Product Manager - Innovation

Overview:

The Product Manager – Innovation is responsible for development and launch of new products and solutions to solve market needs. This role will work closely with the Innovation Engineering to validate technical proof of concept to deliver identified market requirements. They are responsible for ensuring products meet customer needs and are commercially viable. The Product Manager – Innovation will work with external innovation partners, internal development teams, finance, marketing, sales, manufacturing and other key stakeholders to deliver new and novel solutions across our global product portfolios.

• Develop and maintain an intimate understanding of market segments, user personas and market problems
• Own the innovation process from needs assessment to ideation and through proof-of concept, while supporting commercialization through development and launch
• Under guidance from the Director of Innovation, develop and prioritize project pipelines and innovation roadmaps, coordinating with sales, marketing, engineering, technology innovation, manufacturing, and finance teams
• Leads P&L and business case development of innovation projects to validate commercial viability
• Deliver new product development revenue and margin targets in support of corporate revenue growth and product vitality goals
• Develop and deliver validated value propositions and product definitions, working with cross-functional teams to ensure alignment and execution
• Prepare monthly updates on product innovation pipeline, make go/no-go recommendations for innovation projects, and provide regular updates to senior leadership team
• Support customer and market research to identify unmet customer needs, validate use cases and quantity the benefit of new products and solutions
• Evangelize the innovation process, source ideas from internal and external sources, maintain and prioritize ideas in the idea repository
• Develop and maintain external partnerships as needed

Experience and Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in business related field required; MBA strongly preferred
• At least 5 years of experience in product management, product strategy, or innovation leadership roles is strongly desired
  
  • Experience creating and maintaining user experience and customer journey mapping
  • Prior experience managing global teams and/or products
  • Experience in appliance, electronics or B2B manufacturing desired

Skills and Abilities:

• Passionate about the customer and committed to understanding market and customer needs
• Track record of developing and delivering innovative product solutions to market
• Proven ability to deliver and scale new products, platforms or businesses
• Demonstrated excellence in translating customer insights into business data and strategy
• Strong financial acumen, with proven ability to develop and deliver financial business plans
• Ability to think strategically and to execute tactically
• Start-up mentality, thriving in fast paced environment for a performance driven culture
• Strong verbal, written and presentation communication skills
• Must challenge the status quo and apply new solutions to old problems