NPD Leader - Elixir

About the Role: We are looking for a bold and strategic New Product Development (NPD) Leader to guide the next chapter of innovation for Elixir Strings. In this high-impact role, you'll be responsible for turning long-term brand strategy into actionable product development plans that delight musicians and grow the business. You'll lead a passionate team of technical contributors and collaborate deeply with cross-functional partners in Business, Marketing, Sales, and Supply Chain. This role demands more than just technical know-how-it requires a leader who can set a clear vision, drive execution through milestones, and align teams around shared goals. You'll be instrumental in shaping our product roadmap, guiding new concepts through discovery and development, and ensuring that every product we launch advances our purpose: to make tools that inspire musicians to create, express, and connect.

This position will be located at our facility in Elkton, Maryland, with the possibility of a hybrid remote work arrangement, depending upon the responsibilities of the role and business needs. Relocation assistance may be offered for this position.

Pay and Benefits:

• $140,000 - $225,000 per year
• Roles above $150k are eligible for the variable pay program each fiscal year, based on defined business performance metrics
• Factors considered in extending an offer within this pay range include (but not limited to) education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities
• Medical, Dental and Vision benefits effective on Day 1 of employment! We offer a comprehensive total rewards package, including competitive benefits. More details are available at www.gore.com/careers/benefits

Responsibilities:

• Define and lead the product innovation vision for Elixir Strings, translating long-term brand strategy into a clear, actionable NPD roadmap
• Inspire and lead a team of 5-10 technical contributors, fostering a culture of creativity, accountability, and continuous improvement
• Establish and manage milestone-based plans for product development activities, ensuring alignment with business goals and readiness across functions
• Facilitate early-stage concept development, guiding the team through user-centered discovery, iterative prototyping, and validation
• Track progress across the innovation funnel, ensuring ideas are prioritized, resourced, and advanced at a pace that supports business growth targets.
• Update and align senior leadership on roadmap progress, key learnings, and tradeoffs-owning both successes and setbacks transparently
• Collaborate cross-functionally with Marketing, Sales, Business, and Supply Chain to ensure product development is integrated, not siloed
• Active, contributing member of the Elixir Strings Leadership Team, participating in key decisions and ensuring those decisions are reinforced through clear, consistent messaging to those you lead
• Champion shared ownership of timelines, reinforcing collective accountability across the leadership team and within the NPD function
• Forecast and manage R&D investments, balancing creative exploration with disciplined use of time, people, and resources

Required Qualifications:

• Minimum of 5 years of experience leading cross-functional product development or R&D teams, with a proven ability to set a clear, inspiring product vision and mobilize teams around it
• Experience defining and driving a clear, milestone-based product development roadmap-with updates delivered regularly to senior leadership
• Proven track record of bringing new products from concept to commercialization, with clear examples of measurable business or consumer impact
• Strong strategic thinking and planning capability, including setting multi-quarter goals and aligning near-term milestones to a broader product roadmap
• Expertise in applying innovation frameworks (e.g., Design Thinking, Jobs to Be Done) to uncover unmet needs and generate testable product concepts
• Strong business acumen with the ability to manage R&D resources against timelines, forecast deliverables, and negotiate key milestone decisions collaboratively with other leaders
• High proficiency in translating ambiguous consumer feedback into clear, measurable product performance criteria and ensuring alignment on value proposition across technical and commercial teams
• Excellent collaboration and communication skills with a track record of reinforcing cross-functional alignment through shared language, priorities, and ownership
• Demonstrated ability to create and maintain a high-performing, inclusive, and psychologically safe team culture that fosters innovation
• Ability and willingness to travel up to 10% to engage with end users, attend trade events, or visit manufacturing partners

Desired Qualifications:

• Experience leading innovation in a consumer brand known for its design ethos, product quality, or user-centered development approach (e.g., music gear, wearables, connected devices, premium consumer goods)
• Prior experience bringing a product from early-stage concept through launch in a smaller, entrepreneurial, or high-growth business unit-demonstrating comfort with ambiguity and ownership across functions
• Deep personal passion for music, ideally as a practicing musician, guitarist, or someone immersed in music culture

Hybrid Working Arrangements are permitted for Associates in the continental United States (US) and Canada, with appropriate approval and compliance with Gore's hybrid working policies, from the country in which they are employed.

What We Offer: Our success is based on the capability and creativity of our Associates, and we are proud to offer a comprehensive and competitive total rewards program that supports your everyday and helps you build your tomorrow.

We provide benefits that offer choice and flexibility and promote overall well-being. And in keeping with our belief that every Associate should share in the collective success of the enterprise; we provide a distinctive Associate Stock Ownership Plan in each country as well as potential opportunities for "profit-sharing". Learn more at gore.com/careers/benefits

We believe in the strength of a diverse and inclusive workplace. With diverse perspectives, ideas and experiences, we uncover new possibilities and make a greater impact in the world. We are proud of Associates for building on our rich history of innovation, upholding our values and supporting an inclusive work environment where we treat each other and our external partners with fairness, dignity and respect.

Gore is an equal opportunity employer. We welcome all applications irrespective of race, color, religion, sex, gender, national origin, ancestry, age, status as a qualified individual with a disability, genetic information, pregnancy status, medical condition, marital status, sexual orientation, status as a covered veteran, gender identity and expression, and any other characteristic protected by applicable laws and regulations.

Gore is committed to a drug-free workplace. All employment is contingent upon successful completion of drug and background screening. Gore will consider qualified applicants with criminal histories, e.g., arrest and conviction records, in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable laws.

Gore requires all applicants to be eligible to work within the U.S. Gore generally will not sponsor visas unless otherwise noted on the position description.

Our Talent Acquisition Team welcomes your questions at gore.com/careers/contact