Senior Product Manager - Vendor… at Kuecker Pulse… · Cincinnati

KPI Solutions is a national supply chain consulting and warehouse automation systems integrator, helping some of the biggest names in e-commerce, retail, and distribution move product faster and smarter. Formed in 2021 through the combination of Kuecker Logistics Group, PULSE Integration, and QC Software, KPI brings together decades of material handling and systems integration experience — rooted in material handling integration dating back to 1971. From initial design through go-live and ongoing support, KPI delivers engineered solutions that blend automated technologies (MHE, robotics, conveyor, ASRS, AMR/AGV) with intelligent warehouse execution software to optimize productivity, increase fulfillment speed, and build operational resilience for clients.

Position Summary

The Senior Product Manager – Vendor Relations owns the product strategy and roadmap for a portfolio of material handling and warehouse automation solutions, with primary emphasis on managing and growing the OEM, technology, and equipment vendor relationships that underpin those offerings. Because these solutions only deliver value once vendor hardware and software are working reliably inside the company's and customers' systems, this role also owns the software integration requirements that make multi-vendor solutions function as one system — defining API contracts, data exchange standards, and technical acceptance criteria alongside the commercial relationship. This role serves as the strategic and technical bridge between engineering, IT, sales, operations, and external partners — including robotics and automation OEMs, WMS/WES/WCS providers, and equipment/parts suppliers — ensuring product commitments align with vendor capabilities, integration feasibility, contract terms, and long-term partnership health. The ideal candidate combines strong product management fundamentals with deep comfort negotiating, managing, and growing multi-vendor ecosystems, and enough technical fluency in software integration (APIs, data interfaces, middleware) to evaluate vendor claims and de-risk integration in a complex, integration-heavy industry.

Key Responsibilities

Vendor Relations & Partnership Management (Primary Focus)

• Serve as the primary product-side point of contact for OEM and technology vendors (e.g., robotics, AS/RS, conveyance, WMS/WES/WCS, controls) throughout the partnership lifecycle.
• Lead vendor evaluation, onboarding, and tiering processes; negotiate commercial terms, SLAs, and roadmap commitments alongside Procurement and Legal.
• Own the vendor scorecard process — tracking reliability, cost, lead time, quality, and roadmap alignment — and drive corrective action plans with underperforming partners.
• Build and maintain executive-level relationships with key suppliers and technology partners to secure preferential pricing, priority allocation, and early access to new capabilities.
• Coordinate joint go-to-market activities, co-development initiatives, and technology roadmap alignment sessions with strategic vendors.
• Manage vendor contract renewals, escalations, and dispute resolution in partnership with Legal and Finance, protecting margin and delivery commitments.
• Represent the company at vendor summits, industry trade shows (MODEX, ProMat, MHI events), and partner advisory boards.

Software & Systems Integration (Vendor Interoperability)

• Own the technical requirements and acceptance criteria for integrating vendor-supplied software and hardware (robotics controllers, WMS/WES/WCS, PLC/controls) with internal platforms and customer environments, partnering closely with Engineering and IT.
• Define and document API contracts, data exchange formats (e.g., REST/SOAP, EDI, MQTT), and middleware requirements needed for vendor systems to interoperate reliably with company and customer software stacks.
• Lead technical due diligence during vendor evaluation and onboarding — assessing integration complexity, data ownership, security posture, and architectural compatibility — before commercial terms are finalized.
• Oversee integration testing, user acceptance testing, and go-live certification with vendors ahead of customer deployments — work executed by the Technical Product Owner — ensuring interface and data-mapping issues are identified and resolved accurately prior to launch.
• Ensure the vendor integration playbook (API specifications, data mapping, versioning and upgrade paths) — maintained day-to-day by the Technical Product Owner — is accurate, current, and effectively reduces integration risk and rework across projects.
• Review the Technical Product Owner's assessment of whether vendor capabilities can be consumed through standard interfaces versus requiring custom integration work, validating accuracy before effort and cost estimates feed into build-vs-buy-vs-partner decisions.

