Global Product Director, 3D Printing

The posting

Be yourself at Protolabs

Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. We are an equal opportunity employer, and we are committed to building a diverse team that feels they are valued in the workplace. So do you feel you do not meet every single requirement but still intrigued? We encourage you to still apply! You can help make our company even better. We do not discriminate based on race, color, national origin, sexual orientation, gender, age, mental or physical ability, or any way you represent yourself. We strongly believe diversity makes for more successful teams.

Why Protolabs?

We are the leaders in digital manufacturing. We hire doers, makers, and creative thinkers who tackle our roles with an entrepreneurial spirit. Our culture is centered around meaningful work that brings new and innovative products to market at unprecedented speeds. We are a diverse team that comes from all walks of life and take pride in our team who is smart, genuine, humble, and passionate about what we do. It’s our people who fuel our creativity and make our culture feel like home.

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.

Relocation available!

The Global Product Director,3D Printing is a strategic and data-driven role responsible for leading, managing and directing the product-related activities within the 3D Printing (Additive Manufacturing) Product Line.This role is responsible for proactive management of Protolabs' 3D Printing offering across the full range of additive technologies and materials.

The successful candidate will work closely with operations, engineering and R&D, sales, marketing and leadership to maximize the growth, development and return on investment of the organization's product portfolio today and in the future. At its core, this role owns the strategy and the business plans' implementation for all 3D Printing offerings and is jointly accountable for their profitability with the sales and operations.The Global Product Director leads and directs the 3D Printing product team, translating deep additive manufacturing expertise and product strategy into scalable, repeatable go-to-market execution that accelerates adoption across segments and regions.

This role reports into the Chief Technology and AI Officer.

What you'll do:

• 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
• 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
• 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
• 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
• 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
• 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!

Proto Labs maintains ITAR-compliant operations in all of our United States based facilities. Due to ITAR regulations, this role is only open to U.S. Citizens, lawful permanent residents (green card holders) or foreign nationals granted refugee or asylee status. Individuals with temporary visas (e.g. E, F-1, H-1, H-2, L, B, J, TN or OPT) are not eligible for hire in this role.

Proto Labs, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer

Physical Demands:

While performing the essential duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit; use a computer keyboard, monitor and mouse, telephone and printer; reach with hands, and arms, talk, see and hear. The employee is occasionally required to stand, walk, stoop or kneel and must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.

Work Environment:

Indoors (A/C); nonsmoking; the majority of this job function is performed in an office setting requiring normal safety precautions. However, there may be job duties that require the employee to spend time in the manufacturing areas exposed to machinery and noise; eye protection occasionally required. Occasionally works in outside weather conditions. Occasionally works near moving mechanical parts and in high, precarious places and is occasionally exposed to wet and/or humid conditions, fumes or airborne particles, toxic or caustic chemicals, risk of electrical shock and vibration. The noise level in the work environment is usually quiet to moderate.