Senior Director of Design & Advanced Development CA - San Francisco

Senior Director of Design & Advanced Development

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 3,600+ associates, the company’s products are sold at key retailers, online and offline, and through distributors around the world .

At SharkNinja, we are redefining how products improve everyday life—and our Senior Director of Design & Advanced Development sits at the very heart of that ambition. We’re seeking a creative leader and future thinker to head up our global Front-End Innovation team : a passionate, hands-on group of design storytellers, engineers, and inventors who bring breakthrough product ideas to life.

This isn’t just a design leadership role—it’s about leading the spark behind SharkNinja’s next generation of iconic products. You'll be the creative catalyst shaping what’s next, helping teams turn blue-sky thinking into tangible, consumer-loved innovations that define categories. Your team will shape the early concept architecture that eventually fuels mass production through our NPD (New Product Development) pipeline.

The ideal candidate is a designer at heart, with deep engineering and design credentials, a natural flair for storytelling, and a relentless passion for solving consumer problems in inventive, inspiring ways.

What You’ll Do

Lead SharkNinja’s Front-End Innovation team, responsible for driving concept creation, design storytelling, and early platform exploration across all product categories.

Inspire a team of Industrial Designers and Product Design Engineers to generate physical and visual prototypes that sell ideas and excite cross-functional partners and senior executives.

Be a design storyteller—capable of pitching future-focused concepts in a way that connects emotionally and drives alignment across the business.

Champion a studio culture that blends hands-on making, iterative sketching, advanced prototyping, and bold thinking grounded in technical feasibility.

Partner with Mechanical Engineering, R&D, Product Development, and Product Marketing to ensure early concepts are rooted in a strong, scalable product strategy.

Integrate deep knowledge of materials, manufacturing methods (e.g., plastic injection molding, die casting, sheet metal), and DFM / DFA to ensure ideas are not just exciting—but achievable.

Bring context and imagination to every phase of development, combining user insights, trend forecasting, and emerging technologies to shape future design visions.

Cultivate a high-energy environment where curiosity, creativity, and invention are celebrated and continuously pushed forward.

Maintain a consumer-obsessed mindset, with a focus on developing products that change behaviors, exceed expectations, and lead markets.

What You’ll Bring

A degree in Product Design Engineering, Industrial Design, or a related field that blends design and engineering. A PDE background is highly valued for its unique balance of technical rigor and creative thinking.

10+ years of experience in product design and innovation, ideally in high-volume consumer goods environments.

A rich portfolio of category-defining consumer products that demonstrate design excellence, storytelling, and successful commercialization.

Proven leadership in building and developing creative teams—mentoring talent, championing new voices, and fostering collaboration across disciplines.

An ability to lead with vision and conviction while remaining hands-on, detail-oriented, and deeply engaged in the creative process.

A natural presenter and communicator, with the charisma and clarity to sell ideas across all levels of the organization—from engineers to executives.

Strong technical foundation in high-volume manufacturing and an appreciation for the intersection of creativity and feasibility.

A love for "making"—whether sketching, building, modeling, or hacking together ideas to inspire others.

Bold thinking, grounded in insight, empathy, and a deep understanding of consumer behavior.

A proficiency in SolidWorks or Creo, KeyShot, and Adobe Suite.

Why This Role Matters

This role is more than just product design—it's about shaping our future. You will lead a team of makers, storytellers, and engineers to uncover what’s next, spark new possibilities, and turn compelling ideas into category-changing products.If you’re obsessed with invention, fueled by creativity, and ready to lead a team that lives at the edge of what's possible—this is your moment.

Salary and Other Compensation :

The annual salary range for this position is displayed below. Factors which may affect starting pay within this range may include geography / market, skills, education, experience and other qualifications of the successful candidate.

Pay Range

$264,510 - $323,290 USD

Our Culture

At SharkNinja, we don’t just raise the bar—we push past it every single day.

Our Outrageously Extraordinary mindset

drives us to tackle the impossible, push boundaries, and deliver results that others only dream of. If you thrive on breaking out of your swim lane, you’ll be right at home.

What We Offer

We offer competitive health insurance, retirement plans, paid time off, employee stock purchase options, wellness programs, SharkNinja product discounts, and more.

We empower your personal and professional growth

with high impact Learning Programs featuring bold voices redefining what’s possible.

When you join, you’re not just part of a company—you’re part of an outrageously extraordinary community.

To gether, we won’t just launch products—

we’ll disrupt entire markets.

At SharkNinja, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion are vital to our global success. Valuing each unique voice and blending all of our diverse skills strengthens SharkNinja’s innovation every day. We support ALL associates in bringing their authentic selves to work, making an impact, and having the opportunity for career acceleration. With help from our leadership, associates, and our community, we aim to have equity be a key component of the SharkNinja DNA.

We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability, or any other class protected by legislation, and local law. SharkNinja will consider reasonable accommodations consistent with legislation, and local law. If you require a reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, please contact SharkNinja People & Culture ataccommodations@sharkninja.com

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