Director, Product Development

Working at Columbia Threadneedle Investments offers growth and career opportunities across all of our businesses. We're intentionally built to help you succeed. Our global team of 2,300 people collaborates across diverse capabilities, with more than 550 investment professionals sharing global perspectives across all major asset classes and markets. Our clients access a broad array of investment strategies, including bespoke solutions tailored to their specific requirements. Our unwavering focus on clients and strong financial foundation connects each of our enterprise businesses — Ameriprise Financial, Columbia Threadneedle Investments, and RiverSource Insurance and Annuities.

About the role

The Product Development Director is responsible for developing new products and enhancing existing products and services for Columbia Threadneedle’s Intermediary (principally U.S. wealth management) clients. This role requires strong research and analysis skills, deep industry expertise, and the ability to build product advocacy for new products, new lines of business, and changes to existing products. Strong project management skills and the ability to develop solid relationships with key business partners across the organization are integral to success. Candidates with experience in developing or commercializing model portfolios and/or ETFs are particularly strong fits.

Responsibilities

• Perform Intermediary market research and analysis (including working with commercial databases at scale and speed) to identify future product development opportunities.
• Ensure Intermediary investors can efficiently access Columbia Threadneedle capabilities across vehicles such as ETFs, model portfolios, SMAs, and alternative structures.
• Leverage industry knowledge to position Columbia Threadneedle’s existing asset management capabilities and solutions to meet the needs of Intermediary investors.
• Conduct fee and profitability analysis to ensure competitive pricing for clients while maintaining attractive business levels.
• Manage the approval process for Intermediary new product development initiatives, including summarizing business opportunities, product design, customer experience, operational impact, and required project resources.
• Communicate product development status concisely and effectively throughout the project lifecycle.
• Support the implementation of new products by coordinating with key internal partners (e.g., portfolio management, trading, investment oversight, legal, compliance, investment operations, account operations, performance, and reporting) to align key functions internally and with best practices.
• Perform other duties as required, such as supporting sales training, providing input into other product team projects, and contributing to thought leadership pieces.

Requirements

• 5-10 years of relevant experience.
• Series 7 (or SIE and Series 7 top-off exam) and 66 (or 63 & 65 combined) or the ability to obtain within 180 days.
• Valid work authorization in the United States without current or future visa sponsorship requirements (e.g., H-1B, F-1 CPT, F-1 OPT, TN).

Qualifications

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills using data to identify trends, issues, and potential solutions.
• Prior experience developing or commercializing new products for the Intermediary marketplace.
• Ability to collaborate, influence, and build relationships across an organization to drive results.
• Strong project management and communication skills, including the ability to write business cases, facilitate project meetings, and present new proposals for committee approval.

Schedule

This role requires in-office collaboration at least four days per week, with flexibility to work from home one day per week. Some roles may require additional in-office time or different expectations, which will be discussed during the hiring process.

Pay

The estimated base salary for this role is $117,900–$207,100 per year. Compensation follows a pay-for-performance philosophy, with initial total compensation varying based on job-related knowledge, skills, experience, and geographical work location. Most roles are eligible for variable pay, including bonuses, commissions, and/or long-term incentives.

Benefits

• Vacation and sick time.
• 401(k) retirement plan.
• Comprehensive health, dental, and life insurance.