Founded in 1905 in Birmingham, Alabama, AMERICAN is a manufacturer of fire hydrants, valves, ductile iron pipe and spiral-welded steel pipe for the waterworks industry and high-frequency-welded steel pipe for the oil and natural gas industries. AMERICAN's diversified product line also includes fire pumps, structural casing and piling, castings for large machinery, and specialty rubber products. For more than a century, AMERICAN has been committed to doing things The Right Way exceeding customer expectations, being a good neighbor in our communities, and supporting our employees.

As the Manager of Innovation, you will oversee the innovation process by identifying strategies, business opportunities, and new technologies to grow the AMERICAN Ductile Iron Pipe (ADIP) & AMERICAN Flow Control (AFC) product lines for the water and wastewater markets. In this role, you will develop initiatives through new product development, market development, acquisitions, mergers, and technological developments. The Manager of Innovation inspires ideas from varied sources, selects the ideas to pursue and champions them into products, new businesses, and new processes. Other responsibilities include the review of existing processes and identifying opportunities for improvement that produce measurable results. The Manager of Innovation fosters an innovative corporate culture while establishing innovative processes and building idea teams.

GENERAL RESPONSIBILITIES

• Partners with AMERICAN's Sales Division, management and leadership team to develop strategic vision for the ADIP and AFC product lines.
• Identifies and evaluates potential product(s) to supply the domestic and/or foreign market(s)that would be complementary or aligned to the current products produced by ADIP and AFC and would potentially utilize ADIP's & AFC's facilities and/or equipment. Selects the best options to pursue, then champions them into AMERICAN's products, new businesses, and new processes.
• Identifies and evaluates potential product(s) to supply the domestic and/or foreign market(s) that would be potentially viable for ADIP and AFC to further pursue.
• Identifies and evaluates potential product(s) to supply the domestic and/or foreign market(s) that might be an opportunity for a joint venture, merger and/or acquisition.
• Identifies and evaluates potential product(s) for AMERICAN to purchase for resell.
• Creates, builds and develops a Product Line Growth and Development Team.
• Provides leadership in planning, designing, and implementing strategic business plans and objectives, and evaluating results.
• Initiates and manages projects. Defines and manages scope, expectations, and deliverables. Develops and manages project plans, and identifies and manages risks, issues and actions. Defines and monitors success metrics. Leads, facilitates and delivers projects on time and within budget.
• Reviews current operations throughout the company. Identifies opportunities for improvement that produce measurable results. Coordinates with other business functions including subsidiaries to increase effectiveness of business development initiatives.
• Compares competitive operations of other companies with our internal operations with the goal of defining and implementing programs for sustained competitive advantages.
• Maintains an overview of market trends, state-of-the-art technology development, and current and emerging fluid transportation market needs. Tracks relevant competitor actions and develops an understanding of underlying competitor strategic intent.
• Establishes and maintains strategic industry relations, and creates and maintains communication channels for understanding and utilizing industry regulations and trends both domestically and globally.
• Participates in professional organizations and attend seminars, technical symposiums, and trade shows both in the United States and abroad to surface and prioritize new global opportunities.
• Provides insight and recommendations regarding mergers and acquisitions.
• Fosters an innovative corporate culture while establishing innovative processes and building idea teams.
• Negotiates collaboration with academia, government, and corporations.
• Keeps management advised of business opportunities in existing markets and potential markets. Keeps management aware of competitors' global pricing activities and pricing information
• Manages Personnel and makes decisions in a manner consistent with the Company's Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action Policy and Supervisory Training Policy.

AMERICAN Benefits:

• 401(k) Plan
• Profit Sharing Bonus Plan
• Eagan Center for Wellness
• Medical, Dental and Supplemental Vision
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Paid Vacation and Holidays
• Work from home
• Employee Assistance Program

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• Must exhibit a B. S. or B. A. degree from an accredited four-year college or university. Proof of transcript required.
• Must exhibit four (4) to six (6) years of work experience performing innovative related work. Preferably after completion of an MBA or PhD.
• Must exhibit two years' experience leading innovation related teams.
• Must be able to travel domestically and internationally for long periods of time.
• Must exhibit two years' experience leading cross-functional teams.
• Must exhibit prior experience in the use of word processing, spreadsheet, and database software such as Word, Excel, Access, etc.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Six (6) or more years of work experience performing innovative type work after completion of an MBA or PhD.
• Six (6) or more years of work experience as a Chief Innovation Officer or six (6) or more years of work experience performing similar type work.

EOE/VETS/DISABILITY