Job Title:  DVP, Business Manager, Education Communication Systems

The Divisional Vice President (DVP), Business Manager - Education Communication Systems is responsible for leading the growth, strategic direction, product portfolio, and business performance of Rauland's Education Communications business. This executive is accountable for achieving orders, sales revenue, gross margin, and profitability objectives while driving market expansion, customer adoption, and long-term value creation.

The DVP develops and executes the business strategy and product roadmap, ensuring alignment between customer needs, market opportunities, technology investments, and financial objectives. This role leads portfolio investment decisions, commercial growth initiatives, and innovation strategies that strengthen Rauland's market leadership and accelerate organic growth.

Part of the Rauland Senior Leadership Team, reporting into the BU Manager, this role will partner closely with Product Management, Engineering, Sales, Marketing, Operations, and Finance, and drives profitable growth, enhances customer value, and delivers business results. Success in this role requires strong business and financial acumen, demonstrated experience leading product roadmap strategy, and a proven ability to translate market insights into sustainable growth and performance.

Key Responsibilities:

Strategic & Business Leadership

• Own the Education business strategy and operating plan, with direct accountability for orders, revenue growth, gross margin performance, and overall business results
• Develop and execute the long-term growth strategy for the Education business, including market expansion, customer acquisition, and portfolio development.
• Lead the development and execution of the multi-year business and product roadmap, ensuring alignment with customer needs, market opportunities, and financial objectives.
• Balance short-term commercial execution with long-term strategic investments that drive sustainable growth and profitability.
• Identify emerging market trends, customer needs, competitive dynamics, and technology opportunities to inform strategic direction.
• Serve as the voice of the customer, translating market insights into actionable business, product, and commercial priorities.
• Represent Rauland externally with customers, industry associations, channel partners, and key stakeholders.
• Drive strategic initiatives that strengthen market position and increase customer engagement across target segments.

Commercial Growth & Customer Engagement

• Lead commercial strategy and execution in partnership with Sales and Marketing, with direct accountability for orders growth, sales revenue, market share expansion, and gross margin performance.
• Establish pricing, channel, and market development strategies to maximize profitable growth and customer lifetime value.
• Review and drive performance against bookings, revenue, backlog, conversion, and profitability targets.
• Strengthen relationships with key customers, school districts, consultants, integrators, and channel partners.
• Support go-to-market planning, demand generation initiatives, strategic account development, and market penetration efforts.

Strategic & Business Leadership

• Own the Education business strategy and operating plan, with direct accountability for orders, revenue growth, gross margin performance, and overall business results
• Develop and execute the long-term growth strategy for the Education business, including market expansion, customer acquisition, and portfolio development.
•  Lead the development and execution of the multi-year business and product roadmap, ensuring alignment with customer needs, market opportunities, and financial objectives.
• Balance short-term commercial execution with long-term strategic investments that drive sustainable growth and profitability.
• Identify emerging market trends, customer needs, competitive dynamics, and technology opportunities to inform strategic direction.
• Serve as the voice of the customer, translating market insights into actionable business, product, and commercial priorities.
• Represent Rauland externally with customers, industry associations, channel partners, and key stakeholders.
• Drive strategic initiatives that strengthen market position and increase customer engagement across target segments.

Commercial Growth & Customer Engagement

• Lead commercial strategy and execution in partnership with Sales and Marketing, with direct accountability for orders growth, sales revenue, market share expansion, and gross margin performance.
• Establish pricing, channel, and market development strategies to maximize profitable growth and customer lifetime value.
• Review and drive performance against bookings, revenue, backlog, conversion, and profitability targets.
• Strengthen relationships with key customers, school districts, consultants, integrators, and channel partners.
• Support go-to-market planning, demand generation initiatives, strategic account development, and market penetration efforts.
• Collaborate with commercial teams to ensure effective positioning, messaging, and launch strategies for new solutions.
• Monitor market performance and customer feedback to identify opportunities for growth and continuous improvement.

