Jobs › Barry-Wehmiller

Product Line Business Leader

Barry-Wehmiller · Phillips, WI · Full time

Posted Aug 3, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Oct 6, 2026

Apply at Barry-Wehmiller

Likely interview questions for this role

Written from this job description, not a generic list. Each one notes what the interviewer is really checking.

About your past

Tell me about a time you led people who didn't report to you, like application engineers or project managers, to hit a business target.

What they are checking: Whether they can lead across functions through influence, since a product line spans many departments.

Tell me about a project that went badly over budget. What did you learn and change?

What they are checking: Whether they own business results honestly and turn failures into process improvements.

What would you do

Sales wants to quote a big order with heavy customization at a thin margin. How do you decide?

What they are checking: Whether they weigh strategic value against risk and can say no or reshape a deal when needed.

A customer refuses to sign acceptance over a minor issue and payment is held. What do you do?

What they are checking: Whether they can resolve customer disputes fairly while protecting cash flow and the relationship.

What would you look at in your first 90 days to understand the health of this product line?

What they are checking: Whether they have a structured way to learn a business before making big changes.

About the work

You'd oversee the equipment lifecycle from quotation through customer acceptance. Where do margins usually leak in that lifecycle?

What they are checking: Whether they understand the whole value stream well enough to know where profit is really lost.

Walk me through how you'd set pricing for a capital equipment quote with a lot of custom content.

What they are checking: Whether they can price strategically while protecting margin on engineered-to-order work.

How do you use margin analysis, or GPA, to make decisions during a project rather than only after it closes?

What they are checking: Whether they treat margin as a live management tool and act on it before it is too late.

How do you balance standardizing a product line with meeting customer-specific requests?

What they are checking: Whether they understand that standardization drives margin and lead time while customization wins some orders.

How would you make sure cost estimates from engineering are accurate enough to price from?

What they are checking: Whether they can build trust in estimates, since bad estimates quietly ruin quotes and margins.

Practice this interview out loud.

Offer builds a real interview for this exact role at Barry-Wehmiller from your resume and this job description, asks the questions one at a time, and tells you what landed. The first one is free.

Practice this out loud

The full job description

As published by Barry-Wehmiller.

