Global Director of Product Development in West Chicago, Illinois at BALL HORTICULTURAL COMPANY

The Global Director of Product Development provides strategic leadership for Ball FloraPlant's Product Development organization, overseeing the development, evaluation, and commercialization of innovative vegetative annual genetics. This role collaborates closely with global breeding, product management, supply chain, sales, and commercial teams to bring new products to market, strengthen Ball FloraPlant's product portfolio, and drive long-term business growth.

Job Responsibilities and Duties

• Foster a culture of innovation, continuous improvement, and professional development through coaching, succession planning, and employee engagement within product management team.
• Develop and execute the long-term product development strategy in alignment with Ball FloraPlant’s global business objectives.
• Establish priorities across multiple development initiatives, balancing resources, timelines and commercial opportunities
• Define and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) for the Product Development organization and drive continuous improvement initiatives
• Lead best-in-class greenhouse and outdoor trialing programs, applying strategic mindset and decision quality to evaluate and select new introductions that align with global product specifications and market needs.
• Identify and implement advanced research techniques for new variety development, cultivating innovation and leveraging internal advanced technology capabilities (Ball Helix) to create differentiated genetics for the product portfolio.
• Partner with global breeding partners to identify and prioritize breeding objectives, balance stakeholders, and deliver project goals in a timely manner by leveraging internal and external breeding and trialing resources.
• Oversee the annual operating budget for all Ball FloraPlant R &D cost centers, ensuring accountability, strong resource allocation, and alignment with business priorities.
• Serve as the liaison among breeding, Ball Helix, supply chain, and the product development team, using organizational savvy and effective collaboration to align cross-functional priorities and drive execution.

• Minimum of B.S. in horticultural or agricultural science with demonstrated experience in plant breeding across traditional and advanced methods.
• 10+ Years of progressive experience in plant breeding, product development, or horticultural research, including significant leadership experience managing technical teams
• Experience managing complex research portfolios, budgets and strategic initiatives.
• Deep understanding of plant breeding and the global horticulture market, including customer needs, market trends, and competitive dynamics, with the ability to manage complexity, assess tradeoffs, and make sound decisions.
• Proven ability to lead and inspire breeders and product managers, build strong and engaged teams, develop talent, and collaborate effectively with business leaders across the organization.
• Experience leading global or cross-functional teams in a matrixed organization preferred.

Salary Range: $140k-$190k

Physical Requirements

• Ability to sit and/or stand for up to 75% of the workday.
• Ability to walk for up to 20% of the workday.
• Ability to use hands and fingers for up to 100% of the workday.
• Ability to reach up to 10% of the workday.
• Ability to lift and carry up to 25 lbs. for up to 10% of the workday.
• Ability to Domestically and international travel up to 35 to 40% of the time.

Our promise to you

We create excitement in the world of flowers and are the first choice for service. We deliver all the best and nothing else! To you, we deliver a work environment and a culture where building long-lasting relationships internally and externally is important. We believe that good communication, sharing ideas and collaborating on projects will set us up for success. We keep both our feet on the ground and are approachable.

In addition to this we provide a comprehensive Total Rewards package that includes:

• Medical, dental, life and long-term disability insurance
• 401k/Profit Sharing Retirement Plan
• Paid time off benefits including vacation and holidays
• Tuition assistance
• An onsite subsidized café overlooking 30 acres of renowned display gardens and restored natural areas
• Employee Assistance Program and Positive Health programs