Product Strategy & Roadmap

• Define and maintain the product roadmap for assigned material handling / automation solution lines, balancing customer needs, vendor capabilities, and competitive positioning.
• Translate vendor technology capabilities and constraints into product requirements, specifications, and release plans.
• Conduct market and competitive analysis across MHE, robotics, and warehouse software segments to inform build-vs-buy-vs-partner decisions.
• Prioritize the backlog in collaboration with Engineering and Solutions Design, accounting for vendor lead times and integration complexity.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with Sales and Solutions Engineering to support proposals, RFP responses, and client presentations that depend on vendor-supplied technology.

• Work with Implementation and Field Service teams to resolve vendor-related product issues impacting live customer deployments.

• Partner with IT and Engineering to define integration architecture standards and reusable connectors across the vendor ecosystem, reducing one-off integration work on future projects.

• Provide vendor and product roadmap input to Finance for cost modeling, pricing, and margin analysis.

• Train internal sales, service, and support teams on new vendor technologies, product updates, and positioning.

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Engineering, Supply Chain, or a related field (or equivalent experience).

• 7+ years of product management experience, with at least 3 years focused on vendor/partner or supplier relationship management.

• Demonstrated experience in the material handling, warehouse automation, robotics, or broader supply chain/logistics industry.

• Proven track record negotiating vendor contracts, SLAs, and commercial terms.

• Working knowledge of WMS, WES, WCS, and/or PLC/controls ecosystems, and hands-on familiarity with how they integrate with material handling equipment via APIs, data interfaces, and middleware.

• Demonstrated experience defining or evaluating software integration requirements (APIs, data exchange, middleware) between third-party/vendor systems and internal or customer platforms.

• Excellent negotiation, stakeholder management, and executive communication skills.

• Comfortable managing multiple concurrent vendor relationships and competing priorities in a fast-paced, client-facing environment.

• Preferred

• MBA or advanced degree in a related field.

• Product management certification (e.g., Pragmatic Institute, AIPMM).

• Direct experience partnering with automation OEMs such as AutoStore, Geek+, Hai Robotics, or similar technology providers.

• Experience at a systems integrator, equipment OEM, or software provider serving the MHI space.

• Familiarity with contract/vendor management tooling and CRM/PLM systems.

• Experience with integration platforms (iPaaS), API testing/documentation tools (e.g., Postman, Swagger/OpenAPI), or a systems integration certification.

Competencies

• Vendor & Partnership Management — builds durable, mutually beneficial relationships and negotiates from a position of long-term value, not just short-term cost.
• Strategic Thinking — connects vendor ecosystem decisions to broader product and business strategy.
• Technical Acumen — understands material handling equipment, automation, and software integration (APIs, data interfaces, middleware) well enough to evaluate vendor claims and integration risk critically.
• Influence & Communication — articulates trade-offs clearly to engineers, executives, and external partners alike.
• Commercial Judgment — balances cost, quality, and delivery risk when structuring vendor agreements.
• Collaboration — works effectively across Product, Engineering, Sales, Procurement, and Legal.

What we Offer:

• Medical Insurance
• Dental Insurance
• Vision Insurance
• Health Care Concierge Service
• 401(k) Retirement Plan (Pre-tax & Roth)
• Company paid Basic Life Insurance, Short-Term Disability & Long-Term Disability
• Voluntary Life & AD&D Insurance
• Voluntary Accident, Critical Illness & Hospital Indemnity Insurance
• Pet Insurance
• Milk Stork Program
• Wellness Program with gift card redemption and wellness challenges
• Paid Time Off (Vacation, Sick & 10 Holidays)
• Training & Development

Competitive base salary commensurate with experience, plus performance-based bonus tied to product and vendor-partnership outcomes. Comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental, vision, 401(k) with company match, paid time off, and professional development support.

Why KPI Solutions?

At KPI Solutions, you’ll be part of a team that values innovation, accountability, and continuous improvement. This is more than a reporting role—it’s an opportunity to make a measurable impact on project success and business performance.

KPI Solutions provides equal employment opportunity to all individuals regardless of their race, color, creed, religion, gender, age, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by states, federal, or local law.