Senior Director – Class 5 Commercialization

About the role

Senior Director leads the Class 5 commercialization team, driving customer discovery, product development and business case creation across multiple market verticals. The role partners with technology, R&D and business units to identify high‑value unmet needs and bring innovative solutions to market.

Key responsibilities

• Lead and develop the Class 5 commercialization team across discovery, planning, application development and business case formation.
• Set strategy and priorities aligned with enterprise growth objectives and priority verticals.
• Identify high‑value unmet customer needs and market spaces where 3M can uniquely win.
• Partner with internal technology, R&D and business teams to select technologies with strong commercial potential.
• Direct external customer, market and channel assessments to evaluate problem‑solution fit and commercial attractiveness.
• Guide technical scoping, prototyping, quality considerations and customer validation to de‑risk opportunities.
• Build and manage external collaborations, ventures, licensing and joint development agreements.
• Lead business development activities including market sizing, competitive analysis, partnership models and business case development.
• Oversee governance and stage‑gate processes, investment recommendations, portfolio reviews and transition planning.
• Present portfolio progress, insights and commercialization recommendations to senior and executive leaders.
• Partner with C‑suite sponsors and cross‑functional stakeholders to align pipeline priorities and resources.
• Manage budgets, team resources and operating mechanisms across multiple programs.
• Continuously improve commercialization methods, metrics and decision frameworks.

Required profile

• Bachelor’s degree or higher from an accredited institution.
• At least ten years of experience in commercialization, business development, innovation, strategy, market development or new‑venture leadership.
• Advanced degree (MBA, technical or related) preferred.
• Experience leading front‑end innovation, venture development, incubation or new‑business creation programs.
• Proven ability to lead cross‑functional teams.

Required skills