CMF Research& Development Manager

Foreign candidates currently based in Vietnam or willing to relocate are welcome to apply.

About the Role:

We’re looking for a CMF Research& Development Manager to elevate SharkNinja’s Color, Material & Finish (CMF) and craftsmanship standards. Based in our Vietnam office, this senior role blends creative vision, material R&D, supplier development, and execution quality to ensure our products achieve world-class surface quality, trim, and gap control. You will act as a guardian of product aesthetics and craft, working across global CMF and ID teams, while also driving supplier capability and QC standards in partnership with NPD, Engineering, Quality, and NPI.

This is your chance to set new benchmarks for CMF and craftsmanship, influencing product experiences that reach millions of households worldwide.

This is where your SharkNinja journey begins. You’re an explorer—not a tour guide—driven by curiosity, fueled by taking chances, and unwilling to fly under the radar. Here, bold moves turn into real impact, growth comes from challenge, and your work helps shape what’s next.

Here are some of the EXCITING things you’ll get to do:

• Working Smart

• Challenge and be challenged

• Positive impact to the team

• Clear and clean at operations and proactive.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

CMF & Innovation

• Lead R&D across plastics, metals, coatings, glass, textiles, and sustainable materials.

• Translate global trends and consumer insights into innovative and tangible CMF solutions.

• Partner with global ID and CMF teams to align vision and design intent.

Craftsmanship & Quality

• Define and enforce fit-and-finish standards — surface quality, trim alignment, and gap control.

• Audit samples and production units to ensure premium execution.

• Collaborate with NPD, Engineering, Quality, NPI, and suppliers to establish and align QC standards.

• Secure on-time, on-quality golden samples for review and approval.

Supplier Development

• Build and strengthen supplier/vendor processes for advanced finishes and craft quality.

• Train and audit suppliers to elevate outcomes and reduce reliance on onsite fixes.

• Drive proactive sourcing and capability development to avoid last-minute escalations.

Leadership & Influence

• Mentor and grow designers and developers in Asia.

• Present CMF and craft strategies to senior leadership with clear, compelling storytelling.

• Act as a global influencer, continuously raising the bar for CMF and craftsmanship across categories.

You are Expected:

• 8+ years of professional experience in Industrial design, CMF design, material development, or surface/craft execution in consumer products, lifestyle, or technology.

• Proven mastery across plastics, metals, textiles, coatings, glass, and sustainable alternatives.

• Deep expertise in surface quality, trim, and gap control with measurable improvements delivered in production.

• Experience aligning QC standards with Product Development, Engineering, Quality, and NPI teams.

• Attention to detail, with an obsession for precision craftsmanship, color application, surface quality and appeal.

• Skilled in building vendor capabilities, training, and auditing suppliers to deliver premium outcomes.

• Hands-on experience driving new material and finish processes into production.

• Strong track record of proactive sourcing and alternative development.

• Exceptional communicator and storyteller, able to influence suppliers, cross-functional teams, and senior leadership.

• Skilled at aligning across global teams and cultures, ensuring ID and CMF intent is protected from concept to production.

• Proven ability to mentor talent and raise the bar for craft and process standards.

• Strong portfolio demonstrating both CMF innovation and premium craft execution.

Education/Certifications/Affiliations:

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Industrial Design, CMF Design, Material Science, Engineering, or related field.

Travel requirements: Be flexible for domestic and international travel.