Sr. Director - New Product Development Quality

Sr. Director - New Product Development Quality

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.

The Senior Director of New Product Development Systems Quality is a strategic leader responsible for designing, governing, and continuously improving products that enable innovation while ensuring compliance and product integrity across the entire development lifecycle. This role applies systems engineering principles—including requirements traceability, risk management, and robust verification and validation—to deliver consumer products that meet internal standards and global regulatory requirements from concept through commercialization.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership & Lifecycle Governance

• Define and execute the quality systems strategy for NPD, embedding systems thinking and lifecycle management into all phases.

• Lead governance for phase-gate reviews, ensuring requirements, risk mitigation, and compliance objectives are met.

• Serve as the primary quality interface between innovation, product development, engineering, manufacturing, and regulatory teams.

Systems Quality Framework

• Own and optimize NPD quality, including:
• Design Controls & Requirements Management
• Risk Analysis & Mitigation (e.g., DFMEA, hazard analysis)
• Change & Configuration Management
• Document Control & Traceability
• Verification & Validation Planning
• Supplier Quality Integration
• Establish metrics and dashboards to monitor quality performance and enable data-driven decisions.

Cross-Functional Integration

• Partner with R&D to ensure products are designed for quality, reliability, manufacturability, and compliance.

• Collaborate with Regulatory Affairs to meet global standards (FDA, ISO, EU MDR, etc.).

• Align with Operations and Supply Chain on supplier qualification and component reliability.

Compliance & Audit Readiness

• Maintain audit-ready processes aligned with ISO 9001, ISO 13485, GMP, and other applicable standards.

• Lead internal and external audits for NPD quality.

Leadership & Talent Development

• Build and mentor a high-performing team of quality professionals.

• Foster a culture of continuous improvement, accountability, and systems thinking across the organization.

Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Systems Engineering, or related field required. Advanced degree (MS, MBA, or PhD) preferred.

• Experience: 12+ years in quality assurance or systems engineering within regulated industries (consumer goods, medical devices, etc.). 5+ years in senior leadership roles driving cross-functional initiatives. Expertise in systems engineering principles, NPD lifecycle, and quality by design.

• Skills & Competencies: Strong leadership and change management capabilities. Proficiency in quality and systems tools (e.g., FMEA, Six Sigma, requirements management platforms). Experience with electronic Quality Management Systems (eQMS). Exceptional communication and stakeholder engagement skills.