Product Development Manager, Apparel / General Retail

As an Avery Dennison Smartrac (ADS) Product Development Manager, you will have the overall responsibility for leading global, cross-functional teams for fast-growing RFID product lines covering inlay, media/customization, and continuous improvement projects. A successful candidate will drive action and execution to achieve the strategic and P&L goals for the product portfolio. We are a business fueled by collaboration and teamwork, and passionate about growth, sustainability, and diversity. The Product Development Manager will collaborate closely with ADS internal stakeholders such as R&D, Product Management, and Operations, as well as partnering with businesses within Solutions Group, Materials Group, and our Corporate supporting teams in support of product delivery for our clients and the business. Primary responsibilities include project planning and documentation, meeting facilitation, follow-up, and communication of product release plans and status. The Product Development Manager is accountable for the overall delivery of the product release plan and will work with various levels of the organization to ensure timelines are met, risks are mitigated, and the overall success and client satisfaction of the project.

Specifically, the selected candidate for the role, for their section of the product portfolio, will:

• Work with product managers to translate market requirements into executable projects, and to develop product release plans for achieving stated objectives including detailed work plans, schedules, project estimates, forecasts, and status reports.

• Lead POC or other development product sampling, providing MVPs for fast iterative development.

• Lead product development from definition through new product introduction to first production site.

• Work with R&D and Platform teams to freeze design and successfully build prototype and/or pre-production engineering samples for new products.

• Secure needed product validation testing, including regulatory and/or compliance requirements.

• Collaborate closely with Product Management, R&D, Operations including Platform, Global Supply Chain, Global Procurement, Global Quality, NPI, and Commercial teams to ensure new products have a smooth transition to high volume production.

• Lead requirements gathering, creation and delivery of product media/customization to support commercial go-to -market (GTM) strategy.

• Provide project timing on inlay and/or media/customization product development projects to Commercial, Operations or other stakeholders.

• Coordinate finalization of technical specifications and item creation with the PDM team in collaboration with the product manager.

• Conducts project meetings and is responsible for project tracking and analysis.

• Help infuse process discipline, systems thinking, and critical tools deep into the organization thereby enhancing company's capacity for effective & efficient project management.

• Leverage methods & tools to accelerate project timelines with agility and flexibility, encourage cross-functional collaboration, and build quality into projects from the outset.

• Identify & resolve issues proactively, assess potential risks and solutions, and plan alternatives by balancing schedule, scope, and cost constraints creatively.

• Manage interpersonal dynamics within global project teams (e.g., building consensus among sub-project owners, negotiating any changes to the project plan, and holding team members accountable for delivery on commitments made).

• Ensure teams meet or exceed anticipated project benefits on-time, within budget, and with the desired level of quality.

• Develop and improve project management practices, tools and resources targeting speed, trust and focus.

• Collaborate with both internal and external stakeholders worldwide.

Avery Dennison has a long history of being a market leader. Your history is important to us. It should include the following:

• Bachelor's degree required in Electrical Engineering or relevant technical engineering disciplines such as Electronics/Computer/Mechanical. Master's degree in Electrical Engineering or relevant technical engineering disciplines such as Electronics/Computer/Mechanical preferred.

• 1-3 years of relevant professional experience in project management, processes, and tools in new product development and deployment in NPI operations environment. Experience in leading others and managing cross-functional projects.

• Basic knowledge in RFID technologies and RFID protocols.

• Ability to manage multiple projects and deal with changing priorities with a bias towards execution in a multicultural and virtual team environment.

• Excellent facilitation, customer service, relationship building and communication skills.

• Excellent project management principles and best practices. Experience with project management tools, e.g.Smartsheets, Google Workspace and Microsoft office tools.

• Detail oriented with strong leadership, analytical & organizational skills, and problem management skills.

• Comfort and confidence in interacting with / presenting to all levels in an organization.

• Good business acumen.

• Ability to influence effectively without authority.

• Propensity for identifying risks and issues proactively, making decisions with incomplete information, and acting expediently with agility and flexibility.

• Willingness to work on a global clock and platform.

• Willingness to travel, domestic and international (up to 25%).

• PMP certification required or commitment to obtain within 12 months of employment.

To be successful in this position you are a confident team player, self-driven, high energy, passionate to win, and equipped with good collaboration skills. Ability to work under pressure and a continuous improvement solution-oriented mindset is required.

Who we are! - Our Story:

Every voice. Every day! Eight Values. One Team!

Being open to every voice, every day, brings our value of diversity to life and makes Avery Dennison a vibrant and engaging place to be. We understand diversity and equal opportunities as enrichment for our future-oriented work. Across our diverse, global team, every voice makes us stronger. When we listen to and learn from each other, there is no limit to what we can achieve together. Each of us is unique, and we appreciate bringing together different personalities and talents.

Avery Dennison is an equal-opportunity employer.

To find out more about all our employee resources groups globally as well as our Diversity, Equity & Inclusion approach, please go to https://www.averydennison.com/en/home/about-us/diversity-and-inclusion.html

At Avery Dennison, we do what we love, and we love what we do - Just click here, and get to know us better: Life @ Avery Dennison (linkedin.com/company/avery-dennison/life/emea)

Please let us know if we can support you with reasonable accommodations throughout the application process by contacting our Talent Acquisition team via jobs@eu.averydennison.com