VP of Design & Advanced Development

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: VP of Design & Advanced Development

Company: SharkNinja

Location: Needham, Massachusetts, United States

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: Design & Innovation Leadership / Advanced Development

Date Posted: May 15, 2026

Experience Level: 15+ Years

Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead SharkNinja's global Front-End Innovation team, focusing on concept creation, design storytelling, and early platform exploration for next-generation consumer products.

• Drive innovation by translating blue-sky thinking into tangible, consumer-loved innovations that define product categories.

• Shape the early concept architecture that fuels the New Product Development (NPD) pipeline, ensuring technical feasibility and commercial viability.

• Champion a studio culture that balances hands-on making, advanced prototyping, and bold thinking grounded in deep technical and manufacturing knowledge.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned at a senior leadership level, focusing on the strategic direction and execution of early-stage product innovation. It requires a blend of creative vision, technical expertise in manufacturing, and strong leadership to guide a team of designers and engineers. The emphasis on "Front-End Innovation" and "Advanced Development" signifies a focus on ideation, conceptualization, and feasibility assessment before products enter the formal NPD pipeline.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Lead and inspire a global team of Industrial Designers and Product Design Engineers to generate physical and visual prototypes that effectively communicate future-focused concepts.

• Act as a primary design storyteller, pitching innovative concepts to cross-functional partners and senior executives to drive alignment and secure buy-in.

• Foster a collaborative studio culture that integrates hands-on making, iterative sketching, advanced prototyping techniques, and bold ideation with technical feasibility.

• Partner closely with Mechanical Engineering, R&D, Product Development, and Product Marketing teams to ensure early concepts are aligned with robust and scalable product strategies.

• Leverage deep knowledge of materials, high-volume manufacturing methods (e.g., plastic injection molding, die casting, sheet metal), and Design for Manufacturability/Assembly (DFM/DFA) principles to ensure innovative ideas are achievable.

• Integrate user insights, trend forecasting, and emerging technologies into the development process to shape future design visions and consumer experiences.

• Cultivate a high-energy, curiosity-driven environment that celebrates invention and continuously pushes the boundaries of what's possible in product design.

• Maintain a consumer-obsessed mindset, focusing on developing products that have the potential to change behaviors, exceed expectations, and lead market categories.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a critical juncture in product development, bridging ideation with manufacturability. The emphasis on "storytelling" suggests the need for strong presentation and communication skills to champion new concepts internally. The integration of DFM/DFA and manufacturing knowledge is a key differentiator for this role, ensuring innovation is practical.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

Experience:

Required Skills:

• Strategic Leadership: Proven ability to lead and develop creative and technical teams, mentor talent, champion diverse voices, and foster cross-disciplinary collaboration.

• Design Storytelling: Exceptional ability to articulate future-focused concepts with charisma and clarity, connecting emotionally with stakeholders at all organizational levels.

• Advanced Prototyping: Expertise in generating physical and visual prototypes, including hands-on making, iterative sketching, and advanced rapid prototyping techniques.

• Manufacturing & DFM/DFA: In-depth knowledge of materials, high-volume manufacturing processes (plastic injection molding, die casting, sheet metal), and Design for Manufacturability/Assembly (DFM/DFA) principles.

• Consumer Insight & Trend Forecasting: Ability to integrate user insights, market trends, and emerging technologies into innovative product concepts.

• Technical Foundation: Strong understanding of the intersection between creativity, technical feasibility, and manufacturing constraints.

• Hands-on Aptitude: A genuine passion for "making" – including sketching, building, modeling, and rapid iteration to inspire and drive ideas forward.

• Consumer-Obsessed Mindset: Deep empathy and understanding of consumer behavior, with a focus on developing products that significantly improve everyday life.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience in category-defining consumer product development.

• Familiarity with NPD (New Product Development) pipelines and stage-gate processes.

• Demonstrated success in commercializing innovative consumer products.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirement for a PDE or Industrial Design degree with a strong engineering component is critical. The 15+ years of experience in high-volume consumer goods points to a need for understanding scale and efficiency. The emphasis on "hands-on making" and "sketching" suggests the ideal candidate will not be purely a manager but also an active participant in the creative process.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A comprehensive portfolio showcasing a history of category-defining consumer products, demonstrating design excellence, compelling storytelling, and successful commercialization.

• Evidence of leadership in front-end innovation, including examples of concept generation, early platform exploration, and the development of scalable product architectures.

• Demonstrations of how technical feasibility, DFM/DFA principles, and manufacturing considerations were integrated into early-stage design concepts.

Process Documentation:

• Examples of frameworks or methodologies used to drive concept creation and design storytelling within a global team environment.

• Documentation of processes employed to foster a studio culture that blends hands-on making, iterative sketching, and advanced prototyping with bold thinking.