Product Strategy & Innovation Leadership

• Own the Education business product strategy and portfolio roadmap, ensuring product investments support customer needs, revenue growth, market leadership, and profitability objectives.
• Provide executive leadership for product portfolio management, including roadmap prioritization, lifecycle management, investment decisions, and portfolio optimization.
• Oversee business case development and investment prioritization for new product development initiatives.
• Ensure alignment between product roadmap execution, market requirements, competitive positioning, and financial return objectives
• Prioritize product investments, innovation initiatives, and new solution development based on customer needs and market opportunities. Partner with engineering leadership and finance to ensure adequate capital allocation based on the business case.
• Drive alignment between product strategy, technology trends, and commercial objectives.
• Champion customer-centered innovation and ensure the portfolio remains competitive within the education and critical communications markets.
• Oversee product lifecycle planning, including new product introductions, portfolio optimization, and long-term roadmap development.
• Drive partnership opportunities with non-Rauland vendors and companies in the Education space to meet revenue opportunities. 

Cross Functional Alignment

• Collaborate closely with Engineering, Operations, Quality, and Supply Chain to ensure successful development, launch, and delivery of solutions.
• Foster alignment between commercial, product, and operational teams to achieve business objectives.
• Lead strategic planning processes and ensure execution against key growth initiatives.
• Support organizational effectiveness through data-driven decision making and continuous improvement.

People Leadership & Organizational Development

• Build and develop high-performing teams focused on growth, innovation, and customer success.
• Foster a culture of collaboration, accountability, and market-focused decision making.
• Develop future leaders through coaching, talent development, and succession planning.
• Promote an environment that encourages innovation and cross-functional partnership.

Business Performance

• Lead annual operating plans, strategic growth initiatives, forecasting, resource allocation, and investment decisions to achieve business objectives.
• Monitor and drive key performance indicators including bookings, revenue, gross margin, operating profit, market share, customer retention, and new product performance.
• Partner with Finance to develop and execute budgets, forecasts, pricing strategies, and profitability improvement initiatives.
• Balance growth investments with operational discipline to ensure achievement of both top-line and bottom-line objectives.
• Drive business reviews and corrective actions to ensure financial commitments and strategic priorities are met.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Engineering, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience; MBA or other advanced degree preferred.
• 12+ years of progressive leadership experience in general management, business management, or P&L leadership roles with accountability for orders, revenue, gross margin, and operating income performance.
• Proven track record of driving organic growth, margin expansion, and overall business performance within a technology, industrial, or solutions-based organization.
• Demonstrated success developing and executing product portfolio strategies, multi-year product roadmaps, and new product introduction initiatives.
• Experience leading a business with responsibility for both commercial performance and product portfolio decisions.
• Strong ability to integrate customer insights, product strategy, and financial objectives into business growth plans.
• Strong commercial and financial acumen, including experience in pricing, go-to-market strategy, customer engagement, and business planning.
• Ability to leverage customer and market insights to drive innovation, customer value, and sustainable growth.
• Proven ability to lead cross-functional teams, influence senior leaders, and drive results in a decentralized, matrixed environment.
• Strategic thinker with strong execution discipline, business judgment, and a results-oriented leadership style.
• Customer-focused, market-driven mindset with a passion for delivering differentiated solutions.
• Experience in K-12 education, campus safety, critical communications, life safety, security technology, emergency management, or related technology markets preferred.
• Strong understanding of software-enabled solutions, connected technologies, communications platforms, IoT-based systems, or similar technologies preferred.
• Experience working with channel partners, consultants, systems integrators, or technology ecosystems serving education or institutional customers preferred.
• Experience operating within a decentralized, growth-oriented industrial technology organization and/or regulated, highly customer-centric markets preferred.
• Ability to travel approximately 40%, including visits to customers, partners, and business locations as required.