Director of Advanced Concept Development
Job ID 2023-01393
Description
About Us:
Conair is a leading international designer, manufacturer, and marketer of branded personal care and small kitchen appliances, cookware, hairbrushes & accessories, cosmetic bags, and travel accessories.
Conair has always been driven by a passion for innovation; it’s part of the Company’s DNA. Trendsetting products have been invented by Conair since its inception in 1959, keeping the Company always a step ahead of the competition. The company's domestic and international divisions offer a diversified mix of consumer and professional products sold in over 120 countries. The Family of Conair brands includes CONAIR, Cuisinart, BabylissPRO, Scünci , TRAVELSMART by CONAIR, and Waring.
Conair’s passion for innovation gets stronger with each decade, as evidenced by the over 1,000 patents the Company has obtained worldwide. Today, Conair and its brands are names known throughout the world. Conair continues to introduce its brands to new and emerging markets, year after year. By the 1990s, most households in America owned at least one Conair product. Today many have more than one, and the Company’s goal is to ensure that every household in the world eventually owns one of our products.
At Conair, we inspire our customers with innovative high-quality products and
iconic brands that enhance their lives.
Position Summary:
Are you an innovator who thrives at the intersection of vision and execution? Join us as the Director of Advanced Concepts Development, where you’ll drive the creation of breakthrough product concepts that address emerging consumer needs and strengthen our category strategies.
In this role, you’ll partner with R&D, Product Marketing, and Engineering to accelerate earlystage innovation — from bold ideas to validated concepts ready for consideration in category roadmaps. If you’re energized by shaping the “next big thing,” inspiring teams, and driving consumer-centric innovation in a fast-paced environment, we’d love to hear from you.
Key Responsibilities:
Strategic Vision & Leadership
- Shape and communicate a forward-looking innovation vision that supports corporate and category strategies.
- Provide insights on emerging technologies, consumer trends, and business models to inform long-term category planning.
- Champion a culture of creativity, agility, and consumer-first thinking across the organization.
Portfolio & Pipeline Management
- Build and manage a portfolio of advanced concepts, moving ideas from ideation to proof-of-concept.
- Evaluate projects for impact, feasibility, and strategic fit using the company’s established stage-gate process.
- Ensure a steady pipeline of validated concepts ready for category consideration.
Customer-Centric Innovation
- Oversee the Consumer Insights team and integrate their findings into strategic decision-making processes.
- Identify unmet consumer needs and translate them into actionable product opportunities.
- Lead early-stage ideation, validation, and refinement of concepts using consumer insights and feedback.
- Ensure advanced concepts deliver real-world value by staying anchored in customer behaviors and expectations.
Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Partner with R&D, Product Marketing, Engineering, and PMO to align advanced concepts with category strategies.
- Support category leadership by sharing early insights, validated opportunities, and strategic recommendations.
- Facilitate knowledge sharing and build organizational capability in early-stage innovation.
Qualifications/Skills:
Required
- Bachelor’s degree in engineering, design, business, or related field.
- 10+ years in innovation management, R&D, product strategy, or related discipline, including 5+ years in leadership.
- Proven track record of translating ideas into executable strategies with tangible outcomes.
- Experience leading high-performing, diverse, and cross-functional teams.
- Strong communication and storytelling skills; ability to distill complex ideas for different audiences.
- Deep understanding of consumer insights, usability, and human-centered design.
Preferred
- Advanced degree (Master’s or PhD) in a relevant field.
Environmental Factors:
- Working conditions are normal for an office environment.
- Must be able to sit for extended periods of time.
- Must be able to use a computer keyboard and view a monitor for extended periods of time.
- This role requires on-site presence Monday through Thursday, with the flexibility to work remotely from anywhere on Fridays.
What we offer:
- Comprehensive Medical/Dental/Vision plans
- Generous Paid Time Off Programs
- Life & Disability Insurance
- FSA/HSA/Dependent Care FSA
- Paid Parental Leave
- 401k and company match
- EAP & Employee Wellness Programs
- Volunteer Days Paid Time Off
- Free breakfast and lunch in the Stamford office
Are you passionate about this opportunity but worried that you don’t have 100% of the experience we’re looking for? We still want to hear from you! Apply online and let us know why you would make a great addition to Conair!