Director, Product Commercialization

Job Description

Job Description

Job Summary:

Zymo Research is seeking an experienced, technically credible Director of Product Commercialization to lead the team responsible for translating scientific innovation into differentiated products, successful launches, and sustained portfolio growth. This individual will oversee the Portfolio Commercialization Managers and establish the priorities, operating standards, and performance expectations required to commercialize Zymo's products effectively across global markets.

The Director will own commercialization performance across the product portfolio, ensuring that each portfolio has a clear strategy, compelling positioning, disciplined go-to-market execution, and an evidence-based lifecycle plan. This role partners closely with the Commercial & Innovation Strategist team, R&D, Sales, Business Development, Segment Marketing, Core Marketing, Distribution & Channel Management, and Operations to align market needs, product priorities, and commercial execution.

Join us in making a meaningful impact!

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Strategic & Portfolio Commercialization Leadership 

• Define and lead the product commercialization strategy across Zymo's portfolios, aligned with corporate priorities, revenue targets, and profitability goals. 

• Set portfolio priorities, annual objectives, resource allocation, and performance expectations for the Product Commercialization team. 

• Ensure each portfolio has clear target customers, differentiated positioning, value propositions, go-to-market plans, and lifecycle priorities. 

• Synthesize insights across portfolios to identify whitespace opportunities, cross-portfolio solutions, investment needs, and opportunities for portfolio rationalization. 

Team Leadership & Operating Excellence 

• Lead, coach, and develop a high-performing team of Portfolio Commercialization Managers, fostering ownership, accountability, scientific rigor, and commercial judgment. 

• Assign portfolio ownership and balance workloads to provide effective coverage across the business while building succession and organizational capability. 

• Establish repeatable standards, stage gates, templates, and decision cadences for VOC, market assessments, business cases, launch readiness, pricing, and lifecycle reviews. 

• Set measurable objectives and KPIs for the team; review performance regularly and hold team members accountable for the quality, timeliness, and business impact of their work. 

Portfolio Growth & Lifecycle Performance

• Hold the team accountable for revenue growth, market adoption, profitability, and competitive performance across assigned product portfolios. 

• Oversee the complete commercial lifecycle of products, from early market validation and launch through growth, maturity, optimization, and discontinuation. 

• Identify underperforming portfolios or products and direct corrective action plans addressing positioning, pricing, channel readiness, product gaps, or customer adoption barriers. 

• Oversee pricing recommendations, demand forecasts, financial models, and portfolio investment proposals, ensuring decisions follow established commercial governance. 

Market Insight, VOC & Business Cases 

• Build a disciplined approach to Voice of Customer, competitive intelligence, market sizing, and customer workflow analysis across product portfolios. 

• Ensure market evidence informs positioning, commercialization plans, innovation-roadmap inputs, product improvements, and investment priorities. 

• Review and strengthen business cases for new products, adjacent opportunities, portfolio investments, and product rationalization; present recommendations to commercial and executive leadership. 

• Maintain visibility into emerging technologies, scientific workflows, customer needs, and competitive moves that may create risk or opportunity for Zymo. 

Go-to-Market & Launch Excellence 

• Own the commercialization governance for new product launches, including market validation, segmentation, positioning, pricing, claims, channel readiness, training, demand-generation alignment, and launch measurement. 

• Direct integrated launch planning across R&D, Operations, Marketing, Sales, Business Development, and Distribution to ensure organizational readiness and clear accountability. 

• Establish post-launch performance reviews and corrective actions based on revenue, adoption, customer feedback, competitive response, and operational execution. 

• Ensure global consistency in product strategy and messaging while enabling appropriate regional and channel adaptation. 

Sales, Channel & Customer Enablement 

• Ensure Sales, Business Development, distributors, and internal teams have current product training, competitive guidance, battle cards, FAQs, and value-based selling tools. 

• Partner with Segment Marketing and Core Marketing to translate product priorities and value propositions into effective campaigns, content, and customer-facing materials. 

• Engage key customers, scientific leaders, and channel partners to validate market needs, strengthen advocacy, and support strategically important opportunities. 

• Build scalable distributor enablement practices that improve product knowledge, positioning consistency, and commercialization execution internationally. 

