Preparing for an interview at Generac requires a balanced approach. You must demonstrate deep product management fundamentals while showing a strong appreciation for the physical and operational constraints of energy technology products.

Here are the key evaluation criteria that the hiring team will use to assess your candidacy:

Role-Related Knowledge – You must demonstrate a solid understanding of how hardware and software systems interact. Whether your focus is on installer tools or grid software, you need to show that you understand the ecosystem, the target persona, and the technical constraints of the domain.

Problem-Solving & Structure – Interviewers want to see how you dissect complex, ambiguous problems. You should use clear, structured frameworks to explain your decision-making process, prioritization methodologies, and how you translate customer pain points into actionable product requirements.

Leadership & Stakeholder Influence – Because Generac operates across multiple traditional and modern engineering disciplines, your ability to build relationships, influence without authority, and communicate clearly across hardware, software, and operations teams is critical.

Adaptability & Drive – The energy sector is evolving rapidly. You should demonstrate a passion for innovation, a continuous learning mindset, and the resilience required to navigate changing priorities and organizational growth.

The interview process for a Product Manager at Generac is designed to evaluate both your tactical product skills and your strategic thinking. While the process is comprehensive, candidates should prepare for a timeline that can span several weeks or months, occasionally requiring proactive candidate follow-up to transition between stages.

The journey typically begins with a brief introductory HR screening call to align on experience and expectations. This is followed by one or more technical and behavioral Zoom interviews with hiring managers and peer product leaders. The final stage is an onsite interview, where you will meet with cross-functional stakeholders, engineering leads, and business executives to dive deeper into your past achievements and problem-solving capabilities.

The visual timeline above outlines the standard progression from your initial application to the final decision. Candidates should use this sequence to pace their preparation, focusing heavily on core product competencies during the middle rounds and scaling up to cross-functional leadership and executive presentation skills for the onsite stage. Note that exact timelines and round counts can vary slightly depending on the seniority of the role and the specific business unit.

To excel in the Generac interview process, you must understand the specific competencies that interviewers are trained to evaluate.

Hardware-Software Co-Design & IoT

For many roles at Generac, software does not live in a vacuum—it powers, connects, or services physical equipment. Candidates must demonstrate an understanding of how physical products and digital services create unified value.

Be ready to go over:

• Firmware and Software Alignment – How to coordinate software release cycles with hardware production schedules.
• Connectivity and IoT Protocols – Basic understanding of cellular, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth communication for smart devices.
• Lifecycle Management – Managing legacy hardware support while continuously updating software features.
• Advanced concepts – Edge computing in smart home devices, over-the-air (OTA) firmware update risk mitigation, and predictive maintenance algorithms.

Example scenarios:

• Designing a software update for an in-home battery system that optimizes power usage during peak grid hours.
• Resolving a critical software bug that is causing connectivity dropouts on physical generator controllers in the field.

Service & Installation Ecosystems

Many Product Manager roles, such as those focusing on installation and service experience, require a deep empathy for the B2B users who install, maintain, and service Generac products.

Be ready to go over:

• Persona Mapping – Understanding the daily workflows, pain points, and toolsets of professional installers and field technicians.
• Efficiency Metrics – Identifying and tracking metrics like "time-to-install" or "first-time fix rate."
• Integration with Operations – Coordinating digital tools with physical supply chain and training programs.

Example scenarios:

• Developing a mobile application that guides a technician through a complex generator installation process step-by-step.
• Prioritizing features for a partner portal that manages service dispatches and warranty claims.

Cross-Functional Collaboration & Execution

A successful PM at Generac acts as the connective tissue between diverse departments that operate at different speeds.

Be ready to go over:

• Influencing Engineering – How you work with both agile software development teams and traditional hardware engineers.
• Go-To-Market (GTM) Strategy – Collaborating with marketing, sales, and channel partners to launch products.
• Managing Executive Stakeholders – Presenting product roadmaps and business cases to senior leadership.

Example scenarios:

• Aligning a hardware engineering team and a software team on a delayed product launch schedule.
• Convincing sales leadership to support a shift from a one-time purchase model to a software-as-a-service (SaaS) subscription model.

As a Product Manager at Generac, your day-to-day work will be highly dynamic, bridging high-level strategy and hands-on execution. You will hold ultimate accountability for the success of your product line, ensuring that engineering efforts align with customer needs and company business objectives.

Your core responsibilities will include:

• Defining Product Vision & Roadmap: You will synthesize market research, customer feedback, and technological trends to build a compelling product roadmap. This involves managing competing priorities and making tough trade-off decisions to maximize business impact.
• Cross-Functional Leadership: You will lead daily standups, sprint planning, and product reviews with engineering teams. Simultaneously, you will interface with hardware design, marketing, supply chain, regulatory compliance, and customer support teams to ensure holistic product readiness.
• User Research & Data Analysis: You will spend time in the field with installers, service technicians, and end-consumers to understand their needs. You will analyze product usage data, customer support tickets, and system performance metrics to drive continuous product optimization.
• Business & GTM Alignment: You will build business cases for new product initiatives, establishing pricing models, ROI calculations, and go-to-market strategies in partnership with sales and finance teams.