Job Summary
The Product Line Director - Drilling Fluid Handling is responsible for the strategic leadership, growth, profitability, and lifecycle management of FETs Drilling Fluid Handling product portfolio, including mud gate valves, drill pipe float valves, and other engineered products. This role owns the product line vision and strategy, ensuring alignment with company objectives, market opportunities, customer needs, and operational capabilities.
The Product Line Director serves as the commercial and technical leader for the product portfolio, driving product innovation, market expansion, lifecycle management, pricing strategy, and profitability. This individual collaborates closely with engineering, operations, sales, marketing, and finance teams to deliver differentiated products and sustained business growth while ensuring customer satisfaction and competitive positioning in the marketplace.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership & Product Line Ownership
- Develop and execute the long-term strategic vision and roadmap for the Drilling Fluid Handling product portfolio.
- Align product line strategies with overall business objectives, market opportunities, and customer requirements.
- Identify growth opportunities through new product development, market expansion, acquisitions, and portfolio optimization.
- Establish and communicate product line goals, priorities, and performance expectations across the organization.
Market Intelligence & Customer Engagement
- Conduct comprehensive market research and competitive analysis to identify industry trends, customer needs, market size, and emerging opportunities.
- Maintain strong relationships with customers, channel partners, and industry stakeholders to understand operational challenges and future requirements.
- Gather and analyze customer feedback to guide product enhancements and innovation initiatives.
- Represent the product line at customer meetings, industry events, trade shows, and key strategic discussions.
Product Development & Innovation
- Lead the product development process from concept through commercialization, partnering with engineering and operations teams to define requirements and priorities.
- Drive innovation initiatives that enhance product performance, reliability, safety, and customer value.
- Ensure product development projects meet quality, schedule, and financial objectives.
- Prioritize product investments based on market demand, revenue potential, and strategic objectives.
Portfolio & Lifecycle Management
- Manage the full lifecycle of the Drilling Fluid Handling product portfolio, including introduction, growth, maturity, and end-of-life phases.
- Evaluate product performance and make data-driven decisions regarding enhancements, rationalization, and discontinuation.
- Maintain a balanced portfolio that meets customer demands while achieving profitability and growth targets.
- Develop business cases and investment strategies for new products and product improvements.
Financial & Commercial Leadership
- Own product line revenue growth, profitability, and market share objectives.
- Develop pricing strategies based on market positioning, competitive analysis, customer value, and cost structures.
- Monitor financial performance, margins, and cost drivers, identifying opportunities to improve profitability.
- Support annual budgeting, forecasting, and strategic planning processes for the product line.
Sales & Marketing Enablement
- Partner with sales and marketing teams to develop go-to-market strategies and drive commercial success.
- Support the creation of marketing collateral, product literature, technical documentation, case studies, presentations, and customer-facing communications.
- Provide product training and technical guidance to internal teams, distributors, and customers.
- Participate in customer presentations, product demonstrations, contract negotiations, and key account development activities.
Cross-Functional Leadership
- Lead and influence cross-functional teams across engineering, operations, sales, marketing, supply chain, and finance.
- Ensure alignment between business objectives and execution priorities throughout the organization.
- Drive accountability and collaboration to achieve product line objectives and customer commitments.
- Serve as the primary internal advocate for the Drilling Fluid Handling product portfolio.
Performance & Compliance
- Establish and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) related to revenue, profitability, market share, product performance, and customer satisfaction.
- Regularly assess product line performance and communicate results to executive leadership.
- Ensure compliance with applicable industry standards, regulatory requirements, and quality management systems.
- Support product reliability, safety, and continuous improvement initiatives.
Skills & Knowledge
- Strong leadership ability with a demonstrated capacity to influence and lead cross-functional teams.
- Strategic thinker with strong business acumen and commercial mindset.
- Deep understanding of product management, portfolio management, and product lifecycle processes.
- Strong analytical, financial, and problem-solving skills.
- Customer-focused approach with the ability to translate market insights into profitable business strategies.
- Excellent communication, presentation, and negotiation skills.
- Proven ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced environment.
- Experience developing pricing strategies, business cases, and growth plans.
- Working knowledge of manufacturing, engineering, and operational processes related to oilfield equipment.
- Proficiency with market analysis, product management tools, and performance measurement methodologies.
Education
- Bachelors degree in Engineering, Business, Marketing, or a related field required.
- MBA or advanced technical/business degree preferred,
Required Experience
- Minimum of 7-10 years of progressive experience in product management, product line management, engineering, or commercial leadership roles within the oil and gas industry.
- Demonstrated experience managing engineered products and driving product line profitability.
- Strong technical knowledge of Drilling Fluid Handling products, including mud gate valves, drill pipe float valves, and related drilling equipment.
- Proven success developing and executing product strategies that deliver revenue growth and market share gains.
- Experience leading cross-functional teams and influencing stakeholders at all organizational levels.
- Experience with global markets, customer engagement, and commercial decision-making preferred.
About FET
FET (Forum Energy Technologies, Inc.) is a global company, serving the crude oil, natural gas, and renewable energy industries. FET is headquartered in Houston, TX with quality manufacturing, efficient distribution, and service facilities conveniently located to support the major energy-producing regions of the world. Forum's products and services range from the underwater reservoir to the refinery, from the sea floor to the above ground transportation line. We pride ourselves on giving you a comprehensive offering of solutions to maximize your operations and improve your bottom line. Our customers are our partners and we work with them to solve their ever-changing challenges.
FET is an Equal Opportunity Employer. FET does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national or ethnic origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, protected veteran status or other characteristics protected under federal, state, or local law. All employment decisions and practices at FET are subject to the foregoing non-discrimination provisions and are based solely on merit, competence, performance, and business needs at the time.
FET participates in E-Verify and will provide the federal government with your Form I-9 information to confirm that you are authorized to work in the U.S. FET participa en E-Verify y proporcionará al gobierno federal la información de su Formulario I-9 para confirmar que usted está autorizado para trabajar en los EE.UU..
As part of our hiring process, we may use technology, including AI-enabled tools, to help review and assess applications based on job-related criteria. All hiring decisions are made by our recruitment team and hiring managers.