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Director of new product development vs senior director

The differences between directors of new product development and senior directors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 8-10 years to become both a director of new product development and a senior director. Additionally, a senior director has an average salary of $152,047, which is higher than the $139,162 average annual salary of a director of new product development.

The top three skills for a director of new product development include product development, R and business development. The most important skills for a senior director are healthcare, analytics, and patients.

Director of new product development vs senior director overview

Director Of New Product DevelopmentSenior Director
Yearly salary$139,162$152,047
Hourly rate$66.90$73.10
Growth rate10%10%
Number of jobs185,369131,871
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 69%Bachelor's Degree, 69%
Average age3939
Years of experience1010

What does a director of new product development do?

A director of new product development spearheads and oversees a company's product development operations, from planning to production. They primarily take the lead in conducting research and analyses, coordinating engineers and other experts, evaluating product development plans and guidelines, and liaising with internal and external parties. They also have the authority to approve projects, make significant decisions, negotiate contracts, select concepts, and monitor all procedures, implementing solutions and strategies to optimize operations. Moreover, a director of new product development empowers employees while enforcing company standards and policies.

What does a senior director do?

Senior directors are the top management who manage the overall corporate structure of a brand. These executives take responsibility for the planning, operations, and profitability of the company. They direct and control all the functions of businesses. Their jobs cover the advertising, marketing, sales, and promotions of products and services. They are the people behind the tactical and strategic management of every asset of the enterprise through different programs.

Director of new product development vs senior director salary

Directors of new product development and senior directors have different pay scales, as shown below.

Director Of New Product DevelopmentSenior Director
Average salary$139,162$152,047
Salary rangeBetween $94,000 And $204,000Between $105,000 And $219,000
Highest paying CitySan Francisco, CASan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateRhode IslandCalifornia
Best paying companyDoorDashApple
Best paying industryMediaPharmaceutical

Differences between director of new product development and senior director education

There are a few differences between a director of new product development and a senior director in terms of educational background:

Director Of New Product DevelopmentSenior Director
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 69%Bachelor's Degree, 69%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeUniversity of GeorgiaUniversity of Georgia

Director of new product development vs senior director demographics

Here are the differences between directors of new product development' and senior directors' demographics:

Director Of New Product DevelopmentSenior Director
Average age3939
Gender ratioMale, 77.1% Female, 22.9%Male, 66.6% Female, 33.4%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 3.0% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 8.7% Asian, 8.2% White, 74.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%Black or African American, 3.0% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 8.7% Asian, 8.2% White, 74.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage10%10%

Differences between director of new product development and senior director duties and responsibilities

Director of new product development example responsibilities.

  • Manage the design development process from designer sketch handover to bulk production delivery.
  • Review estimated demand levels and spearhead logistics operations to prevent shortage or excess liabilities due to limitations of supplier capacities.
  • Engage with new strategic sales partners and OEM partnerships, while growing partner revenue production by improving abilities and production.
  • Manage implementation teams on new system installations and retrofit projects.

Senior director example responsibilities.

  • Lead the expansion for support of public sector business in EMEA and APAC.
  • Create and deliver pitch decks, while being task with managing RFP responses.
  • Organize scrum certification training, lead departmental reorganization around scrum teams and act as scrum coach.
  • Lead assessment, design, and implementation of operational governance capabilities for the EMEA & ASIA regions.
  • Manage ongoing ITIL certification program for UK operations as required by government regulation.
  • Help project managers understand financial responsibilities and lead them in increase product delivery and ROI.
  • Show more

Director of new product development vs senior director skills

Common director of new product development skills
  • Product Development, 23%
  • R, 10%
  • Business Development, 8%
  • Project Management, 7%
  • Market Research, 7%
  • Medical Devices, 4%
Common senior director skills
  • Healthcare, 6%
  • Analytics, 6%
  • Patients, 6%
  • Portfolio, 5%
  • Oversight, 5%
  • Project Management, 5%

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