• Demonstrations of collaborative processes with cross-functional partners (e.g., Mechanical Engineering, R&D, Product Marketing) to ensure early concepts align with product strategy.

• Illustrations of how user insights, trend forecasting, and emerging technologies are systematically integrated into the design and development phases.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a VP-level role, the portfolio is crucial for demonstrating strategic impact and leadership. It should not only showcase finished products but also the process by which those products were conceived, developed, and brought to market, with a particular emphasis on the front-end innovation stages and the integration of technical/manufacturing expertise.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $221,400 - $285,000 USD per year

Benefits:

• Comprehensive Medical Insurance

• Dental Insurance

• Vision Insurance

• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs)

• Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) with company contribution

• 401(k) Retirement Plan with employer matching

• Employee Stock Purchase Program (ESPP)

• Life Insurance

• Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D) Insurance

• Short-Term Disability Insurance

• Long-Term Disability Insurance

• Generous Paid Time Off (PTO)

• Company Holidays

• Parental Leave

• Identity Theft Protection

• Pet Insurance

• Pre-paid Legal Insurance

• Back-up Child and Eldercare Days

• Significant SharkNinja Product Discounts

Working Hours:

• Standard full-time commitment, typically around 40 hours per week, with flexibility expected to meet project deadlines and leadership demands.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range provided is competitive for a VP-level role in the consumer goods sector, particularly in a high-cost-of-living area like Needham, MA. The extensive list of benefits indicates a strong commitment to employee well-being and financial security, including robust health coverage, retirement planning, and unique perks like pet insurance and back-up care. The hybrid work arrangement implies a need for self-management and effective communication.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Consumer Products / Lifestyle Solutions / Home Appliances

Company Size: Over 4,100 associates globally. This size indicates a well-established organization with robust processes, but still agile enough to foster innovation and individual impact. For operations professionals, this means opportunities for structured career growth and collaboration across diverse departments, alongside the potential for significant influence on product strategy.

Founded: SharkNinja operates with two prominent global brands, Shark and Ninja, known for disruptive innovation. The company has a history of entering and gaining market share in multiple product categories, driven by a "proven track record" of bringing innovative consumer products to market.

Team Structure:

• The Front-End Innovation team is described as a "passionate, hands-on group of design storytellers, engineers, and inventors." This suggests a highly collaborative and creative unit.

• The VP will lead Industrial Designers and Product Design Engineers, implying a direct management role over these specialized functions.

Methodology:

• The company emphasizes a "disruptive innovation" approach and an "Outrageously Extraordinary mindset" that drives them to "tackle the impossible."

• The team's methodology blends "hands-on making, iterative sketching, advanced prototyping, and bold thinking grounded in technical feasibility."

• A "consumer-obsessed mindset" is central, aiming to develop products that "change behaviors, exceed expectations, and lead markets."

Company Website: https://www.sharkninja.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: SharkNinja's culture is characterized by ambition, innovation, and a strong consumer focus. The "Outrageously Extraordinary" mindset suggests a tolerance for risk-taking and a drive for market leadership. For operations roles, this implies a dynamic environment where efficiency and process optimization must be balanced with creativity and rapid development cycles.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is at the Vice President (VP) level, signifying executive leadership responsible for a critical function – Front-End Innovation and Advanced Development. It involves strategic decision-making, team leadership, and significant impact on the company's future product pipeline.

Reporting Structure: While not explicitly stated, a VP of Design & Advanced Development typically reports to a Chief Product Officer (CPO), Chief Technology Officer (CTO), or CEO, depending on the organizational structure. The role will oversee a global team of designers and engineers.

Operations Impact: The impact is paramount; this role is responsible for identifying and developing the "next generation of iconic products" and shaping "what's next" for SharkNinja. Success here directly fuels the company's growth, market share, and brand perception by bringing category-defining innovations to market.

Growth Opportunities:

• Strategic Influence: Opportunity to shape the long-term product vision and innovation strategy for a global consumer goods company with a strong growth trajectory.

• Team Development: Lead, mentor, and grow a high-performing global team of creative and technical talent, fostering a culture of innovation and continuous learning.

• Cross-Functional Leadership: Expand influence by collaborating with and driving alignment across key departments like R&D, Engineering, and Marketing, potentially leading to broader leadership roles within the product organization.

• Industry Recognition: Contribute to developing market-leading products that can establish new benchmarks and gain industry recognition for design and innovation excellence.

📝 Enhancement Note: This VP role is a strategic leadership position with significant potential for impact and career advancement. The focus on "advanced development" and "front-end innovation" suggests a forward-looking role that is critical to SharkNinja's sustained growth and market disruption.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The role is based in Needham, MA, and is described as "Hybrid." This suggests a blend of remote work and in-office presence, likely requiring significant time spent at the headquarters for team collaboration, executive meetings, and hands-on studio work.

