Director - Program Manager - Haircare

SharkNinja•Needham, MA

About The Position

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,” partnering cross-functionally with almost every other team within the business to drive high consumer satisfaction and 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 consumer on every product we bring to market. At SharkNinja, Program Management is integrated within the broader Product Development organization and above all is responsible for setting and maintaining the product and program drumbeat that is critical to delivering 5-star products that are loved by consumers around the globe. This role will lead a team of Program Managers that are deeply engrained within cross-functional project teams as owners of the global project schedule, thoughtful challengers, and master dot-connectors. In addition to specifically owning some projects as a Program Manager, a main focus area of this role is also directly supporting the Vice President, Product Development as a strategic thought partner and “Chief of Staff” around project/team resources, capacity planning, roadmap planning, and more for the assigned product categories.

Requirements

10+ years of post-graduate experience desired, with 7+ years of experience in program/project management or product development/management required, preferably at a consumer goods company
Bachelor’s Degree (or equivalent experience) in Engineering, Business, Management, related technical field or a combination of the above
A “100% on” consumer-first perspective when it comes to introducing new products/processes or improving current products
A mindset geared toward building AND DRIVING relationships across multi-functional teams, coupled with excellent interpersonal skills
COMMUNICATING FOR IMPACT, one of SharkNinja’s SUCCESS DRIVERS, is immensely critical in this role. Highly-effective communication skills – both written (presentation/email) and face-to-face (ability to host succinct, effective conversations that solve problems and ability to make effective presentations to all levels of management) – are required
Strong project management skills, with the ability to prioritize effectively, manage multiple projects simultaneously, and stay organized in a fast-paced environment
A growth mindset: the desire to learn and grow in a passionate environment, and helping your direct reports do the same
The ability to embrace transparency and shifting priorities while learning from each decision and focusing on the path forward
The passion and experience to coach and mentor a team of Program Management professionals, with an eye toward enabling career acceleration
Comfort and flexibility when it comes to change – no two days are the same, and we reserve the right to constantly get smarter

Responsibilities

Collaborate with the VP Product Development and other key executive team members to determine and prioritize business strategies in areas such as:
Project/team resources – be the gatekeeper, with a constant pulse on where there are organizational/cross-functional gaps or saturation, and make recommendations to ensure teams are set up for success
Special initiative leadership – beyond creating and commercializing incredible products, the Product Development team is heavily involved in a variety of projects that involve many different areas of SharkNinja; you may be asked to lead or co-lead emerging initiatives to help the company achieve Breakthrough goals
Roadmap planning – if the VP, Product Development is the CEO of the roadmap, you are the COO – ensuring that the roadmap is on track to be delivered through on-time product schedules, global market acceptance and PO issuance of products, and that forecasts are laddering up to revenue projections
Continuous improvement - Identify ways to improve SharkNinja’s operational workflow, strengthen cross-functional collaboration, and drive process improvement
Actively lead, coach, and grow a team of program managers AND assigned set of projects through the following principles:
Own, drive, and actively facilitate the interaction of cross-functional stakeholders to bring 5-star products to market – specifically through the development of globally aligned schedules, adherence to those schedules. You and your team of program managers should be SETTING THE DRUMBEAT
Drive daily cadence for cross-functional progress, and actively seek out misalignment
Ensure delivery of information by the commitment date
Demand that the cross-functional team is focused on outcomes, not activities
Constantly lead with a global-first mindset
Constantly “look around the corner” for project, cost, technical, supply chain, and commercialization risks, and lead the way in developing mitigation plans to ensure products are delivered on time to their respective markets – drive PRODUCTIVE PARANOIA
Ask the second, third, and fourth order questions
Take a trust, but verify mindset to information that comes to you
Take the stance of being the primary DOT CONNECTOR
Ensure that program schedules are detailed, documented, accessible, and understood
Partner with supply and demand planning partners to keep a constant pulse on product availability
Regularly update SharkNinja senior leadership on status, with a bias toward seeking resolution to team swirl
Be the most curious one on the project team – a trusted advisor who is always in the know