Manager of Product Development

Job Description

Join Worthington Enterprises as a Manager of Product Development within the business’s North American Building Products Innovation team and growing product portfolio. This role is responsible for leading the project management function and Innovation programs themselves. Emphasis is on early exploration, discovering new, needle moving opportunities and then driving the best few to completion with the team. Project scope is Innovation, that is both new product development (NPD) and non-product value-add (eg innovating via channel, brand, profit model, etc).

NPD management to vary from painpoint identification (Stage Gate 0) to full commercial product launches (Stage Gate 5). As such the PM will work between sponsors, corporate support functions, immediate team members and plant level employees. This individual must have the ability to influence and lead teams that do not directly report to them. The right-fit candidate will be comfortable in self-directed, collaborate environments. Should have a proven record of developing and leveraging strong working relationships to generate positive outcomes. Ideal candidate should be comfortable leading diverse teams in ambiguous and/or uncertain situations

We are seeking a driven, creative, team player excited to take product management ownership and looking to grow and thrive in human centric innovation and entrepreneurial environments.

Responsibilities

• Product Development Leadership: Mature and execute the product development process from concept to launch, including ideation sessions, feasibility studies, design, prototyping, testing, and market introduction. Spiral out for launching – iterate, reiterate, test with customers. How might we increase robustness at the same time increase agility?
• Innovation Discovery: Strategically break down early hypotheses from the business for value add, such as new customer profiles, go-to-market channels, or trends (Stage Gate 0 – 1). Build and lead team throughout, facilitating through high ambiguity to move the collective group forward. Ultimately this helps ensure a steady stream of innovative products that meet market needs and aligns with our strategic goals.
• Market Intelligence: Conduct comprehensive market research and analysis to identify emerging trends, evaluate competitive landscape, and uncover new opportunities for growth and innovation.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work closely with product management, sales, marketing, finance, and other departments to ensure strategic alignment and seamless execution of development projects and growth strategies.
• Innovation Cultivation: Foster a culture of innovation within the team and across the organization, encouraging creative thinking, continuous improvement, and the exploration of new technologies and business models. – CUSTOMER focused instead of IDEA focused. Strong focus on human centered design.
• Performance Metrics: Define, track, and report on key performance indicators (KPIs) related to business development and innovation efforts, ensuring goals are met or exceeded.
• Mentorship: Mentor and develop the team and extensions thereof. Provide honest feedback and support to ensure team success.

Critical Skills, Knowledge And Abilities

• Entrepreneurial, trail blazer spirit – energized to try new, building & testing hypotheses in an agile method to learn quickly and iterate again
• Human Centric Design and/or Innovation and/or complex problem solving experience, especially non-product value add creation (eg new profit model, network, channel, user experience, professional relationships)
• Comfortable navigating ambiguity, as an individual and NPD team lead – with team, work through unknowns to lead and step through front end “fuzzy” innovation and market intel to feed Innovation funnel with opportunities (Stage Gate 0-1).
• Facilitation - bring out the best of each team member and cut through the unknowns together.
• Market research experience – specifically in collecting and interpreting market intel to inform new value-add opportunities (Stage Gate 0 – 1) and start identifying key assumptions or unknown for the team to test
• Change Management and Trust Builder – is able to develop effective relationships and credibility with local team members who may not directly report to them. Energized by challenges and facing resistance, seeing opportunity to help move businesses by going slow to go fast, taking team along.
• Emotional intelligence – proven track record of building empathy with internal and external stakeholders, pivoting communication approach with each
• High performer – believes encouraging effective behavior is the key to project success
• Self-directed – confident and capable in ambiguous environments; believes work product is a reflection of one’s self
• High business acumen – understands which levers impact a company’s bottom line and which are proxies to success. Candidate is capable of separating the two and aligning resources accordingly
• Collaborator and Team Player – ability to work with cross-functional team members in a manner that encourages open dialogue and input into key project issues
• Curious & Learning mindset – willing and open to change approach, grow and learn from others. Seeks to understand the core of an issue before solving. Once understood, moves to resolve the issue in a timely and collaborative effort. Does this with optimism.
• Leadership – ability to inspire and motivate diverse teams
• Communication – clear communicator, tailoring messaging to audience and effectively gets to point

Desired Experience

• Previous work experience in transformation, sales, marketing, finance, customer service or equivalent role
• Prior exposure to PMO and agile vs traditional project management to understand pros/cons and bring best practices
• Previous work experience providing coaching and feedback to direct and indirect team
• Previous work experience in Industrial Products a plus
• Previous work experience with software or connectivity hardware a plus
• Previous work experience in NPD process encompassing Ideation through Manufacturing & Product Launch a plus
• History of success in a collaborative work environment
• Previous work experience dealing with manufacturing and/or sourcing partners
• Effective cross-functional resource and project meeting management and/or sourcing partners

Education/Training Required

• 5-10 years work experience in a business or consultant firm.
• 2+ years work experience in project management; familiarity with Project Management tools and/or software packages
• PMP certification or desire to work towards

About Us

Our Company is proud to have a dynamic and inclusive workforce where employees are empowered to innovate, thrive and grow. We believe that each employee’s unique strengths contribute to the success of our organization. This belief extends to how we consider our job applicants. Your talents may align with this position or other opportunities within our organization. Apply today to start unlocking your career potential with Worthington Enterprises.

We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities in the application and hiring process. If you are interested in employment with Worthington Enterprises and need an accommodation or assistance using the careers website, please contact

Worthington Enterprises (NYSE: WOR) is a designer and manufacturer of market-leading brands that help improve everyday life by elevating spaces and experiences. The Company operates with two primary business units: Building Products and Consumer Products.

The Building Products segment includes cooking, heating, cooling and water solutions, architectural and acoustical grid ceilings and metal framing and accessories. The Consumer Products segment provides solutions for the tools, outdoor living and celebrations categories. Product brands within the Worthington Enterprises portfolio include Balloon Time®, Bernzomatic®, Coleman® (propane cylinders), CoMet®, Elgen, Garden Weasel®, General®, HALO™, Hawkeye™, Level5 Tools®, Mag Torch®, NEXI™, Pactool International®, PowerCore™, Ragasco®, Well-X-Trol® and XLite™, among others.

Founded in 1955 as Worthington Industries, Worthington Enterprises follows a people-first Philosophy with earning money for its shareholders as its first corporate goal. Headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, Worthington Enterprises and its joint ventures employ approximately 6,000 people throughout North America and Europe.