Senior Product Manager

Are you a Senior Product Manager that can step into a high-growth environment and capable of expanding our SoundGear brand into new channels and categories? If so, Starkey is hiring a Senior Product Manager to join our SoundGear team at our company headquarters in Eden Prairie, MN. The Sr. Product Manager for SoundGear is responsible for managing Starkey's SoundGear product line - including hearing protection, enhancement devices, accessories, and supporting applications - throughout the entire product lifecycle. This role drives product strategy by understanding market needs, gathering customer insights, and collaborating cross-functionally to define, develop, and deliver innovative solutions. The Senior Product Manager will provide the vision, technical expertise, and leadership required to ensure SoundGear products meet customer expectations and business objectives.

At Starkey, we are in the business of connecting people and changing lives. As a world leader in the manufacturing and delivering of advanced hearing solutions, we go to work each day to ensure every person on the planet has the opportunity to hear their very best. Founded in 1967, Starkey is known for its innovative design, development and distribution of comprehensive digital hearing systems.

Headquartered in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, Starkey has more than 5,000 employees globally, operates 29+ facilities and does business in more than 100 markets worldwide.Here's a video about the people behind Starkey's groundbreaking innovation:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GjhRQ7qzlI0

Hearing is key to our health and happiness. Starkey is much more than the hearing aids we produce. We are in the business of connecting people and changing lives. We believe being able to hear the world and the people around us is as essential to the human experience as breathing. Many recent advances are already being recognized as disruptive technologies that have positioned Starkey hearing aids as the industry's first devices that go beyond providing just audiological amplification. Our hearing aids now incorporate Artificial Intelligence, embedded activity sensors, language translation and transcription services, as well as an always-on personal voice assistant.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES/RESULTS

Product Strategy & Planning

• Define the product roadmap for the SoundGear portfolio, aligning with business goals and market opportunities.
• Partner with R&D, Marketing, and Sales to translate customer needs, competitive insights, and technology trends into actionable product requirements.
• Support strategic planning, pricing analysis, and business case development, including ROI modeling and P&L support.

Requirements Gathering & Documentation

• Specify user and technical requirements for SoundGear products, accessories, and applications.
• Develop and maintain User Requirements Specifications, Feature Requirements, and Software Product Requests using Starkey's standard documentation tools.
• Conduct market research and integrate insights from customers, audiologists, and industry events into product definition.

Product Development & Lifecycle Management

• Manage SoundGear products through the entire gNPI process - from concept through launch and ongoing lifecycle support.
• Make informed trade-off decisions regarding scope, cost, and priorities based on business and technical considerations.
• Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams, including Engineering, UX, Manufacturing, and Quality, to ensure on-time, high-quality delivery.

Market & Competitive Insights

• Continuously monitor industry trends, competitive products, and customer needs in the hearing protection and enhancement space.
• Evaluate competitor offerings and provide recommendations for positioning and differentiation.
• Support the development of product positioning, naming, and go-to-market strategies in collaboration with Marketing.

Launch Support & Customer Experience

• Partner with Marketing, Education, and Customer Service to develop launch plans, training materials, and customer-facing content.
• Provide input on user manuals, specifications, and technical documentation for SoundGear products.
• Support internal teams and customers in resolving product-related issues, working quickly to identify causes and solutions.

Testing & Quality Assurance

• Assist in pre- and post-release product testing, validating feature functionality and ensuring alignment with customer expectations.
• Use bug tracking tools, execute test plans, and collaborate with Engineering to document and verify fixes.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Act as a key liaison between engineering, marketing, sales, training, and support teams to ensure alignment across the product lifecycle.
• Provide technical and market insights to stakeholders and influence product direction through data-driven recommendations.
• Perform other duties/responsibilities as assigned.

JOB REQUIREMENTS

Minimum Education, Certification and Experience Requirements

• Education
  
  
  
  • Bachelor's degree in Business, Engineering, Audiology, or a related field
  • MBA or graduate degree preferred.
  
  
  
  
• Experience
  
  
  
  • 6 years of experience in Product Management with a BS degree / 4 yrs with MBA
  • Alternatively, 8 years of professional experience in the hearing industry or other medical device roles will be considered.
  
  
  
  

Knowledge / Technical Requirements

• Strong understanding of product management principles and lifecycle processes.
• Ability to translate customer and market insights into product requirements.
• Exceptional problem-solving, organizational, and prioritization skills.
• Strong analytical mindset, with experience working on business cases and pricing strategies.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to work effectively across technical and non-technical teams.
• Proficient in MS Office Suite, project management tools, and product documentation systems.

Competencies, Skills & Abilities

• Strategic thinker with customer-first mindset.
• Collaborative and relationship-driven with strong interpersonal skills.
• Comfortable balancing technical details with business needs.
• Highly adaptable in a fast-paced, innovation-driven environment.

Working Conditions

• Standard office conditions
• Standard office setting with moderate travel required (10-20%) for trade shows, customer visits, and industry events.
• Requires occasional hands-on testing and evaluation of SoundGear devices and software.
• Some weekend, evening and holiday work may be required at various times.

Salary and Other Compensation:

The annual salary for this position is between $ 105,490 - $147,000 / year. Factors which may affect starting pay within this range may include geography/market, skills, education, experience and other qualifications of the successful candidate. This position is eligible for a bonus based upon performance results. There is no guarantee of payout.

Benefits:

#LI-HW1