Director Product Development – Ninja

The Product Development organization within SharkNinja drives our global product roadmap from concept to shelf through the constant lens of the consumer. We are the “product CEOs” and partner cross-functionally with almost every other team within the company to drive high satisfaction for our end user and to drive business results. We are comprised of individuals from a variety of professional and educational backgrounds, from product marketing managers to consumer-focused engineers – but we all have one thing in common: we’re consistently striving to deliver a 5-star experience for every customer on every product we bring to market.

The Director of Product Development is a senior-level category owner who will drive a cross-functional team to deliver against consumer satisfaction, revenue, and profitability targets for their assigned category. The ideal candidate will be able to successfully deliver 5-star products to market while also collaborating on the business and go-to-market strategy with key partners across the organization.

Responsibilities:

• Support the Ninja business and the VP Product Development with the development of successful and profitable programs for a full product category to ensure continued growth of the product portfolio – you will lead new product development (creation and management) of assigned product category from brainstorm phase through mass production, as well as partner with the VP/SVP to define the over-arching category roadmap direction to a team of product developers from entry through manager level. You are responsible AND accountable for progressing, reporting on, and actioning your and your team’s deliverables.
• Lead, manage, and grow team members (from Intern up to Manager level) within the organization – providing guidance on their assigned projects, ensuring product success, supporting professional advancement within their role and within SharkNinja, and holding them accountable to their specific job responsibilities. You will be viewed as an “expert” people manager who has proficiency navigating people, conflict, and resource management.
• Drive the definition and development of product specifications, marrying consumer wants/needs, white space in the market, and new/flagship product technologies as the primary consumer advocate
• Steer the development of user-relevant design targets for product performance and user experience – and act as the beacon of these targets to the cross-functional team of engineers, industrial designers, and commercial marketers
• Partner with SharkNinja’s Consumer Insights team to develop consumer testing objectives, and implement this consumer-driven feedback into product specifications and design iterations throughout the project development cycle
• Partner with SharkNinja’s testing and quality organizations to define, develop and manage quality and performance testing procedures
• Manage product cost structure, reporting, and cost rationalization exercises – and collaborate with supply chain, merchandising, and supply planning teams on product sourcing strategy recommendations
• Provide direction and oversight into the creation and execution of go-to-market collateral to support product launch, including instructional material and consumer-facing product specification information
• Provide direction and oversight into the development of product troubleshooting and “FAQs” to support a 5-star consumer experience post-purchase
• Act as the product and/or category “expert” for cross-functional team member questions and concerns
• Be called upon to take leadership of larger cross-functional “breakthroughs” that increase executive visibility and accelerate career growth.

Qualifications:

• 8-10+ years of experience in product development, product marketing, marketing, human factors engineering, or a related field, preferably at a consumer goods company
• Bachelor’s Degree (or equivalent experience) in Business, Marketing, Management, Engineering or a combination of the above
• Prior experience hiring, managing, leading, and goal-setting with team members who have varying levels of professional experience
• A “100% on” consumer-first perspective when it comes to introducing new products/processes or improving current products
• Ability to effectively “manage up” by communicating your top priorities and constantly seeking feedback on your and your team’s work product
• A mindset geared toward building relationships across multi-functional teams, coupled with excellent interpersonal skills
• Highly-effective communication skills – both written (presentation/email) and in-person (ability to host succinct, effective conversations that solve problems and ability to make effective presentations to all levels of management, including SharkNinja’s executive leadership team)
• Strong project management skills, with the ability to prioritize effectively, manage multiple projects simultaneously, and stay organized in a fast-paced environment
• A desire to learn and grow in a passionate environment
• The ability to embrace transparency and shifting priorities while learning from each decision and focusing on the path forward