Global Innovation Marketing Manager

Illinois Tool Works•Rockford, MI

46d

About The Position

ITW (NYSE: ITW) is a Fortune 300 global multi-industrial manufacturing leader with $15.9B in 2024 revenue. Our seven industry-leading segments leverage the unique ITW Business Model-anchored in 80/20, Customer-Back Innovation, and Front-to-Back (FTB) processes-to drive growth and best-in-class margins. ITW Seats delivers innovative, precision-engineered solutions to global OEMs and Tier suppliers in both automotive and non-automotive seating markets. The Global Innovation Marketing Manager drives the commercial success of new product development by collaborating directly with customers to identify and prioritize pain points, and by translating technical innovations into compelling value propositions for global seat manufacturers. This role partners with engineering, sales, and customers to identify, qualify, and launch new opportunities that strengthen existing markets and open new ones. The ideal candidate brings deep technical expertise in seating or related industries, combined with proven global marketing leadership, enabling the division to achieve growth targets through innovation, market insight, and customer intimacy.

Requirements

bachelor's degree in engineering, materials science, or a related technical field required.
5-7+ years of progressive business experience, including 4+ years in strategic marketing, business development, or product management.
3+ years of global, cross-cultural experience.
Demonstrated experience in innovation strategy execution, market research, and financial analysis.
Highly effective cross functional influencer, communicator, and collaborator.
Experience with executing innovation strategy for company.
Solid analytical skills, pricing strategy experience, and financial acumen.
Excellent strategic thinker with industrial B2B strategic marketing experience is required.
Well-versed in deploying and leveraging various marketing research methods with proven ability to translate end user requirements into successful innovative solutions required.
Manages Global Innovation team with 3 direct reports.

Nice To Haves

MBA or other technical masters.
Digital marketing, data analytics, and emerging technology experience are highly desirable.
Automotive and contract furniture industry experience a plus and strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

Lead Cross-Functional Innovation: Guide teams through the innovation stage-gate process, leveraging ITW's 80/20 and Customer-Back Innovation frameworks, with specific focus on early-stage value proposition development and late-stage commercial product launch.
Discover Customer Pain Points: Develop a deep understanding of end-user segments, identifying unmet needs and working with engineering to translate them into actionable product concepts.
Market Intelligence & Competitive Analysis: Maintain expertise in key end markets, monitor trends, conduct benchmarking, and recommend growth strategies.
Total Addressable Market (TAM) & Business Case Development: Estimate Total Addressable Market (TAM), build robust financial cases, and define clear value propositions for new opportunities.
Innovation Pipeline Management: Use market intelligence to prioritize and build innovation pipelines to meet or exceed full potential opportunity.
IP & Differentiation: Collaborate with IP counsel to assess competitive risk, capture sustainable differentiation, and support early-stage ideation.
Commercialization: Support sales with new customer/market entry, including creation of sales materials and go-to-market strategies.
Innovation Metrics: Accountable for measurable outcomes (e.g., new product revenue, speed to market, customer adoption). Integrate metrics into continuous improvement efforts.
Global Collaboration: Lead and influence global, cross-functional teams across multiple time zones and cultures.
Talent Development: Develop and mentor a high-performing global team, fostering a culture of innovation and continuous learning.