Our purpose is to positively impact people’s lives every day in every home around the world! We work very hard to provide our consumers with high-quality, exciting 5-star products that make life easier. We thrive on passion and innovation and are looking for great people, with great ideas, who want to build the next big thing and develop while they do.

About the role:

As a Design Director of Advanced Development (AD), you will be responsible for overseeing and directing all aspects of research, design, and development activities, driving innovation, and ensuring the successful execution of AD projects aligned with SharkNinja’s goal of positively impacting people’s lives every day. You will put the user at the centre of everything you do, and lead with an innovative mindset for the business. You are the product’s market expert/curator: you will ensure a 5-star product and commercialization experience for consumers. You must have a passion for bringing innovative, successful new products to market, and be a creative/strategic thinker who strives to align category goals and objectives with company mission, moving forward vigorously with consensus. You will be positive, energetic, self-reliant, an agile thinker, a lover of products, action-oriented, and be able to develop and drive a 5-star team that lives and breathes the SharkNinja Success Drivers.  

Here are some of the exciting things you’ll get to do:

• Leadership and Team Management: Lead, mentor, and manage a team of exceptional product designers. Provide guidance, support, and encouragement to foster a creative culture of innovation and design excellence.
• Takes overall ownership of multiple projects through conception, prototyping, CAD execution, and verification, whilst consistently working at pace and successfully develops team to do the same. 
• Project Management: Oversee the creation, incubation, and development of products from conception to a managed transition into the NPD cycle. Ensure projects are delivered on time, within budget, and meet quality standards.
• Research and Innovation: Drive continuous innovation by staying updated with emerging technologies, market trends, and industry advancements. Encourage and facilitate research activities to develop new products, technologies, or processes.
• Collaboration and Cross-Functional Coordination: Foster collaboration between R&D, product development, engineering, and other departments to ensure seamless integration of AD initiatives into NPD cycles.
• Communication and Reporting: Effectively communicate AD strategies, progress, and outcomes to key stakeholders, executives, and other relevant parties.
• Challenge assumptions and think innovatively to solve complex problems creatively.

Here are some of the things you’ll bring:

• Extensive experience (typically 12+ years) in product design roles, with progressively increasing responsibilities and leadership positions. Prior experience in managing teams and leading design initiatives is crucial.
• BSc/BA in Product Design, Industrial Design Engineering, or relevant experience in R&D, consumer product development, or product design.
• Extensive experience working on user-centred innovation projects and passionate about understanding consumer needs.
• Proven track record of creating and implementing robust, elegant, and innovative solutions to complex problems.
• Respect and understanding of other disciplines, including Marketing, Industrial Design, User Experience, Electronics, Quality, Consumer Insights and Manufacturing.
• Ability to lead in a dynamic, entrepreneurial, deadline driven environment.
• Analytical and quantitative skills; experience using hard data and metrics to back up assumptions and develop business cases.
• Strong leadership and persuasive communication skills.
• Experience in the consumer goods household appliance space desirable.
• Experience in plastic manufacturing processes.
• Ability to travel globally, including trips to the U.S and China (3-4 weeks per year on average)
• Positive, driving attitude with an inquisitive nature.

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