Sr. Director, Product Innovation & Optimization

Company Description

Fortune Brands Innovations, Inc. is an industry-leading innovation company focused on creating smarter, safer and more beautiful homes and improving lives. Our driving purpose is that we elevate every life by transforming spaces into havens. We believe our work and our brands can have incredibly positive impacts for not just our business and shareholders, but for people and the planet, too. When you join Fortune Brands, you become part of a high-performing team who are empowered to think big, learn fast and make bold decisions. We support an inclusive and diverse culture where everyone is encouraged and empowered to be their authentic selves, and where our differences and unique perspectives are a key strength. Explore life at Fortune Brands here

Job Description

The Senior Director of Product Innovation & Optimization (also known as design to value/DtV) will champion enterprise-wide initiatives that enhance product value, strengthen brand alignment, and create meaningful margin expansion. This role integrates consumer, competitive, design, and cost perspectives to shape and advance a strategic pipeline of opportunities.

You will foster close partnerships across functions and business units, guiding both process development and value-based decision-making. You will support capability building, nurture inclusive collaboration, and shape a shared understanding of value creation across Fortune Brands.

We’re looking for someone who can Think Fast by transforming diverse insights into clear, timely recommendations; Work It Together by connecting teams and building alignment through empathy and trust; and Make the Hard Call by guiding decisions that balance innovation, quality, and operational needs.

Position location: This position is eligible for a hybrid schedule based out of Deerfield, IL. Effective mid-2025, Fortune Brands will transition to a new world-class campus in Deerfield, bringing together associates from across our U.S. offices, brands, and functions. The campus will offer vibrant workspaces for collaboration, along with amenities for dining, onsite daycare, fitness and recreation.

What you will be doing

• Provide collaborative leadership and overall guidance for enterprise-wide Product Innovation & Optimization initiatives.
• Design and maintain an opportunity roadmap, ensuring efforts are prioritized, sequenced, and aligned with brand strategy and business goals.
• Partner across teams to build inclusive, transparent communication around goals, progress, and outcomes—supported by dashboards and regular updates.
• Support organizational alignment through consistent stakeholder engagement, fostering a holistic, timely approach to value optimization.
• Guide and mentor a dedicated team and broader network of cross-functional contributors, including Brand, Engineering, Insights, Supply Chain, and Operations.
• Facilitate thoughtful value-cost tradeoff conversations in coordination with a steering committee, using a clear fact base.
• Help build a strong community of practice around product innovation and continuous improvement.
• Model open, collaborative leadership and a people-first mindset through change and growth.

Qualifications

• 10 years of experience spanning Product Management, Engineering, Insights, Supply Chain, and Business Strategy
• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Business Administration, or related field
• Experience developing or scaling a product optimization or innovation program with measurable financial impact.
• Record of guiding large, complex initiatives with sustained outcomes (e.g., $100M+ multi-year impact).
• Strong cross-functional partnership skills, with the ability to foster collaboration and shared ownership.
• Comfort navigating complexity and synthesizing insights into cohesive strategies.
• Experience supporting diverse teams and mentoring individuals through change and transformation.
• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills across levels and functions.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• MBA or advanced degree.
• Experience in consumer goods.

Additional Information

Fortune Brands believes in fair and equitable pay. A reasonable estimate of the base salary range for this role is Hiring Pay Range: $160,000 USD - $264,000 USD. Please note that actual salaries may vary within the range, or be above or below the range, based on factors including, but not limited to, education, training, experience, professional achievement, business need, and location. In addition to base salary, employees will pa