Kids Ride Shotgun exists to raise the next generation of mountain bikers.
We started by solving one simple problem - how can mountain biking parents take their kids riding and enjoy this awesome experience together? That idea became the Shotgun seat and helped create an entirely new category.
Now we're looking for an exceptional Head of Product development to lead what comes next.
This is one of the most important roles in our business.
You'll be charged with developing and leading our entire product innovation process - from customer to delivery.
That means deeply understanding our customers, identifying the problems and opportunities worth solving, shaping the strategy around them, and leading a talented team to turn those opportunities into world-class products.
We don't just want more products.
We want to solve the best problems and create products that genuinely make riding together better.
About the role
You'll own the innovation and development engine at Kids Ride Shotgun. Working closely with founders, leaders and your design crew, you'll lead the decision making around where we innovate, what problems we solve and how we turn those ideas into commercially successful products.
Key responsibilities
Build and lead end-to-end innovation process, from customer insight and opportunity discovery through concept, development, validation, industrialisation and delivery
Get close to customers and uncover the problems, frustrations and opportunities that matter most
Turn insights into a clear innovation strategy and pipeline
Lead, challenge and develop a high-performing product and development team
Create an environment where great ideas are explored quickly, challenged hard and the best ones make it through
Bring together customer, design, engineering, manufacturing and commercial thinking to make better product decisions
Work closely with product team and manufacturing partners to turn great concepts into scalable, reliable products
Balance ambition with commercial reality - cost, quality, timing, complexity and margin
Continually improve how we innovate, develop and deliver products
Ultimately, you'll be accountable for making killer products that solve meaningful problems for MTB families.
Who we're looking for
We're looking for a strong strategic thinker and an exceptional leader who also loves making things real.
Someone who can zoom out and ask “What should we be solving?” and then zoom all the way in to help a team figure out “How are we actually going to make this work?”
You'll have experience leading innovation, product development, engineering or design within a physical consumer-product business along with mass production experience.
More importantly, you'll be someone who:
Thinks strategically and sees opportunities others miss.
Is obsessed with understanding customers and solving real problems.
Is an exceptional problem solver.
Understands how physical products move from an idea to mass production.
Is comfortable challenging assumptions — including ours.
Moves quickly and takes ownership.
Is naturally curious.
Is a gifted critical thinker and excellent project manager
Experience in cycling, outdoor, action sports, automotive or premium consumer products would be awesome.
Being a mountain biker isn't essential — but loving products, problems and the process of creating something exceptional absolutely is.
Why Kids Ride Shotgun?
We're a New Zealand company with global ambition, growing quickly and investing heavily in what comes next.
We're still small enough that you can have a massive influence on the company, our products and how we work.
You'll have the opportunity to build the innovation capability, not inherit it.
Most importantly, the things you create will help families all over the world spend more time riding together.
Sound like your kind of challenge? We'd love to hear from you.