Cross-Functional Leadership & Governance 

• Serve as the senior commercial leader for product commercialization and the primary escalation point for portfolio priorities, launch readiness, and lifecycle decisions. 

• Partner with R&D to ensure scientific credibility and market fit, and with the Commercial & Innovation Strategist team to connect market evidence and portfolio performance to innovation priorities. 

• Resolve cross-functional gaps, competing priorities, and execution risks that could delay launches or limit portfolio growth. 

• Provide clear, data-driven portfolio updates and recommendations to the Commercial Committee and executive leadership. 

What Success Looks Like:

• Every product portfolio has a clear, differentiated commercialization strategy, measurable objectives, and accountable execution plans. 

• New products launch on time with validated market need, organizational readiness, and measurable adoption, revenue, and profitability outcomes. 

• Portfolio, pricing, and investment decisions are made consistently using VOC, competitive intelligence, financial analysis, and defined governance. 

• The Product Commercialization team operates with clear ownership, strong commercial judgment, and a consistent standard of execution across portfolios. 

• R&D and Commercial teams remain aligned on market requirements, launch priorities, and portfolio performance, with issues surfaced and resolved quickly. 

• Sales teams and global channel partners are equipped to position Zymo's products clearly and convert technical differentiation into customer value. 

Education and Experience:

• Advanced degree in life sciences (MS or PhD strongly preferred); a bachelor's degree with significant relevant experience will be considered. MBA or formal business training is valued. 

• 10+ years of progressive experience in product management, product marketing, or commercialization within the life sciences tools, molecular diagnostics, or biotechnology industry. 

• Demonstrated people-leadership experience, including building teams, developing talent, setting priorities, and holding teams accountable to measurable business results. 

• Proven success managing multi-product portfolios, launching scientific products, and driving sustained revenue growth and market adoption. 

• Strong technical foundation in molecular biology, genomics, sample preparation, or adjacent research workflows, with the ability to translate complex science into customer value. 

• Strong commercial and analytical capabilities, including market analysis, competitive intelligence, pricing, forecasting, financial modeling, and business-case development. 

• Experience operating in a matrixed, global organization and influencing R&D, Marketing, Sales, Business Development, Operations, and executive stakeholders. 

• Experience supporting global distributors, channel partners, or regional commercialization teams strongly preferred. 

• Excellent communication and executive-presentation skills, with the judgment and credibility to make clear recommendations and resolve competing priorities. 

• Willingness to travel up to 30% for customer meetings, conferences, team engagement, and global commercial activities. 

About Us:

Since its inception in 1994, Zymo Research has been proudly serving the scientific community by providing innovative, reliable, and high-quality research tools and products. Whether it's DNA, RNA, epigenetics, microbiomics, protein, or yeast-based research, our philosophy remains the same: To provide the highest quality products in the industry while ensuring they are both simple to use and reliable in their performance.

Recognized as a Top Workplace by the Orange County Register in 2021, 2022, and named a Top Workplace USA in 2023, Zymo Research continues to be a vibrant community where employees thrive, feel connected, and are inspired by their work. If you are passionate about contributing to scientific advancement and want to be part of an exceptional team in a dynamic, growing company, we'd love to hear from you!

Compensation, Benefits, and Perks:                                 

The estimated base compensation range for this position is $180,000-200,000 at the time of posting. Actual compensation details will be provided in writing at the time of offer, if applicable, and is based on several factors we believe fairly and accurately impact compensation, including geographic location, experience, knowledge, skills, abilities, and other job permitted factors.

Zymo Research also offers competitive benefits and perks including:

• Medical, Dental, Vision, and Life Insurance Coverages
• EAP Sessions
• Vacation Time plus Company Holidays
• Paid Sick Leave
• Generous 401(K) with matching 
• Employee Referral Bonus
• Complimentary fruit, snacks, and beverages
• Complimentary catered lunches on Thursdays 
• Complimentary EV Charging 
• Cell phone stipend

Equal Employment Opportunity Employer:

Zymo Research welcomes candidates of all backgrounds. These include sex, age, color, race, religion, marital status, national origin, ancestry, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, physical & mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, military and veteran status, or any other protected status as defined by federal, state, or local law.

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