Product Development Manager

Rock West Composites, Inc. has an exciting opportunity for a Product Development Manager.

Rock West Composites, Inc. is an engineering and manufacturing company dedicated to providing innovative solutions for commercial and government customers. This position is located in our San Diego HQ office at 7625 Panasonic Way San Diego, CA and reports to the Director of Engineer. This location is primarily a small batch, prototype, and R&D facility supporting DoD, Space, and commercial clients.

Position Summary:

This role provides strategic leadership by defining and communicating the product development roadmap, managing R&D activities, and driving innovation to support company growth. Responsibilities include leading a team, managing key programs, ensuring profitability through effective budgeting and planning, and collaborating with business development and other departments to achieve organizational objectives.

Essential Functions:

• Strategic direction
• Lead, define and communicate product development strategy to all stakeholders
• Own the product development roadmap and communicate to stakeholders
• Define R&D activities and drive new innovation/processes/materials for the company
• Manage a team of direct reports, including recruiting, onboarding, program allocation, bandwidth assessments, performance reviews, and team development.
• Directly manage programs or key accounts as the main POC (see Program Manager role) as necessary
• Create and track budget, schedule, and technical planning for fulfilling customer requirements for products.
• Support company-wide planning of manpower, cash flow, and shipments to ensure proper allocation of resources.
• Create written proposals to customers to complete a statement of work.
• Responsibility for P&L statement for Development Category
• Define budget (Cap Ex, operational expense, personnel) on annual basis
• Improve success and profitability of complex programs
• Cooperation with BD/PM teams
• Help guide them towards promising markets
• Advise in core processes and difficulty of new processes
• Review and advise on proposals to ensure capability and budget vs cost
• Determine hiring plans and personnel needs to support budget and growth plans
• Exhibit and promote an attitude that leads to an engaged and energized workforce.
• Be a team player: hungry, humble, and people smart.
• Comply with Rock West Composites’ company policies, procedures, and code of business conduct.
  
  

NON-ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

Other duties as assigned.

Required Education and Experience:

BS or BA degree in an engineering or materials science discipline; OR more than 15 years’ experience in development of manufacturing processes of advanced materials

Minimum 10 years’ experience in a related industry, with a significant portion acting as a leader of teams responsible for project and portfolio management

This is a Leadership Job

Ability to lead growth in the business segment: >2x in <5 years

Strong and creative strategic thinker, planner, executer

Build a team - pursue level 5 leadership (improvement)

Passion for the products

Ferocious Appetite For Learning

• What's going on in the industry
• What technology is differentiating, strategic, and how it can leverage growth
• Network – become known industry leader / expert in the field

Business Acumen / Expertise

• Knowledge of how to leverage current resources and capability – increase roa
• Growth opportunities / ideas (find them or create them)
• Set financial expectations, cost to achieve (people, cap ex, technology) and schedule to complete
• Ability to prioritize – opportunities, costs, probability, timing, risk analysis, with off ramps

Track record of execution and growth (winning and completing profitability)

Experience of establishing budgets and/or tracking expenditures and profit

Experience in communicating with customers

Basic knowledge of composite materials and processing methods

Other Requirements

• Strong work ethic and self-motivation
• Must be able to pass a background check and drug screening.
• Must possess strong communication, interpersonal, and analytical skills and work effectively across all areas of the business
• Current computer literacy is a must, including full proficiency in the use of the entire Microsoft Office Suite (i.e. Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint, and Outlook)
• Eligible candidates must be a United States Citizen, United States National, or a person lawfully admitted for permanent residence
  
  
  

Perks and Benefits:

• 100% Employer Paid Medical and Dental
• Annual Bonus
• 401K - 5% match
• Employee Stocks Option Program
• 9/80 work schedule
• 8- paid Holidays
• PTO: Max. 4-weeks after 5 years of employment
• $2,500 tuition reimbursement
  
  
  

Compensation:

The compensation range for this position falls within $130,000 and $150,000. The final compensation will be determined based on experience, skillset, and other factors permitted by law.

Why should you want to work with us? Rock West Composites cares about our employees! Not only do we offer great benefits to our full-time employees (Medical & Dental 100% employer paid, Vision, Paid Time Off and 401K match), we offer a fun and friendly working environment!

Rock West Composites is an Equal Opportunity Employer. It is the policy of the company to provide equal opportunity for all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, marital status or any other basis prohibited by state or federal law. Due to nature of defense contracts, US Citizenship is a requirement. As part of our Drug and Alcohol Policy, upon acceptance of any offer of employment, employment will be conditional of passing a required drug test.

If you are an individual with a disability and require a reasonable accommodation to complete any part of the application process, or are limited in the ability or unable to access or use this online application process and need an alternative method for applying, you may contact 858-537-6260.