Product Director
- Compensation
- $140K–$160K / yr
- Location
- Compton, United States
- Work setup
- Onsite
- Seniority
- Not specified
- Employment
- Contract
- Experience
- 8+ years
- Category
- Not specified
- Posted
Skills
Must have
- Experience: 8+ years of progressive leadership in engineering, design, NPI, or product development.
- Client Focus: Proven history managing senior stakeholder relationships, handling executive escalations, and delivering excellent CX.
- Leadership: Success building, mentoring, and managing high-performing teams, shaping culture, and resolving personnel challenges.
- Systems Builder: Ability to formalize and scale operating systems, processes, and cross-functional governance frameworks.
- Commercial Acumen: Experience negotiating major follow-on contracts, managing scope creep, and optimizing portfolio profitability.
- Communication: Strong written and verbal skills capable of bridging technical teams, corporate management, and client executives.
- Travel: Ability to travel domestically up to 20% of the time.
Nice to have
- Experience in complex hardware sectors (automotive, aerospace, robotics, autonomous systems, energy).
- Strong familiarity with engineering workflows, product lifecycles, and NPI complexities.
- PMP Certification or an MBA (or equivalent exposure to business cases and startup economics).
- Forward-thinking approach to integrating Gen AI tools into workflows to drive team efficiency.
- US Citizenship or Permanent Residency (due to export-controlled industries).
Full description
About Motivo
Motivo is a project-based company delivering excellence in mechanical and electrical system design and prototype builds. We have a history in successfully taking concepts through to actual finished solutions. Our work spans a wide range of market segments including mobility/automotive, aerospace, robotics, and clean energy, to name a few. Every team member will experience a wide variety of challenging projects, offering rich opportunities for professional growth. We are passionate about solving complex engineering challenges, striving for excellence within every unique project constraint, and believe in having fun while we do it!
About the Role
Motivo is seeking a Product Director to lead a portfolio of complex engineering and product development programs. You will manage a team of direct-report Project and Product Managers to deliver creative solutions, cultivate deep client partnerships, and drive sustained business growth. As a member of the leadership team, you will also champion continuous improvement across Motivo’s people, processes, and tools. If you are a builder who thrives in ambiguity and can translate a big-picture vision into concrete, client-ready solutions, we want you on our team.
What You’ll Do
1. Client Management & Business Development (40%)
Success at Motivo starts with deep client empathy. We manage our projects to build long-term relationships, not short-term wins. We have a reputation for being just as dedicated to our clients’ missions as their internal team - going the extra mile to ensure they are successful.
- Relationship Management: Act as the senior escalation point across all engagements to ensure a top-tier client experience (CX).
- Client Strategy: Establish the strategic direction for business unit accounts, integrating market trends and client insights into long-term portfolio planning.
- Business Capture: Collaborate with Business Development to onboard new clients, and lead negotiations to close major follow-on contracts.
2. Organizational Leadership (30%)
The Product Director is a force-multiplier, leading a diverse team of professionals.
- Team Guidance & Mentorship: Structure, support, and mentor a team of 3–6 project and product managers, making key resource and project assignments.
- Personnel Management: Define staffing needs, set clear performance expectations, identify skill gaps, support development plans, and proactively resolve performance shortfalls.
- Process Optimization: Identify, document, and scale core PM processes and cross-functional tools to ensure continuous operational improvement.
- Corporate Citizenship: Cultivate an internal culture of collaboration while expanding Motivo’s external footprint through community and non-profit connections.