The Senior Director, Product Management (LC & Sample Prep) is a business leader appointed to identify, research, and incubate new product opportunities from concept to market, alongside responsibility for setting and implementing the vision, strategy, and direction of the Liquid Chromatography and Sample Preparation product lines in order to accelerate growth and profitability through the entire product life cycle.
This role combines deep subject matter expertise in Liquid Chromatography and Sample Preparation with a strong focus on early life cycle execution and a customer-focused, outside-in approach to product development, maintaining a deep understanding of the market, customers, and competitive landscape. The Senior Director ensures new products are commercially viable, highly-valued by customers, and aligned with organizational strategy - upholding the quality, reliability, and consistency that underpin Restek's high-value product commitment to customers, and that all product decisions reflect the unique needs and opportunities within different market segments. The Senior Director leverages this market knowledge to lead the effort to build and scale Restek's LC and SP business, identifying the investments and organizational support needed to drive sustained growth and profitability.
In addition to managing and developing a team of Product Management professionals, this role leads cross-functional teams to generate and implement new product initiatives alongside strategic management of the existing LC and Sample Preparation product portfolio.
Leadership ExpectationsRestek leaders model our core values and act as stewards of our culture by communicating openly, building trust, and supporting the well-being and growth of their teams. They think globally - considering diverse perspectives, regional implications, and enterprise priorities - while acting locally to implement strategies in ways that work for employees and customers. Leaders create clarity around goals, hold themselves and their teams accountable, partner effectively across functions and regions, and foster inclusive, high-performing teams. They develop people, remove barriers, and lead with humility and service so every employee-owner can contribute to Restek's success.
Job Duties:LC/SP Business Strategy & Leadership- Define the Liquid Chromatography and sample preparation vision, long-term strategy, and roadmap; manage the LC/SP product line life cycle from inception to obsolescence.
- Lead the effort to build and grow the LC business, identifying new market opportunities and the investments - capital, talent, R&D, operations, and commercial resources - needed to accelerate growth and strengthen competitive position; build the business case for each recommendation and present investment priorities to senior leadership for approval.
- Provide cross-functional leadership and alignment with Sales, Marketing, R&D, Applications, Customer Service, and Operations to ensure the success of the product line vision and roadmap.
- Specify and oversee research needed to determine market sizing and segmentation, competitive landscape, and customer needs and buying motivations; define the open questions, research, and data needs necessary to support data-driven decision making, and collaborate across the organization to obtain insights.
- Provide cross-functional support across the organization with the necessary product knowledge, technical expertise, and training.
- Collaborate with Marketing to develop the product marketing plan, all necessary marketing content for internal and external customers, and event campaigns to generate product awareness and demand.
- Manage Restek representation at conferences and exhibitions for both domestic and international markets, in coordination with other product lines and departments.
- Drive strategic business decisions - including investment, pricing, and resource-allocation trade-offs - to maximize the profitability of assigned product lines.
- Responsible for the regular internal reporting of product line health to the business, with actionable information presented to leadership on expected timelines and to the broader company as needed. Periodically present portfolio strategy, results, and investment recommendations to senior leadership.
- Implement and manage the goals, strategic plans, and operating budgets for the assigned area and product lines, ensuring day-to-day execution stays aligned with the LC/SP growth strategy.
- Champion continuous improvement across the product line's commercial and operational processes - streamlining execution, reducing cost, and improving speed-to-market.
- Represent Restek externally as a thought leader in the LC and Sample Preparation space - engaging key opinion leaders, industry organizations, and strategic customer advisory forums - to strengthen market position and inform product strategy.
New Product Development & Launch- Responsible for the overall go-to-market execution for new products, driving the product development process from concept through launch.
- Manage Voice of Customer (VOC) process, including a clear articulation of unmet customer needs to identify valuable product solutions. Develop new market opportunities with clear market requirements, inclusive of priorities and financial justification (incremental revenue, ROI, margin contribution), for each proposed solution.
- Engage directly with key accounts and executive-level decision-makers to validate product requirements and priorities; collaborate with Marketing to develop a resonating value proposition and meaningful positioning for new products.
- Lead development and delivery of product launch and detailed execution plans.
- Collaborate with Sales management to implement pricing decisions - including annual price adjustments - across the LC/SP portfolio, ensuring implementation specifics (e.g., price lists) are maintained and up to date.
People Leadership- Recruit, hire, and structure the Product Management team to match the LC/SP portfolio's needs. Set clear goals, conduct annual performance reviews, and coach team members to develop the technical and commercial skills the role requires. Build a talent pipeline by identifying and developing high-potential Product Managers for future leadership roles.
- Perform other duties as assigned.
Qualifications:Education/Experience:- Bachelor's degree in a science or business-related field required; Master's degree in science or business administration preferred. An advanced degree (MS/PhD) in a relevant scientific discipline (e.g., analytical chemistry) is a plus, given the technical depth required to evaluate and incubate new LC/SP technologies.
- Minimum of 15 years' experience in product management, sales, marketing, or a combination thereof, including at least 5 years in a senior leadership role with P&L, budget, or team-management accountability.
- Of the total experience above, a minimum of 10 years' must be global experience with the chromatography consumables market, with a focus on LC and sample preparation portfolios.
- Deep understanding of the global Liquid Chromatography (LC) and Sample Preparation market - including market dynamics, competitive landscape, growth trends, and customer needs - and of one or more served end-markets (Pharmaceutical, Environmental, Food, or Clinical/ClinTox), including customer personas, pain points, competitors, opportunities, and risks; with the ability to translate this market insight into an actionable strategy to build and scale the business.
- Proven track record of leading the successful introduction of LC and Sample Preparation consumables.
- Demonstrated ability to blend business and technical acumen with a vision and the drive to translate that vision into reality.
- Proven track record of leading cross-functional teams and managing people or a department required.
- Proven track record of delivering measurable business results - revenue growth, profitability, and market share gains - in a product management, marketing, or general management capacity.
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:- Strong customer orientation with the ability to think like a customer.
- Demonstrated executive presence and leadership ability - building high-performing teams, consensus, and influence across cross-functional partners, senior leadership, and external stakeholders (customers and industry partners).
- Strong analytical, strategic planning, and business development skills, with sound judgment for evaluating and prioritizing new market opportunities.
- Strong financial and business acumen, with the ability to build compelling business cases and organizational support needed to grow a product line or business.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, adaptable to audiences ranging from technical customers to senior leadership.
- Creative, innovative, and culturally sensitive approach to problem solving.
- Ability to travel domestically and internationally up to 4-8 weeks per year.
- Proficient in standard business productivity and collaboration tools (e.g., the Microsoft 365 suite).