Office Location(s): The primary location is Needham, Massachusetts, United States, which serves as the company's headquarters.

Workspace Context:

• The work environment will foster a "high-energy" atmosphere where "curiosity, creativity, and invention are celebrated."

• The team operates as a "studio culture" that blends "hands-on making, iterative sketching, advanced prototyping, and bold thinking." This implies access to maker spaces, prototyping tools, and collaborative design environments.

• Close interaction with diverse teams (Engineering, R&D, Product Marketing) will be a daily occurrence, requiring strong communication and interpersonal skills.

Work Schedule: While the core work is full-time (approx. 40 hours/week), the nature of innovation and leadership roles often demands flexibility to meet project deadlines, attend critical meetings, and respond to urgent product development needs.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid nature of the role implies a need for strong remote collaboration tools and practices, alongside effective in-person engagement for driving innovation and team cohesion within the Needham headquarters. The "studio culture" context suggests a dynamic, hands-on workspace.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A review of your resume and portfolio to assess alignment with the core requirements for leadership in design and advanced development.

• Team & Leadership Interviews: Discussions with key stakeholders, including potential direct reports, cross-functional peers, and senior leadership, focusing on leadership style, team management, and innovation strategy.

• Portfolio Deep Dive: A comprehensive review of your portfolio, where you will present case studies of category-defining products, highlighting your role in concept creation, technical feasibility, manufacturing integration (DFM/DFA), and commercial success. Expect detailed questions on your process and decision-making.

• Strategic Vision & Problem-Solving: A session to discuss your vision for future innovation at SharkNinja, your approach to tackling complex design challenges, and how you would apply your expertise to specific company objectives.

• Cultural Fit Assessment: Evaluating alignment with SharkNinja's "Outrageously Extraordinary mindset" and collaborative studio culture.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Showcase Leadership: Clearly articulate your leadership role in each project and how you guided teams to achieve innovative outcomes.

• Highlight Process & Strategy: Detail your methodology for front-end innovation, concept generation, and early-stage development. Emphasize how user insights, trends, and technical constraints were integrated.

• Demonstrate Technical Depth: Include examples that clearly show your understanding and application of materials science, high-volume manufacturing processes (injection molding, die casting, etc.), and DFM/DFA principles.

• Quantify Impact: Where possible, quantify the success of your projects in terms of market share, revenue impact, consumer adoption, or category leadership.

• Storytelling is Key: Present your work as compelling narratives that connect the dots from initial insight to final product, showcasing your ability to sell ideas effectively.

Challenge Preparation:

• Be prepared to discuss hypothetical scenarios related to leading innovation teams, managing cross-functional collaborations, and addressing challenges in bringing novel products to market under tight timelines and manufacturing constraints.

• Articulate your strategic approach to identifying future consumer needs and technological opportunities.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process for a VP role will be rigorous, with a strong emphasis on portfolio presentation and strategic thinking. Candidates should be ready to defend their past work, articulate their leadership philosophy, and demonstrate a clear vision for innovation within the consumer goods industry.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• 3D CAD Software: Proficiency in industry-standard software like SolidWorks, Autodesk Inventor, CATIA, or similar, for complex design and engineering tasks.

• Prototyping & Rendering Software: Expertise in tools for rapid prototyping visualization, rendering, and simulation (e.g., Keyshot, Adobe Creative Suite, specialized simulation software).

• Project Management Software: Familiarity with tools like Asana, Jira, Monday.com, or similar, for managing complex NPD workflows and team projects.

Analytics & Reporting:

CRM & Automation:

• Less directly involved in CRM operations, but an understanding of how product development ties into sales and marketing efforts, and how data from these systems can inform innovation, is beneficial.

📝 Enhancement Note: The focus here is on design and engineering tools essential for visualization, prototyping, and technical development. While direct operational tool usage might be less critical than for a Sales or RevOps role, understanding the ecosystem and how design data integrates with other business systems is implied.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Outrageously Extraordinary Mindset: A core value driving the company to push boundaries, take calculated risks, and achieve exceptional results. For this role, it means encouraging bold ideation and ambitious innovation.

• Consumer Obsession: A deep commitment to understanding and serving consumer needs, translating insights into products that genuinely improve everyday life and exceed expectations.

• Innovation & Invention: A culture that celebrates and actively pursues new ideas, rewarding creativity and a proactive approach to problem-solving through design and engineering.

• Collaboration & Cross-Functional Partnership: Valuing teamwork and effective communication across departments to ensure that innovative concepts are technically feasible, strategically aligned, and commercially viable.

• Hands-On Making & Craftsmanship: A respect for the tangible process of creation, from sketching and modeling to advanced prototyping, emphasizing attention to detail and quality.

