Director, New Business Development

About SharkNinja

SharkNinja is an innovative global company specializing in product design and technology, offering a diverse range of highly rated lifestyle solutions that enhance everyday life worldwide. Operating under the renowned Shark and Ninja brands, the company has a strong history of pioneering disruptive products that expand its market presence across multiple categories. Based in Needham, Massachusetts, SharkNinja employs over 4,100 people and distributes products globally through key retailers and various channels.

Embracing AI

SharkNinja fosters an AI-driven culture, encouraging bold experimentation, adoption of new technological tools, and a mindset focused on continuously pushing the boundaries of what can be achieved to deliver meaningful consumer impact.

Role Overview

The Director of New Business Development plays a critical role in creating entirely new product categories for SharkNinja, operating at the early, ambiguous stages of innovation. This unique position integrates expertise across product development, technical program management, consumer insights, and finance to identify and develop opportunities outside SharkNinja's current markets.

Main Objectives

• Provide visionary leadership to define and advance new product categories.
• Develop sustainable, high-growth business models based on comprehensive market analysis and financial modeling.
• Create and refine innovative product concepts for SharkNinja's market entry in these categories.
• Establish and nurture strategic partnerships with external product and technology experts to accelerate category development.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end new category initiatives, including setting business and product vision and portfolio strategies.
• Coordinate cross-functional teams such as Product Development, ACE, consumer insights, finance, and external partners to ensure alignment and progress.
• Conduct market and consumer research to size market opportunities and identify trends.
• Analyze the competitive landscape to determine SharkNinja's potential to succeed.
• Build robust financial models to evaluate revenue streams, margins, and go-to-market strategies.
• Generate and screen product concepts based on desirability, viability, and feasibility criteria.
• Collaborate with ACE to initiate product development and integrate concepts into SharkNinja's product roadmap.
• Develop final business cases for executive approval.
• Forge and manage relationships with external partners and subject matter experts to support category and product strategies.

Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in business, marketing, or engineering; an MBA is preferred.
• 8 to 10 years in roles involving category creation, new business development, or strategy combined with execution.

Required Skills

• Strong leadership abilities to inspire and guide diverse teams towards significant outcomes.
• Sound judgment when navigating early-stage, uncertain projects.
• Passion for delivering transformative products that address core consumer needs.
• Expertise in business analysis and problem-solving to evaluate new opportunities.
• Excellent critical thinking and the ability to lead thought processes.
• Capacity to manage multiple development initiatives across varying consumer categories simultaneously.
• Experience cultivating productive external partnerships and partnerships with SMEs.
• Team-oriented with mentoring skills regardless of formal reporting lines.
• Self-motivated, proactive communicator who maintains transparent information flow.
• Ability to simplify complex ideas and present effectively to executive leadership.
• Influence organizational decision-making beyond direct authority.
• Provide strategic and tactical guidance for engineering and design.
• Adaptable, creative, and comfortable working amid ambiguity.
• Balance commercial insight with technical expertise.

Compensation and Benefits

The position offers a yearly salary between $200,000 and $240,000 USD. Starting salary depends on candidate qualifications such as location, experience, skills, and education. Benefits include medical, dental, vision insurance, flexible spending and health savings accounts with company contributions, 401(k) with company match, employee stock purchase plans, various insurance coverages, paid time off, parental leave, identity theft protection, pet and pre-paid legal insurance, back-up child and eldercare days, product discounts, referral bonuses, and more.

Culture and Inclusion

SharkNinja fosters an extraordinary and innovative work environment, encouraging employees to challenge limits and disrupt markets. Diversity, equity, and inclusion are core to the company's global success, welcoming individuals from all backgrounds and promoting authentic engagement and career growth. Reasonable accommodations are provided in accordance with legal requirements for applicants who need them.