Product Manager – Material Handling & Clean Energy Solutions

About the role

Take full regional ownership of an innovative product portfolio that drives the shift toward green industrial mobility across Southern Africa. You will act as the strategic bridge between the client’s global manufacturing headquarters and the Southern African commercial market, shaping the regional product roadmap and leading high‑stakes fleet transformation projects.

Key responsibilities

• Partner with global engineering and commercial divisions to adapt international forklift platforms for Southern African operating conditions.
• Lead the regional factory‑to‑market pipeline, delivering sales forecasts, configuration requests and production timelines to global manufacturing hubs.
• Define regional commercial architecture, including list pricing, dealer discount structures and gross‑margin targets, and build Total Cost of Ownership models.
• Serve as the technical authority for product compliance across SADC borders, managing homologation, SANS compliance, OHS Act and hazardous shipping standards (UN38.3).
• Establish and audit safety protocols for high‑voltage battery storage, workshop infrastructure and field training.
• Act as subject‑matter expert on corporate tenders, co‑pitching high‑capacity lithium‑ion fleets to logistics hubs, distribution centres and ports.

Required profile

• Minimum 5 + years progressive product management or commercial technical experience in an industrial equipment, heavy machinery or commercial vehicle OEM environment.
• Strong knowledge of lithium‑ion technology, Battery Management Systems and high‑voltage electrical safety.
• Proven ability to build pricing models, protect manufacturer margins and manage currency volatility (ZAR/USD/EUR).
• Experience managing product lifecycles, homologation and market localisation across South Africa and the wider SADC region.
• Willingness to travel regionally across Southern Africa and internationally to global manufacturing headquarters.

Required skills

• Lithium‑ion technology
• Battery Management Systems (BMS)
• High‑voltage electrical safety
• Industrial charging infrastructure
• Industrial fleet telemetry
• IoT platforms
• Digital diagnostics systems