Position Title: Director, Innovation and Growth
Direct Reports: No Direct Reports
Location: Milwaukee, WI

Summary:

With a 100 year history this global industrial organization has grown to almost $2B in sales. In order to continue developing a culture of growth and innovation, the organization has created this exciting senior leadership position with enterprise-wide accountability. This new position will focus on new / existing products and services, new / existing technologies, and new marketing approaches and revenue models. The position will help to mentor Business and Segment Leaders on the growth process. This person will leverage prior experiences and existing continuous improvement principles. This involves developing a Growth Process and Plan, assisting in its execution and leading its adoption throughout the organization. This position will be a peer to other business leaders within the organization with whom collaboration is critical. This relationship will be important as the position will work closely with these leaders to develop the growth strategies.


Responsibilities:

Accountable to develop and institutionalize a balanced culture of growth and profitability across the global enterprise; ensure that innovation and growth are highly visible priorities supported by practical tools to identify, evaluate, develop and measure selected key activities.
1. Design and Implement the Growth Process and Culture
a. Identify and define the barriers to growth and ways to mitigate; determine what’s working/what’s not working
b. Become familiar with and understand the Intellectual Property inventory
c. Develop and execute a final Growth Process featuring set metrics, a common language, processes and tools required, from VOC to concept to commercialization, including internal employee training requirements and reward and recognition.
2. Work with the continuous improvement (Lean) Office
a. Orientation to Lean Office via a customized 60 day ‘Lean Immersion’ program
b. Develop a business Growth Cultural Assessment (current state)
c. Define and create a Growth Toolbox
d. Design and execute appropriate training
3. Collaborate with Segment / Business Leaders
a. Counsel and guide Business and Segment Leaders to promote growth; act as a Growth leader to provide them with an assessment of innovation capabilities and opportunities within their organizations.
b. Identify Growth Champions within the business (primarily Business Leaders) and mentor/develop these resources
c. Develop annual growth plans with each business as part of the strategic planning process
d. Develop a conduit for Voice of the Customer and capturing unmet customer needs.
e. With the businesses/segments, create and implement a standard tollgate New Product Development and Commercialization Process (OEM and Distribution).
f. Establish and chair a Growth Council / Serve as a Member of the Lean Steering Committee
4. CEO/COO Collaboration
a. Establish Growth Process and Strategy
b. Design and coordinate a new, Annual Worldwide Growth Planning Meeting (WWGPM)
Key Contacts/Clients and focus with the Clients
• Segment Leaders – Establish growth priorities/ Assist in the development of growth strategies; recommend resources and barrier resolution
• Business Leaders – Assist their development of Growth Plans; tool identification and implementation, Facilitate growth discussions and support process
• Lean Office – Assist in Tool development and implementation
• Business Sales, Marketing, Engineering resources – coaching, guidance, promotion of best practice and tool implementation
• VP Business Development – Coordinate and help identify acquisition activity that helps support growth strategies
• COO – Establish priorities, Growth Strategy and Process
• CEO – Coordination of WW Growth Week activities

Qualifications:
• Demonstrated business leadership and acumen
• Experience in creating a sustainable growth organization, sensitively managing the impact of complex change
• Knowledge of and demonstrated ability to create and apply Growth Tools
• Ability to work in a matrix organization
• Ability to work at the strategic level as well as at the tactical
• Understands Lean Organizational Philosophy
• Minimum 15 years experience in business, including time in public and privately held companies
• Demonstrated growth results
• Proven entrepreneurial success
• Preferred Marketing/Engineering background in Industrial markets
• Masters Degree in Business preferred, but not required
• International experience
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills

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