other functional teams
Build familiarity with key customer segments and participate in early customer and partner engagements
Assist with continuous improvement efforts related to customer satisfaction
Support proposal and bid preparation, leveraging developing knowledge of the product portfolio
Monitor order status and support customer communication as needed
Coordinate with distribution partners and internal functions (scheduling, manufacturing, engineering, quality, purchasing, shipping) to ensure product alignment with customer requirements
Collaborate with sales, marketing, engineering, and operations to support product development and commercialization activities
Assist Marketing Communications with product launch planning following established New Product Launch SOPs
Track performance of new products relative to initial assumptions and support activities that accelerate market adoption
Participate in trade shows, customer visits, training sessions, and product demonstrations as needed
Maintain schedule flexibility to meet critical deadlines
TO APPLY:
Visit: gentexcorp.com/careers
The naming of Blue Force Gear’s new belt pouch innovation was inspired by Ötzi the Iceman, a 5,300-year-old Copper Age traveler discovered in the Alps and proclaimed the oldest and best-pre-served, naturally mummified human ever documented. Preserved in glacial ice, Otzi was found wearing a modular belt outfitted with equipment like a knife sheath, food/medicine pouch, and fire-start-ing kit. It stands as the earliest known example of a tactical belt, a testament to how long warriors have trusted a well-built waist rig to keep mission-critical gear exactly where it needs to be.
