VP of Product Innovation & Development

Five Star Recruiting and Staffing; South Bend (IN); On-site; USD 180,000 - 220,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Performance-based incentives

Executive-level leadership role

Job summary

Five Star Recruiting and Staffing seeks a Vice President of Product Development & Innovation to lead strategic evolution of its product portfolio. This executive will shape the roadmap, oversee multidisciplinary teams, and drive development from concept through commercialization.

This high-visibility role guides R&D, engineering, and product development while championing customer-centric innovation and technical rigor in a manufacturing and logistics environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Product Design, or related field; advanced degree preferred.
• 10+ years in product development with 5+ years in senior leadership.
• Experience in industrial manufacturing, packaging, logistics, or related sectors.
• Proven track record launching new products and managing full lifecycle development.

Responsibilities

• Architect and execute a forward-looking product innovation strategy aligned with market demands and long-term goals.
• Lead cross-functional teams through ideation, prototyping, testing, and launches.
• Mentor engineering and R&D teams, drive accountability and continuous improvement.
• Integrate emerging materials and design methodologies to enhance performance and sustainability.
• Partner with Operations, Sales, Marketing, and Customer Support for seamless product introductions.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic thinking

Cross-functional leadership

Product development

Lean Six Sigma

Agile

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering

Advanced degree preferred

Tools

Lean Product Development practices

Six Sigma

Agile

Job description

Five Star Recruiting and Staffing seeks a Vice President of Product Development & Innovation to lead strategic evolution of its product portfolio. This executive will shape the roadmap, oversee multidisciplinary teams, and drive development from concept through commercialization.

This high-visibility role guides R&D, engineering, and product development while championing customer-centric innovation and technical rigor in a manufacturing and logistics environment.