Director Product Development, Robots Opportunities (NEEDHAM)

About Us  

SharkNinja is a global product design and technology company, with a diversified portfolio of 5-star rated lifestyle solutions that positively impact people’s lives in homes around the world. Powered by two trusted, global brands, Shark and Ninja , the company has a proven track record of bringing disruptive innovation to market and developing one consumer product after another has allowed SharkNinja to enter multiple product categories, driving significant growth and market share gains. Headquartered in Needham, Massachusetts with more than 4,100 associates, the company’s products are sold at key retailers, online and offline, and through distributors around the world. 

AI at SharkNinja

At SharkNinja, we’re building an AI-native culture. We’re not waiting for the future; we’re creating it. Our people are expected to experiment boldly, adopt new tools, and continuously raise what’s possible to create meaningful impact for our consumers. If you believe the best way to do your job hasn’t been invented yet, you’ll fit right in.

At SharkNinja, Product Development are the product CEOs. We own the global roadmap from concept to shelf, partnering with nearly every team in the company to deliver products consumers love. We come from product marketing, engineering, human factors, and design — united by one standard: a 5-star experience on every product we launch.  

In this role you'll own the Shark Robots category — one of our fastest-growing businesses — setting its multi-year strategy and leading the managers and product developers who bring it to life.  

What you'll do  

• Own the category strategy and multi-year roadmap for Shark Robots, from white-space identification through mass production, and represent the category directly to executive leadership.  

• Build and lead a team of managers and product developers: hire, coach, set goals, hold the bar, and build a bench of future category leaders.  

• Set the strategic vision for product specs — balancing consumer needs, competitive white space, and flagship technology — and act as the final consumer advocate for the category.  

• Set and defend design and performance targets across the category, holding engineering, industrial design, and marketing leadership accountable to them.  

• Partner with Insights & Intelligence leadership to shape the category's testing strategy, and translate findings into portfolio-level design and roadmap decisions.  

• Partner with testing and quality leadership to define and evolve performance and quality standards across the category.  

• Own the category's cost structure and margin performance, and set sourcing strategy in partnership with supply chain, merchandising, and planning leadership.  

• Oversee go-to-market strategy, instructional materials, and post-purchase support content across the category's full product line.  

• Serve as the executive-facing category expert for the cross-functional org, sponsor high-visibility breakthrough initiatives, and represent Shark Robots in company-wide strategic planning.  

• Manage the category's budget and resourcing, prioritizing investment across programs to maximize category growth.  

What you bring  

• 8+ years in product development, robotics, human factors, or a related field, including experience owning a product category or portfolio — consumer goods or robots preferred.  

• Proven experience building, managing, and developing a team of managers and/or senior individual contributors, including hiring and succession planning.  

• Bachelor's degree (or equivalent experience) in business, marketing, management, or engineering; advanced degree a plus.