Technology and Portfolio Manager

We, at Leggett & Platt Incorporated, are searching for an Innovation Engineer within our Engineering team to help support our Automotive business.  Did you know we are the world’s leading designer and manufacturer of seating support and comfort systems for transportation manufacturers, as well as tier one and two suppliers within the automotive industry? That’s right! Our automotive products fall into four primary groups: Seating and Lumbar support, Motors, Actuators and Massage Systems. If you join our team, your work will ensure people across the world have a little more comfort in their lives. 

As an Innovation Engineer, you will have the opportunity to support the successful delivery of technology and product development initiatives by aligning technical solutions with customer needs and business priorities. The team you will be working with is collaborative and innovative.

Main Responsibilities:

1. Develop, grow, and maintain successful relationships with humanoid industry OEM and Tier-1 customers within the region by understanding customer needs, translating requirements into technical inputs, providing insights to support product definition and prioritization, and contributing to the promotion of products and technologies.

2. Explore the market and technology trends, including the collection and screening of competitive new products, and share insights within the organization for further reflection and analysis. Shape the future portfolio outlook by identifying gaps to be filled with new products. Guide the organization on the appropriate USPs needed for future products. Closely monitor global market pricing and commercial intelligence for new developments, and block extreme low or high customer quotations.

3. Explore the customer needs and guide customers toward our appropriate solutions and proposals. Promote co-development opportunities with customers to enable future business growth, and support project market assessments for new developments based on defined USP and BOM cost targets.

4. Lead development program governance by overseeing cross-functional programs from concept to launch, ensuring milestone achievement, effective risk management, and timeline control, and establishing and maintaining product standards.

5. Align with Engineering on the readiness of new developments for promotion. Prepare all required promotion materials, including presentations, samples, systems and animations. Organize techdays, participate in exhibitions, or present at international conferences to showcase new developments and key Leggett values.

6. Mature the business aspects of new product and innovation developments in the pipeline by defining reference costings, assessing portfolio fit and USP, and ensure structured handover to APD/Sales team.

7. Facilitate new product awards by driving the elimination of cross-departmental roadblocks between investment plans and sales projections, or customer product requirements that are not viable or value-adding.

8. Coordinate cross functional execution by aligning engineering, product, and business teams, driving decision making and issue resolution across stakeholders, and ensuring seamless communication between internal teams and customers.

Key Requirements:

1. Strong commercial acumen with the ability to build trusted customer relationships and identify relevant market and technology trends

2. Ability to understand customer technical needs and translate them into viable solutions

3. Effective influencing, written, and verbal communication skills across functions and with customers

4. Solid project and portfolio management skills in cross-functional environments

5. Proactive mindset focused on identifying opportunities for differentiation and strengthening competitive positioning

6. Global mindset with the ability to operate across regions and cultures 

What to Do Next

Now that you’ve had a chance to learn more about us, what are you waiting for! Apply today and allow us the opportunity to learn more about you and the value you can bring to our team. Once you apply, be sure to create a profile, and sign up for job alerts, so you can be the first to know when new opportunities become available. If you require assistance completing an application, please contact our team at careers@leggett.com

Our Values

Our values speak to our shared beliefs, and describe how we approach working together.

• Put People First reflects our commitment to safety and care of each other, learning and development, and creating an inclusive environment of mutual respect, empathy and belonging.
• Do the Right Thing focuses us on acting with honesty and integrity, delivering the results the right way, taking pride in our work, and speaking the truth – good or bad.
• Do Great Work…Together occurs when we engage without hierarchy, collaborate as a team, embrace challenges, and work for the good of all of us.
• Take Ownership and Raise the Bar demonstrates our responsibility to add value and make a difference, challenge the status quo and biases to make things better, foster innovative and creative solutions to drive impact, and explore new perspectives and embrace change.

Our Commitment to You

We're actively taking steps to make sure our culture is inclusive and that our processes and practices promote equity for all. Leggett & Platt is comprised of people of all abilities, gender identities and expressions, ages, ethnicities, sexual orientations, veteran status, and more. Join us!

We welcome and encourage applications if you meet the minimum qualifications. Even if you do not meet the preferred qualifications, we’d love the opportunity to consider you.

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