Global Product Director, 3D Printing

Join Our Team as Global Product Director, 3D Printing!

We are accepting applications from candidates based in Minnesota or North Carolina. This is a hybrid role based in our Maple Plain, MN, or Raleigh, NC office, with on-site work expected on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.

What you'll do:

Strategy & Planning

•  Promote and influence strategy formulation and investment decisions and develop 3D Printing product roadmaps with strong market orientation and outstanding financial outcomes
•  Own the product planning process for the additive manufacturing portfolio, including new technology and new product additions across the full range of 3D printing processes and materials
• Set the direction for which additive technologies, materials, and applications Protolabs invests in, balancing prototyping and low-to-mid volume production use cases
• Ensure the digital manufacturing offering of 3D Printing drives high conversion of customers on the Protolabs ecommerce platform

Value Proposition Development

• Ensure product roadmaps are linked to segment-specific customer needs and willingness to pay, with quantified value propositions based on value delivered vs. competitive offerings and alternative manufacturing methods
•  Work closely with the Pricing Director to develop pricing strategies based on value delivered relative to the customer's next best alternative, and lead change management around pricing to extract maximum value from new and existing 3D printing offerings

Customer Relationship Management

• Communicate the value of the offering in customer-centric terms to cause customers to choose Protolabs' additive offerings based on value delivered
• Distill key customer value-creation elements of new offerings into functional requirements for the engineering team, including design-for-additive-manufacturing (DfAM) considerations
• Align cross-functional teams - Product Marketing, Sales, and Pricing  around service-line strategy, priorities, and execution plans, ensuring sales execution stays aligned to roadmap direction and approved messaging

Products and Services Management

• Manage product/service life cycles, profitability, demand planning and maintain competitive additive offering portfolios that deliver more value than the next best alternative
• Drive both offering and business-model innovation across the additive portfolio, and lead change as required
• Use structured processes to drive expected financial results
• Establish and maintain a project-management framework in line with strategic objectives, and monitor and control the delivery of programs and projects

Technical & Additive Manufacturing Leadership

• Serve as the senior product authority on additive manufacturing, providing deep technical direction across the major 3D printing technologies — including SLS (Selective Laser Sintering), SLA (Stereolithography), FDM/FFF (Fused Deposition Modeling), MJF (Multi Jet Fusion), DMLS/SLM (Direct Metal Laser Sintering / Selective Laser Melting), PolyJet, and binder jetting
• Apply expert understanding of additive materials - including nylons and engineering thermoplastics (e.g., PA 11, PA 12, glass- and carbon-filled grades), TPU and elastomers, photopolymer resins, and metals such as stainless steel, titanium, aluminum, Inconel, and cobalt chrome — to guide portfolio and roadmap decisions
• Match technologies and materials to customer applications based on mechanical properties, tolerances, surface finish, build volume, throughput, post-processing requirements, and total cost, spanning both rapid prototyping and end-use production
• Stay ahead of emerging additive technologies, materials, and competitive offerings, and translate that insight into differentiated roadmap and investment decisions

What it takes:

• Bachelor's degree in technology, engineering or business. MBA or advanced degree preferred
• Deep, demonstrable experience in 3D printing / additive manufacturing, with hands-on understanding of the major technologies (SLS, SLA, FDM/FFF, MJF, DMLS/SLM, PolyJet, binder jetting) and the associated material families (engineering thermoplastics, elastomers, photopolymer resins, and metals)
• 5+ years (8 years if without an MBA/advanced degree) of related business-to-business product management experience on a business >$50M
• Strong command of how additive technology and material selection map to applications, performance requirements, post-processing, tolerances, and cost across both prototyping and production
• Demonstrable track record of technical understanding and of working with strong technical organizations (required in place of a technical degree for non-technical majors)
• Demonstrable track record driving growth via successful application of the product management / strategic marketing toolkit, including market sizing, market segmentation, voice of the customer, value-proposition development and quantification, and value-based pricing
• Proven track record owning product P&L, growth, and margin outcomes
• Demonstrated expertise in market sizing, segmentation, voice of customer, value proposition development, and value-based pricing
•  Proven track record of leading projects and cross-functional teams that successfully achieve milestones and complete deliverables
• Excellent communication skills, and comfort with public speaking and executive-team interactions
• Ability to travel up to 25% domestically and internationally

The Kind of Leader We're Looking For

A high-energy, creative and resourceful self-starter who demonstrates leadership skills and has stellar customer instincts
You are highly intelligent and enthusiastic with a commitment to excellence
In terms of personal competencies, you must be a hands-on person who possesses the best combination of strategic thinking and drive to achieve tangible business results
You will have a successful track record with professional growth and achieving results in matrix organizations where you had to use influencing skills to drive results
You will be a strong, integrative thinker and will lead cross-functional teams to drive the organization to outstanding outcomes
You must be able to balance theoretical thought with practical execution
Key traits for this role include:
Leadership: Confident, mature person with the ability to connect and inspire others and influence decision-making with peers and leadership
Results-Oriented: A "driver" who possesses the ability to take action and implement effective solutions in a timely manner
 Problem Solver: Creative yet pragmatic problem solver. Methodical and hands-on as well as detail-oriented
 Analytical Thinking and Decision-Making: A "conceptualizer" who can integrate market trends and issues into roadmaps and business strategies. Decisive and logical in recommending and driving to the best course of action, with excellent planning, execution, and project-management skills
Teamwork and Interpersonal Skills: A team player and builder, receptive to ideas from others, who works effectively with others to identify and resolve issues. Excellent interpersonal skills and an ability to interact successfully with all levels of management as well as a diverse workforce
Ethics: Highest level of professional integrity and honesty as well as personal credibility

What's in it for you?

We offer a competitive salary and annual bonus opportunity
In addition, we offer amazing benefits including but not limited to:
Health Insurance: Traditional OR High Deductible plan
Flexible Spending Accounts
Health Savings Account (including employer contributions)
Dental and Vision
Basic and Supplemental Life Insurance
Short-Term and Long-Term Disability
Paid caregiver leave
You will receive PTO + Holiday Pay + Wellness Hours + Volunteer Hours
401k with company match and immediate vest
Employee Stock Purchase Program at a 15% discounted rate
Matching grants through Protolabs foundation
And More!