Job Title:

Director of R D Position Overview:

The Director of R D leads the company's U.S.-market research, product development, and product lifecycle management across the flooring portfolio. This role adds complementary market, customer, technical, and product-management expertise to the company's established Innovation and Sourcing capabilities in Shanghai, working closely with that team to leverage its supplier relationships, manufacturing knowledge, technical expertise, and experience. The Director brings together customer and market insights, internal and external research, product knowledge, technical specifications, material capabilities, design and consumer trends, competitive activity, and product performance to identify opportunities and guide sound product decisions. This is an entrepreneurial, hands-on leadership role responsible for building relationships and resources, leading cross-functional initiatives, developing practical processes, creating momentum, and producing outcomes in a developing organization.

Key Responsibilities:

Strategic Leadership Defines and leads the company's flooring product strategy and roadmap in alignment with customer needs, market opportunities, sales strategy, business objectives, and product performance Establishes a practical, research- and data-informed approach to product development that balances innovation, customer value, technical feasibility, cost, quality, supply chain considerations, and return on investment Researches and evaluates market trends, consumer preferences, competitive activity, industry developments, customer feedback, historical product performance, and other relevant information to identify and prioritize opportunities Establishes clear priorities, objectives, success measures, and accountability for product initiatives and communicates progress, decisions, risks, and recommendations to executive leadership and applicable teams Proactively identifies and secures the people, expertise, information, and resources necessary to accomplish objectives Research & Development Leads R D initiatives across the company's flooring categories, including hardwood, laminate, vinyl, SPC, WPC, bamboo, and other applicable products Develops product concepts and recommendations based on research, customer and market insights, competitive analysis, technical considerations, historical performance, ROI, and identified business opportunities Serves as a strong technical resource to customers and internal teams and works collaboratively with subject matter experts throughout the organization Coordinates material research, testing, prototyping, validation, and technical evaluation as appropriate to support product decisions and meet U.S. performance and regulatory requirements Utilizes appropriate internal and external resources, including customers, industry experts, testing laboratories, designers, manufacturers, research sources, trade organizations, and other third parties to strengthen product knowledge and development Ensures product concepts and requirements are appropriately researched, evaluated, and aligned with applicable stakeholders before progressing to development and sourcing activities Product Management Owns the full product lifecycle: research, concept, development, specifications, sourcing, testing, launch, commercialization, post-launch performance, ROI evaluation, and continuous improvement Establishes product specifications, positioning, success criteria, and business rationale in collaboration with applicable functions Works closely with Finance, Sales, Operations, Sourcing, and other applicable functions to evaluate pricing, investment requirements, cost targets, margin expectations, and overall business viability Involves Finance appropriately in financial investment decisions and provides the information and subject-matter expertise necessary to support informed financial decisions Partners with Quality Control, Compliance, Claims, Sourcing, and other applicable functions to address product quality, compliance, safety, and performance requirements Monitors product performance throughout its lifecycle, including sales, customer feedback, claims, returns, quality, competitive position, profitability, and ROI, and recommends improvements, repositioning, expansion, or discontinuation as appropriate Uses the history and performance of existing products, including investment and return, to inform future product development and portfolio decisions Cross-Functional & Supplier Collaboration Leads cross-functional product initiatives and actively builds and manages the relationships necessary to accomplish the work Works closely with U.S.-based customers and Sales teams to understand needs, gather feedback, validate opportunities, support product launches, and maintain a strong connection to the market Partners with the Shanghai Innovation and Sourcing team throughout applicable product initiatives, utilizing its established supplier relationships, manufacturing capabilities, technical expertise, quality resources, and regional knowledge Works with internal subject matter experts and external resources to bring the appropriate expertise into product decisions and initiatives Leads applicable meetings, working sessions, customer discussions, and external engagements necessary to advance product initiatives and ensure alignment and accountability Communicates proactively across all applicable levels of the organization, follows through on commitments and requests, and keeps executive leadership appropriately informed Determines when external research, expertise, testing, industry events, customer engagement, or travel will add meaningful value and takes initiative to pursue those resources Leadership & Organizational Development Leads within the R D and product-management function through expertise, initiative, influence, communication, and accountability, including while operating without direct reports Leads people, projects, processes, decisions, and priorities within the scope of responsibility while empowering other functional leaders and subject matter experts to lead within theirs Builds practical product development processes and capabilities appropriate for a growing organization and ensures they are adopted, understood, and effectively used Delegates appropriately, provides support when needed, reinforces accountability, and escalates issues or decisions when appropriate Takes ownership of gaps or obstacles that could prevent progress and works to resolve them rather than allowing lack of resources, established processes, or direct authority to prevent execution Fosters a culture of initiative, accountability, responsiveness, collaboration, customer focus, and continuous improvement Demonstrates the ability to create momentum and produce outcomes in an entrepreneurial and developing organization rather than relying on established infrastructure, resources, or processes

Qualifications:

Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Product Design, Business, or related field (Master's preferred) 8+ years of experience in product development, R D, or product management in flooring, building materials, or home improvement industry Demonstrated experience across multiple flooring categories, preferably including hardwood, laminate, vinyl/SPC/WPC, and bamboo Demonstrated experience researching, developing, launching, managing, and evaluating products in the U.S. market Strong technical and product knowledge, including product performance, material capabilities, specifications, testing, and applicable compliance requirements Strong understanding of product lifecycle management, market research, competitive analysis, and ROI evaluation Strong experience working with overseas suppliers and manufacturing partners, preferably in China, Vietnam, or other Asian countries Demonstrated ability to work effectively with global sourcing and manufacturing organizations and build productive relationships across geographic locations and business functions Demonstrated ability to build processes, capabilities, and relationships in an entrepreneurial or developing organization

Key Competencies:

Strong technical expertise and ability to serve as a trusted subject-matter resource to customers and internal teams Strong business and commercial acumen, with sound judgment regarding investment, risk, opportunity, and ROI Research-driven and data-informed decision making Strong cross-functional leadership and influence, including the ability to lead without direct reporting authority Customer focus and relationship building Initiative, accountability, responsiveness, and follow-through Process leadership, delegation, and development of organizational capability Collaborative leadership, with the ability to empower others, build trust, and create momentum toward measurable outcomes

Physical Requirements:

Ability to frequently travel nationally and internationally Ability to lift and maneuver items up to 50 lbs. Ability to be mobile as well as sit for long periods of time Ability to use technology, office, and lab equipment

Benefits:

401(k) 401(k) matching Dental insurance Employee assistance program Employee discount Flexible spending account Health insurance Health savings account Life insurance Paid time off Professional development assistance Retirement plan Vision insurance Application Question(s): How many years of experience do your have working with residential hard surface flooring materials including vinyl plank, hardwood, laminate, and bamboo?

Education:

Associate (Required)

Experience:

Research and Development:

4 years (Required) Ability to

Commute:

Marietta, GA 30066 (Required)

Work Location:

In person