New Product Development Manager

New Product Development Manager
Permanent Full-time | Maple Valley, WA | Onsite | Bonus Eligible
$96,000 - $124,000 D.O.E.

CAF - Who We Are:
CAF is Latin for Citius, Altius, Fortius meaning, Faster, Higher, Stronger – which drives us to always be looking to grow and improve ourselves and each other. We don't just manufacture sustainable cleaning products - we partner with our customers to deliver consistently clean and customer-ready experiences across all locations. CAF believes in the value of clean. Our goal is to produce the most effective, innovative cleaning solutions available and provide training and execution support to ensure safer and cleaner outdoor experiences. Click to learn about us and our careers!
What we’re looking for:
CAF is seeking a New Product Development (NPD) Manager to lead innovation and execution in our product development process. This role is ideal for a highly driven individual who thrives in a fast-paced, dynamic environment and is passionate about bringing high-quality products to market.
The NPD Manager will oversee the entire product lifecycle, from market research and prototyping to launch and post-launch optimization. This position requires strong problem-solving skills, cross-functional collaboration, and the ability to translate market insights into commercially successful products.

Who You Are:
•    The Innovator – A creative thinker who identifies new opportunities and turns ideas into market-ready products.
•    The Researcher – Someone who can analyze industry trends, customer needs, and competitive data to guide product strategy.
•    The Problem-Solver – A hands-on leader who tackles product challenges with a mix of technical expertise and business acumen.
•    The Product Evangelist – A strong communicator who can craft compelling product narratives and collaborate across teams to drive success.

What You’ll Do:
1. Product Strategy & Development (25%)
•    Lead the product development lifecycle, ensuring alignment with CAF’s business objectives.
•    Oversee requirements gathering, feasibility assessments, and business case development for new products.
•    Manage the product packaging process, ensuring production needs and branding requirements are met.
2. Market & Competitive Analysis (25%)
•    Monitor industry trends, competitive activity, and market demands to inform product strategy.
•    Collaborate with the Data Analyst and Finance team to assess sales performance, identify risks, and uncover opportunities.
•    Conduct pre- and post-launch market analysis to develop actionable recommendations.
3. Prototyping & Customer Validation (15%)
•    Develop and test product prototypes, ensuring they meet functional, aesthetic, and performance standards.
•    Work closely with customers to gather feedback and refine products before launch.
4. Scientific Testing & Compliance (15%)
•    Partner with labs and technical teams to test formulations and ensure products meet industry standards.
•    Lead both primary product development and reverse engineering of existing products when necessary.
5. Product Launch & Lifecycle Management (20%)
•    Own the go-to-market strategy, ensuring a seamless transition from development to commercial launch.
•    Develop product positioning, messaging, and launch strategies.
•    Monitor post-launch performance and make adjustments based on market feedback and key metrics.

What You Need to Succeed:
•    Strong analytical and problem-solving skills – Ability to assess market needs and translate them into actionable product strategies.
•    Ability to lead cross-functional teams – Work closely with Marketing, Sales, R&D, and Operations to ensure product success.
•     Excellent communication and storytelling skills – Craft compelling product narratives for both internal and external audiences.
•    Technical proficiency – Experience with product testing, compliance, and reverse engineering is a plus.
•    Agility and adaptability – Thrive in a fast-paced environment with shifting priorities.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
•    Preferred Qualifications:
•    Undergraduate degree in Business, Engineering, or related field.
•    Experience in consumer goods, chemicals, or industrial cleaning products is a plus.

Our Culture:
CAF takes pride in our unique, down-to-earth culture with enthusiastic, tenacious, grounded, yet super-fun employees that are diverse in background and talent. Our culture is customer-oriented, and sales is key to the growth of our fast-paced company. We believe that customers come first but we also recognize the need for balance between work and family – weekends are for spending time with family and friends. Are you a creative thinker? Do you strive to learn new things? Are you fun to be around and value others input and camaraderie? If you get excited about working where you live, driving change, and being an integral part of a growing organization, then CAF is where you should be!

Reports To:
The NPD Manager reports directly to CAF’s Director of Products and Marketing, Riley Tubbs. Riley’s strong sense of dedication is not only to his company, but to every member of his team. Riley’s management style is to build relationships with each member of his team, encourage them to problem solve without fear of failure, improve through goal setting, coaching, and expect excellence from himself and his team.
 
Fair Pay:
Compensation is designed to attract, motivate, and retain talented employees who drive the company’s success. No two jobs are equal, but all jobs are important – that’s why we tailor an individual compensation plan benchmarked to market data from industry leaders payscale.com for each person and position, based on several position and market compensable factors.
 
Perks and Benefits:
What makes a great job even better? Throwing in a few perks! We want to provide our CAF’ers with everything they need to maintain their health and wellbeing. Things like:
 
Health and Wellness
•    EAP (Employee Assistance Program)
•    Wellness Reimbursement Program (e.g., gym, golf, activity passes, massage, weight loss, etc.)
 
Financial Benefits
•    Performance Bonus
•    Tickets at Work Program
•    401(k) company match 

Office Perks
•    Flexibility in schedule when needed
•    Company social outings
•    Free snacks
•    Educational learning opportunities 
•    Recognition/rewards for anniversaries, birthdays and for going above and beyond
 
Paid Time Off
•    PTO/Vacation/Sick Policy
•    11 Paid Holidays (including Christmas week!)
•    Maternity/Paternity Leave

If you're passionate about developing market-leading products and thrive in a high-energy, hands-on environment, we want to hear from you!



🚀 Apply today and be part of CAF’s innovation journey!






















#ZR