• You will define and execute the long-term strategy for Kardex’s hardware portfolio, ensuring future competitiveness, profitability, and sustainable growth.  

• You will drive portfolio decisions based on market opportunities, customer needs, business impact, and financial performance.  

• You will continuously evaluate and optimize the product portfolio to strengthen Kardex’s market position and competitive advantage.  

• You will prioritize investments and allocate resources across competing opportunities to maximize portfolio value and return on investment.  

• You will collaborate closely with Sales, Marketing, Engineering, and Operations to translate market insights into successful portfolio strategies.  

• You will lead portfolio simplification, lifecycle management, modularization, and complexity-reduction initiatives to improve efficiency and scalability.  

• You will challenge the status quo and foster an innovative, entrepreneurial mindset that drives sustainable business success.  

• You will lead, coach, and develop a team of Product Managers, building a high-performing and commercially focused Product Management organization.  

• You will make strategic portfolio decisions, balancing growth opportunities, profitability, technological developments, and customer value.  

• You will ensure that the Kardex hardware portfolio is well-positioned to meet future market demands and support the company's long-term strategic objectives. 

• Strong business and commercial background with a solid understanding of economics, portfolio management, and investment decisions.

• Entrepreneurial mindset with experience driving growth, competitiveness, and business performance. 

• Experience in Business Development, Management Consulting, startup environments, or entrepreneurial roles is a strong plus.

• Proven ability to work effectively with Sales and Marketing organizations to bring products successfully to market. 

• Highly data-driven and comfortable making decisions based on financial and commercial impact. 

• Strong technical affinity and interest in hardware products, without being an engineering specialist. 

• Ability to drive innovation, challenge the status quo, and inspire teams to think differently. 

• Leadership experience is a plus, but outstanding candidates with strong business credentials will also be considered. 

___________________________

Case Study

You take over the role of the Director Hardware Portfolio Management (m/f/d) and will be responsible for leading a team of Hardware Product Managers. As part of this role, you are tasked with planning and executing a Customer Innovation Day with selected customers.

Please develop a concept that addresses the following topics:

• Purpose and expected outcomes of the Customer Innovation Day

• Selection and engagement of relevant customers and stakeholders

• Structure and agenda of the event

• Your role and responsibilities as Team Lead

• Task allocation and delegation within your team

• Critical success factors to ensure a valuable customer experience and meaningful outcomes

• Metrics and criteria you would use to evaluate the success of the event

Deliverables

Please submit the following with your application:

Presentation (PDF format, maximum 4 slides) Short presentation video explaining your concept, assumptions, and key decisions Recommended video length: 3 to 5 minutes

The objective is not to create a perfect event plan, but to demonstrate how you approach a cross-functional leadership challenge, align a team around a common goal, and generate customer-driven innovation outcomes.