Vice President, R&D

Job ID:  16052  Alternate Locations:      Newell Brands is a leading consumer products company with a portfolio of iconic brands like Graco®, Coleman®, Oster®, Rubbermaid®, Sharpie® and Yankee Candle® - and 24,000 talented teammates around the world. Our culture is built on values in action: Integrity, Teamwork, Passion for Winning, Ownership, and Leadership. We work together to win, grow, and make a real impact—supported by a high-performing, inclusive, and collaborative environment where you can be your best, every day.   Position Summary

The Vice President - Research & Development leads the R&D agenda for the Learning & Development Segment across the Writing and Baby business units. This is a change-leadership mandate: R&D represents 63% of segment SG&A headcount and is central to the segment's transformation. The role owns the R&D workstream through all NPD stage-gates from technical feasibility through commercialization and launch overseeing Quality, Chemistry, Product Engineering and Regulatory & Compliance, while partnering with Industrial Design, Packaging Engineering, Brand, FEI and IPPL/PMO throughout.   Two technical priorities anchor the role: deep chemistry (ink, adhesion and formulation science) and connected-product technology. Success requires a bold business leader with the credibility to challenge expert teams, the influence to move a matrixed organization.

R&D Strategy & New Product Development

Lead the R&D workstream through all stage-gates for Writing and Baby; partner with IPPL/PMO on pipeline sufficiency and stage-gate governance and with Legal, Industrial Design and Packaging Engineering as peer functions. Translate the segment innovation plan into prioritized, resourced technical roadmaps; make clear invest, accelerate, slow or stop calls based on consumer value, P&L impact, risk and speed to market. Set the R&D strategy — platforms, capabilities and technologies — that strengthens technical delivery, builds competitive advantage and supports disciplined experimentation. Lead the segment's connected-product agenda: deliver Wi-Fi-enabled product lines and the consumer applications that drive engagement, loyalty and purchase consideration.

Segment & Category Leadership

Provide R&D leadership across Writing (writing instruments, labeling, adhesion and slime) and Baby — Baby Gear (car seats, strollers, travel systems) and Baby Care (bottles, pacifiers, sippy cups and tableware). Translate brand and category strategies into technical roadmaps, balancing near-term delivery with long-term capability building; represent R&D in segment leadership forums, executive reviews and regulatory engagements.

Core Technical Capabilities

Oversee Quality, Chemistry, Product Engineering and Regulatory & Compliance — ensuring consistent standards and no gaps across categories. Elevate the Chemistry organization (ink, adhesion and formulation science) and direct VAVE efforts to strengthen product performance, cost and material innovation. Assess raw material suppliers to perform at best cost, ensuring quality standards are met and supply chain competitiveness is sustained. Build a new technical capability in Wi-Fi-enabled products and application development, bringing in the talent, tools and partnerships the segment does not yet have. Ensure quality expectations are embedded in development so products meet consumer and customer expectations at launch and throughout the product life; apply design-for-manufacturing thinking to enable efficient production. Strongly influence sourced vendor capabilities to ensure products meet Newell standards.

Safety, Regulatory & Compliance

Ensure all products meet or exceed applicable safety and regulatory standards across jurisdictions (e.g., FMVSS 213, NHTSA and ASTM for juvenile products; chemical and product safety standards for writing instruments). Partner with Legal, Regulatory and Compliance to