Vp Of Product Innovation

Established in 2011, Ledge Lounger has been redefining outdoor. With a commitment to innovation and a focus on creating elegant and functional furniture, Ledge Lounger has quickly become a prominent player in the industry. The company's dedication to its core values - Loyalty, Ethics, Drive, Grace, and Evolve - is evident in every aspect of its operations.

Over the years, Ledge Lounger has garnered well-deserved recognition, including being featured on the Inc. 5000 list multiple times, with an impressive 428% three-year growth rate in 2022. Notably, the company received the prestigious 2022 Global Award from Good Design, a testament to its exceptional craftsmanship and design principles. Moreover, Ledge Lounger's commitment to fostering a positive work environment has been recognized with a #15 ranking on the list of Best Places to Work in Houston, TX in 2021. As Ledge Lounger continues to evolve and inspire outdoor spaces around the world, its passion for quality, creativity, and customer satisfaction remains at the forefront of its journey.

Job Overview:

The VP of Product Innovation will lead the Product Management and New Product Design & Development functions, including driving product strategies in current categories (evolution), and our expansion strategies into new categories (revolution) serving both our Direct-to-Consumer business as well as our B2B business segments (Hotels/Resorts, Multi-family Facilities, Pool Builders, Interior Designers). Reporting to the CEO, this role will be a key leader on the Ledge executive team, partnering with other executives to design and drive the strategy for the overall business as well as individual functions.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Drive Product Innovation vision and roadmap for Ledge that gives us an advantage over competition in perceived consumer value, design aesthetic, protectable intellectual property, and financial value creation.

• Deliver a sustained NPD pipeline sized to deliver [$10-15M] incremental sales annually and achieve margin targets, with a balance of large breakthrough programs and smaller incremental programs. Drive portfolio choices through opportunity sizing and market validation.
• Drive innovation and NPD process vision, including training, management and optimization initiatives across the organization – improving stage gate efficiency / effectiveness and accelerating speed to market.
• Identify new market segments with high TAM opportunities and build attractive and differentiated entry strategies and a multi-year strategic plan.

2. Bring a customer-centric lens to Ledge’s product management and innovation function.

• Be a champion for our consumers and end-users, driving real insights into all activity streams. Leverage those insights to create product/category strategies that fill unmet needs, that surprise & delight our customers, and that differentiate from competition.
• Work closely with Marketing to ensure products deliver on key brand promises and positioning pillars.
• Be an expert in category trends, including competitive threats, as well as design and fashion trends that will shape the future.
• Drive channel-specific product strategies to create win/wins for key customers across a wide variety of consumer and B2B channels.

3. Drive successful execution of all new product development programs, meeting deadlines and hitting cost/margin/capital targets through commercialization.

• Build a strong Project Management function to lead cross-functional collaboration.
• Ensure each program delivers high standard of quality and customer performance, working closely with Operations and Customer Service teams.

4. Build a world-class design and engineering team at Ledge with superior technical capabilities and processes, exceptional creativity and ownable design point-of-view.

• Lead industrial and product design to create awe-inspiring new products.
• Build strong technical aptitude in plastics (roto/blow/injection molding, extrusion, CNC), fabrics, packaging, and new materials required to enter new market segments.
• Ensure outstanding design-for-manufacturing and manage commercialization processes for smooth start-ups.
• Be a champion for creativity and collaboration in the Ledge organization.

5. Drive life-cycle management and VAVE initiatives to upgrade product line features and performance, improve quality, drive margin, and navigate SKU rationalization needs for capital efficiency.

Position Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in business or a related field; master’s degree preferred
• At least ten years of experience leading high-growth product teams
• Knowledge of market, customer, and consumer trends and insights, and how to acquire these insights
• Ability to operate and influence cross-functionally
• Significant project management experience and drive for results
• analytical and problem-solving skills
• Outstanding communication skills
• Analytical skills to identify and track key performance indicators (KPIs)

At Ledge Lounger, we value diversity and inclusion and are committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all individuals. We offer a competitive salary, benefits package, and the chance to work with a dynamic team in a positive and supportive work environment. Our biggest benefit is being part of a low-ego, high-performing team that's transforming the outdoor design industry.

We are looking for people who want to be a part of a contemporary startup culture. What gets us out of bed is working with talented people on a mission that matters!

Join us in revolutionizing the luxury patio furniture industry! Apply now to become a part of our award-winning team at Ledge Lounger.