Director of Product Development

SV Sound, LLC (www.svsound.com)

Girard, OH



1.     Manage the development of new products as specified by the new products team, et al.

2.     Serve on the new products team.

3.      Report on the progress of new products especially against budget and deadlines.

4.      Set a budget and timeline for each project.

5.      Set QC specs for Production.

6.      Investigate, resolve, track, and report product problems.

7.      Manage the ECN process.

8.      Ensure that SVS products are safe.

9.      Ensure that SVS products meet appropriate certifications.

10.  Validate existing products.

11.   Assist in the qualification of new suppliers.  Outsource as necessary to meet schedules.

12.  Set an annual R&D budget and investigate expense variances. Monitors, controls, corrects and reports expenditures versus approved budget.

13.  Supervise and manage a Product Development team consisting of engineering and technician level staff. Recommends to the board of directors actions to be taken related to group, including but not limited to, hiring, termination, disciplining, performance appraisals, salary increases and overall direction of program activities.

14.  Assists in creating detailed project plans and assures that the group and each individual has a clear set of goals and objectives.

15.  Assures that every team member establishes and maintains the technical skill level required to execute the Product Development programs.

16.  Maintains a technical staff that is highly motivated to provide high quality technical results within prescribed deadlines.

17.   Assures that the established goals for Product Development are accomplished on time and within budget. Any unavoidable exceptions are communicated effectively and timely.

18.  Meets managerial requirements related to Quality Systems and Design Control as well as any other requirement specifically designated by corporate or site policies or procedures. Assures that appropriate steps are taken to identify, prioritize and address quality problems.

19.  Provides technical leadership and acts as a consultant to Product Development team members.

20.Ensure transfer projects/products from Product Development to New Product Introduction.

21.  Pursue cost reduction targets as specified by the CFO and others. 22.Implement and report relevant performance measures.

Essential Qualifications: Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering. 5+ years of overall experience with 3+ years of management experience in audio industry. Demonstrated ability to manage multiple cross-functional projects. Knowledge across the whole process of developing products from the concept phase through to development, regulatory approval, production and launch. Business understanding and knowledge within the entire product lifecycle. In depth knowledge within the audio industry including quality requirements and regulatory requirements. Excellent verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills.Experienced presenter in executive meetings. Ability to improve situations with proactive problem solving skills and solution oriented negotiation skills. Planning expertise in Microsoft Project or alternative planning tools.Ability to train, teach and lead others. Ability to travel up to 15% including international travel. Desire to develop innovative products   New product specification development based on market analysis Good understanding and experience with the product design/development process (from concept to production).   Understanding of audio product development. Experience with market analysis, identifying trends and market requirements Ability to work with local and international subcontractors (firmware/software, tooling, electrical and mechanical design, assembly) to develop product designs and production tooling/processes. Some knowledge of manufacturing processes and associated costs. perience communicating and negotiating with overseas manufacturers. Experience with the RFQ process (developing RFQs and reviewing quotations).