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.
Director of new product development responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real director of new product development resumes:
- 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.
Director of new product development skills and personality traits
We calculated that 23% of Directors Of New Product Development are proficient in Product Development, R, and Business Development. They’re also known for soft skills such as Detail oriented, Math skills, and Analytical skills.
We break down the percentage of Directors Of New Product Development that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Product Development, 23%
Major Functions: Served as interim Director of Product Development Engineering and Engineering Manager for Patient Monitoring & Surgical Interconnect Systems.
- R, 10%
Build and maintain simple linear regression models in R to forecast and track daily seasonality of revenue related metrics.
- Business Development, 8%
Created business development group to identify profit-generating opportunities in product research and development, acquisitions, and additional revenue streams.
- Project Management, 7%
Established scientifically based research methodologies, Project Management and Report writing standards that helped set industry standards in many areas.
- Market Research, 7%
Identified product pipeline opportunities and secured two licensing deals with global application using primary and secondary market research.
- Medical Devices, 4%
Developed medical devices such as blood cell instrumentation for Abbott, blood analysis for Beckton Dickinson and medical lighting for Burton.
Most directors of new product development use their skills in "product development," "r," and "business development" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential director of new product development responsibilities here:
Analytical skills. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of directors of new product development is analytical skills. This skill is critical to many everyday director of new product development duties, as "advertising, promotions, and marketing managers must be able to analyze industry trends to determine the most promising strategies for their organization." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "designed and implemented a resource analysis model for assessing product development teams and installed quality system metrics for new products. "
Communication skills. For certain director of new product development responsibilities to be completed, the job requires competence in "communication skills." The day-to-day duties of a director of new product development rely on this skill, as "managers must be able to communicate effectively with a broad-based team made up of other managers or staff members during the advertising, promotions, and marketing process." For example, this snippet was taken directly from a resume about how this skill applies to what directors of new product development do: "managed engineering, testing, documentation, and communications for fda equipment review in a highly regulated field. "
Organizational skills. Another crucial skill for a director of new product development to carry out their responsibilities is "organizational skills." A big part of what directors of new product development relies on this skill, since "advertising, promotions, and marketing managers must manage their time and budget efficiently while directing and motivating staff members." How this skill relates to director of new product development duties can be seen in an example from a director of new product development resume snippet: "lean product development/organizational change: matured the division's project management from a level 1 to level 4 maturity. "
Creativity. While "creativity" is last on this skills list, don't underestimate its importance to director of new product development responsibilities. Much of what a director of new product development does relies on this skill, seeing as "advertising, promotions, and marketing managers must be able to generate new and imaginative ideas." Here is a resume example of how this skill is used in the everyday duties of directors of new product development: "cross functional leadership across brand management, marketing, creative and product development teams to ensure on time delivery of product. "
See the full list of director of new product development skills
The three companies that hire the most director of new product developments are:
- B. Braun Medical3 directors of new product development jobs
- DoorDash3 directors of new product development jobs
- Driven Brands2 directors of new product development jobs
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Compare different directors of new product development
Director of new product development vs. Product management director
A Product Management Director is responsible for a business product planning as well as execution throughout the life cycle of the business. They create the product strategy and requirements, develop and execute tactical plans, and maintain product and market knowledge.
While similarities exist, there are also some differences between directors of new product development and product management director. For instance, director of new product development responsibilities require skills such as "medical devices," "competitive intelligence," "development efforts," and "sigma." Whereas a product management director is skilled in "product strategy," "cloud," "analytics," and "digital transformation." This is part of what separates the two careers.
Product management directors earn the highest salaries when working in the technology industry, with an average yearly salary of $159,020. On the other hand, directors of new product development are paid more in the media industry with an average salary of $151,210.On average, product management directors reach higher levels of education than directors of new product development. Product management directors are 5.5% more likely to earn a Master's Degree and 2.3% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Director of new product development vs. Global director
The duties of a global director will vary on one's line of work or company of employment. Typically, their responsibilities will revolve around overseeing and leading a diverse range of employees or departments, developing new strategies and programs for global markets, and ensuring that all products and services are inclusive and public friendly. Furthermore, as a director, it is essential to implement all policies and regulations, all while developing new ones to ensure the efficiency of the company and its services.
While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that director of new product development responsibilities requires skills like "market research," "traction," "medical devices," and "prototyping." But a global director might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "cloud," "hr," "oversight," and "continuous improvement."
On average, global directors earn a higher salary than directors of new product development. Some industries support higher salaries in each profession. Interestingly enough, global directors earn the most pay in the automotive industry with an average salary of $162,077. Whereas directors of new product development have higher pay in the media industry, with an average salary of $151,210.global directors earn similar levels of education than directors of new product development in general. They're 4.2% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 2.3% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Director of new product development vs. Senior director
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.
There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a director of new product development is likely to be skilled in "market research," "medical devices," "prototyping," and "product design," while a typical senior director is skilled in "healthcare," "analytics," "patients," and "portfolio."
Senior directors earn the best pay in the pharmaceutical industry, where they command an average salary of $180,537. Directors of new product development earn the highest pay from the media industry, with an average salary of $151,210.When it comes to education, senior directors tend to earn similar degree levels compared to directors of new product development. In fact, they're 1.9% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.4% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Director of new product development vs. Group director
A group director is responsible for monitoring the operations of a specific team in an organization, ensuring that the group meets daily targets, providing the highest customer satisfaction for the company's services. Group directors work with senior management to identify business opportunities that would bring more revenues and increase the company's profitability. They also handle the department's budgets, allocating adequate resources for every team to support project deliverables. A group director must have excellent communication and leadership skills, analyzing business functions, and developing strategic ways to increase productivity.
Types of director of new product development
Updated January 8, 2025