Collaboration Style:

• Studio-Based Collaboration: Encouraging active participation and idea exchange within a creative studio environment, fostering a sense of shared ownership and collective creativity.

• Cross-Functional Synergy: Building strong working relationships with R&D, Engineering, Product Development, and Product Marketing to ensure a holistic approach to product creation, integrating diverse perspectives early and often.

• Executive Communication: A proactive and clear communication style with senior leadership, effectively translating complex design concepts and strategic visions into actionable insights and decisions.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company culture is geared towards high performance, creativity, and a strong sense of purpose derived from improving consumers' lives. Operations professionals in this environment should be adaptable, collaborative, and driven by results that align with these core values.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing Blue-Sky Thinking with Feasibility: The primary challenge will be to foster radical innovation while ensuring concepts are grounded in technical reality, manufacturability constraints, and business objectives.

• Global Team Leadership: Effectively leading and aligning a diverse, global team of designers and engineers, ensuring consistent quality and innovative output across different regions and cultures.

• Driving Disruptive Innovation: Maintaining a consistent pipeline of truly novel, category-defining products in a competitive consumer goods market.

• Navigating NPD Pipeline: Ensuring a smooth and effective handover of concepts from advanced development to the formal NPD process, maintaining design integrity and technical accuracy.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Strategic Innovation Leadership: Gaining exposure to executive-level strategy formulation and influencing the long-term product roadmap of a major consumer goods company.

• Advanced Technology Exploration: Opportunity to research and integrate emerging technologies and materials into product development cycles.

• Mentorship and Team Development: Building and refining leadership skills by mentoring a team of highly skilled designers and engineers, fostering their professional growth.

• Cross-Functional Strategic Partnerships: Deepening understanding and collaboration with other key business functions, enhancing strategic business acumen.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role presents significant challenges related to innovation management and team leadership, but also offers substantial growth opportunities in strategic influence and professional development within a dynamic company.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe your approach to leading a global Front-End Innovation team. How do you foster creativity, manage diverse talents, and ensure alignment with business strategy?" (Preparation: Focus on leadership models, team motivation, goal setting, and strategic integration.)

• "Walk us through a case study of a category-defining product you helped bring to market. What was your specific role, how did you integrate technical feasibility and manufacturing considerations (DFM/DFA), and what was the ultimate commercial impact?" (Preparation: Select a strong portfolio example and structure it using STAR method, emphasizing innovation, technical rigor, and results.)

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What excites you about SharkNinja's 'Outrageously Extraordinary' mindset and our focus on disruptive innovation?" (Preparation: Research company values, recent product launches, and articulate how your passion for innovation aligns.)

• "How would you foster a collaborative studio culture that balances hands-on making with technical rigor and executive buy-in?" (Preparation: Discuss your experience building creative environments, managing stakeholder expectations, and advocating for design.)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure for Impact: Organize your portfolio around key themes or product categories, with clear introductions to each case study that outline the challenge, your role, and the desired outcome.

• Visual Storytelling: Utilize high-quality visuals (sketches, renderings, prototypes, product photos) to tell the story of each project. Ensure these visuals clearly demonstrate design evolution and technical solutions.

• Focus on Process: For each case study, clearly articulate the "how" – your process, methodologies, decision-making, and problem-solving strategies, especially concerning DFM/DFA and manufacturing.

• Quantify Achievements: Wherever possible, back up your claims with data – market share gains, revenue impact, consumer satisfaction scores, or successful product launches.

• Be Prepared for Deep Dives: Anticipate detailed questions about your technical expertise, leadership decisions, and the rationale behind specific design choices.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should focus on demonstrating strategic leadership, a deep understanding of product development from concept to manufacturing, and a compelling vision for innovation. The portfolio is the primary tool for showcasing these capabilities.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this VP of Design & Advanced Development position:

• Submit your application through the SharkNinja careers portal at [link to Greenhouse job board].

• Tailor Your Resume: Highlight leadership experience, years in product design and innovation (especially consumer goods), and specific achievements in concept creation, DFM/DFA, and manufacturing integration. Use keywords from the job description.

• Curate Your Portfolio: Ensure your portfolio prominently features case studies that demonstrate your ability to lead creative teams, develop category-defining products, and integrate technical feasibility with design excellence. Prepare to present these with a focus on strategy, process, and quantifiable results.

• Prepare for Leadership Discussions: Be ready to articulate your leadership philosophy, your vision for innovation at SharkNinja, and how you would foster a high-performing, collaborative team environment.

• Research SharkNinja: Familiarize yourself with their brands (Shark, Ninja), product categories, recent innovations, and company culture, particularly their "Outrageously Extraordinary" mindset.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and operations industry-standard assumptions. All details should be verified directly with the hiring organization before making application decisions.