About Us: BW Papersystems, part of the Barry-Wehmiller Group, builds capital equipment that transforms paper into products for consumers - every day, around the world. We offer innovative technologies, service and parts, and years of global experience in corrugating, finishing; slitting and packaging; stationery; bookbinding and security documents. Customers rely on our machines to produce and convert items such as corrugated boxes, folding cartons, passports, notebooks, copy paper, board, and coated and other specialty papers. For more information, visit bwpapersystems.com. Barry-Wehmiller is a diversified global supplier of engineering consulting and manufacturing technology for the packaging, corrugating, sheeting and paper-converting industries. By blending people-centric leadership with disciplined operational strategies and purpose-driven growth, Barry-Wehmiller has become a $3 billion organization with nearly 12,000 team members united by a common belief: to use the power of business to build a better world. Job Description: The Product Line Business Leader oversees the complete equipment lifecycle from quotation through customer acceptance, including Application Engineering, strategic pricing, cost estimation, margin analysis (GPA), design, release, and project management. This role leads the product value stream to achieve business results while ensuring products are properly specified, safely designed and installed, and meet or exceed quality and customer expectations. The Business Leader manages all value stream functions from order receipt through design release, providing cross-functional leadership across all shifts. This position champions Lean best practices implementation and drives continuous improvement by eliminating waste and optimizing flow throughout the value stream. Key Responsibilities/Complexities: Strategic/Planning: • Create a value stream plan; establish and execute strategic plans. • Support development of strategies and pricing levels to win orders. • Establish goals, set priorities and coordinate all related activities with value stream members to ensure focus on meeting or exceeding established common business goals and financial objectives. • Manage the annual budget for assigned value stream. Sales/Pre-Order Phase: • Responsible for Inside Sales, so process responsibility spans Quote-Design-Project Management-Customer Acceptance. • Responsible for quoting the right solution for the application, including Applications Engineering. • Responsible for project cost estimates (GPAs). • Collaborate with sales to develop sales strategies designed to achieve profitable sales volume. Design/Engineering Phase: • Achieve required design release to meet or exceed internal customer expectations; ensure all designs are following customer and quality system requirements • Implement small Eng changes (less than 20 hours) to adjust equipment to the Customer requirements • Coordinate with the Engineering Group when the project requires new designs or large modifications. Project Execution Phase: • Responsible for Leading the Project Managers • Oversee all aspects of large and complex projects; coordinate work activities of multiple functional areas to ensure satisfactory delivery of assigned projects. Customer Delivery Phase: • Partner with customers for successful product implementation; exceed customer expectations. Operational Management: • Manage the P&L drivers of the value stream; ensure optimal availability, reliability, and budgetary performance. • Manage the business metrics and reporting requirements for assigned value stream; measure and identify gaps and implement countermeasures. Leadership/People Development: • Provide leadership for value stream employees; lead and support the development of team members and participate in succession planning in areas of responsibility. • Champion Lean culture and practices; act as a strategic liaison and engage with cross-functional teams in continuous improvement projects; build strong alliances across all functions. • Embrace and exemplify the guiding principles of leadership and leadership fundamentals. Competencies: • Knowledge and demonstrated experience in championing Lean techniques. • Demonstrated knowledge of manufacturing policies and practices. • Experience in managing budgets. • Ability to develop and execute detailed goals and project plans to strategically align with the company vision. • Demonstrated ability to initiate and drive systemic improvement and cost reduction activities. • Ability to bring together a team with a shared vision of delivering results and embracing the culture of the organization. • Ability to understand the product line. • Possess strong situational assessment and management skills; data driven decision making ability; strong quality orientation. • Demonstrated leadership; ability to train and develop team members. • Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills; proficient in process auditing. • Possess a solid working knowledge of other business functions. • Technical competency with ability to provide clear direction to engineers. • Demonstrated skills in project planning, negotiation, conflict resolution and mentoring. • Proficient in MS Office, CRM and ERP systems; MAPICS and Sales Logix preferred. • Demonstrated excellent written and oral communication and interpersonal skills; be able to independently solve problems while interacting with all levels of various teams and teammates on daily processes and flow. • Must be capable of multi-tasking various duties throughout the day, have a positive attitude with an ability to be versatile and flexible. Initiative/Ingenuity: • Outstanding judgement, initiative, and ability are required to work independently towards general results and to devise and modify procedures to meet unusual conditions and make related decisions within limitations of established policies. • Handles confidential data of major importance; leads and motivates function charged with meeting goals to ensure company profitability and reputations as an industry leader. Required Education and Experience: • Bachelor’s degree in business or engineering required; master’s degree preferred. • Typically requires 10+ years’ experience in engineering or project management. • Demonstrated past leadership positions that validate core management skills. Supervisory/Responsibility: Manages assigned value stream with subordinates and team members, liaison with other functions. Reports To: Senior VP, Corrugated Work Environment: The New Equipment Value Stream Leader works in an indoor office environment. May be exposed to shop elements, but not continuously to the extent of being disagreeable. Physical Demands: The employee may be required to stand, sit, climb or balance, stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee may lift and/or move up to 50 pounds unassisted and greater than 50 pounds with assistance. Normal mental and visual attention is necessary to perform various duties. Responsibility – Equipment/Materials: Errors in judgement may cause major expenditures, potential loss of customer account and damage to prestige of company. Considerable tact is involved with outside/inside contacts; works with confidential information of major importance that, if disclosed, may be detrimental to the company. Safety: All safety regulations must be observed. Position Type: This is a regular, full-time position with the understanding that a regular workweek will require extended days and hours as needed to meet business needs. Travel: Some travel is expected for this position. Anticipated travel is >25% #LI-EA1 At Barry-Wehmiller we recognize that people come with a wealth of experience and talent beyond just the technical requirements of a job. If your experience is close to what you see listed here, please still consider applying. We know that our differences often can bring about innovation, excellence and meaningful work—therefore, people from all backgrounds are encouraged to apply to our positions. Please let us know if you require reasonable accommodations during the interview process. ​ Barry-Wehmiller is an equal opportunity employer. M/F/D/V This organization uses E-Verify. Applicants may be subject to pre-employment screening which may include drug screening, reference checks, employment verifications, background screening and/or skills assessments. Company: BW Papersystems

Apply at Barry-Wehmiller