About the position
The Global Product Director is responsible for leading the strategic direction, lifecycle management, and profitability of the global mobility coatings and product portfolio. This role bridges technical, commercial, and operational functions to drive sustainable growth and innovation in alignment with customer needs and market trends.
Responsibilities
- Own the global product strategy, roadmap, and vision across all regions and product lines within the coatings and chemicals portfolio
- Lead market segmentation, portfolio positioning, and pricing strategy to maximize revenue and margin
- Monitor industry trends, competitor activity, and customer needs to inform innovation and differentiation strategies
- Oversee the end-to-end lifecycle from ideation through commercialization to phase-out
- Champion Stage-Gate or other product development processes to ensure timely and cost-effective launches
- Drive VOC (Voice of Customer) into R&D and innovation pipelines
- Prioritize and guide new product processes (NPP) and line extensions in collaboration with global R&D
- Drive sustainability initiatives (low-VOC, waterborne, and powder coatings) and digital color-matching innovations
- Collaborate with Sales, Marketing, and Technical teams to develop compelling value propositions and go-to-market plans
- Support key account engagement and business development with technical and strategic insights
- Align global and regional product pricing strategies and value-based selling tools
- Lead product P&L performance; track key metrics including revenue growth, gross margin, and market share
- Optimize supply chain, sourcing strategies, and capacity planning in collaboration with operations and procurement
- Identify opportunities for cost reduction, SKU rationalization, and portfolio optimization
- Lead and develop a high-performing global team of product managers and market specialists
- Foster strong collaboration with R&D, regulatory, manufacturing, and regional business leaders
- Ensure compliance with global safety, environmental, and regulatory requirements (REACH, TSCA, etc.)
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, or a related field; MBA or advanced business degree strongly preferred
- 10+ years in product management or marketing in the chemical or coatings industry, with at least 5 years in a global or senior leadership role
- Proven track record in launching and managing successful technical products across international markets
- Deep understanding of automotive OEM, Tier 1 supplier ecosystems, and coatings technologies (solventborne, waterborne, powder, e-coat)
- Strong business acumen with experience managing P&L and driving commercial strategy
- Excellent leadership, communication, and stakeholder management skills
- Ability to travel up to 30% - 40%
