Senior Director, Product Strategy and Corporate Development

The American Chemical Society (ACS) is one of the world's largest scientific societies and a leading force in advancing the broader chemistry enterprise. Through its publications, scientific programs, education, and professional resources, ACS serves researchers, educators, industry, and institutions across more than 140 countries. Its mission-to advance the broader chemistry enterprise and its practitioners for the benefit of Earth and all its people- is supported by a portfolio of trusted scientific information, global communities, and market-leading brands.

ACS Publications is among the world's premier scientific publishers, producing many of the most influential journals in chemistry and related scientific disciplines. Built on decades of scientific rigor and editorial excellence, the Publications division has established a reputation for quality, trust, and innovation, serving researchers, academic institutions, corporations, and governments worldwide.

As scientific research increasingly becomes digital, data-driven, and AI-enabled, ACS Publications is evolving beyond its traditional publishing roots toward a broader scientific information and research solutions business. The organization possesses an extraordinary portfolio of proprietary scientific content, structured and unstructured data assets, customer relationships, and global brand equity that create significant opportunities to develop new products, platforms, and commercial offerings.

This transformation extends beyond digitizing existing publications. ACS Publications is investing in AI-enabled capabilities, research workflow solutions, data products, and adjacent information services that help scientists discover, interpret, and apply scientific knowledge more effectively. Simultaneously, the organization is evaluating strategic partnerships, acquisitions, and other inorganic growth opportunities to accelerate innovation and expand its portfolio.

The Senior Director, Product Strategy and Corporate Development will play a central role in shaping this next chapter of growth, helping define how ACS Publications leverages its unique assets to build new businesses, enter adjacent markets, and create long-term value while remaining true to its mission as the world's leading scientific society.

The Role

Reporting to the Senior Vice President, Global Marketing and Product, the Senior Director, Product Strategy and Corporate Development will serve as one of the organization's primary growth leaders, operating at the intersection of product strategy, innovation, corporate development, and portfolio management.

This is a highly visible enterprise leadership role responsible for identifying, evaluating, and executing both organic and inorganic growth opportunities that expand ACS Publications' portfolio, accelerate innovation, and generate sustainable revenue growth. The role has been intentionally extended beyond an operational product management focus to include a broader strategic growth mandate, emphasizing new business creation, commercialization, AI-enabled innovation, and investment decisions.

The successful candidate will help determine where ACS should build, buy, partner, or invest to accelerate innovation and expand into adjacent markets. They will translate emerging market trends, customer needs, and technology evolution into actionable product strategies and investment priorities while working across marketing, sales, technology, editorial, finance, and executive leadership.

Beyond traditional product management, this leader will be expected to identify opportunities to unlock greater value from ACS Publications' extensive scientific content and proprietary data assets. This includes evaluating opportunities across AI-enabled research tools, scientific workflows, data monetization, research intelligence, information services, and other adjacent markets that extend beyond traditional journal publishing.

The role combines strategic thinking with hands-on execution. The Senior Director will develop business cases, evaluate market opportunities, lead product portfolio strategy and product management, oversee corporate development initiatives, support due diligence activities, and help ensure acquisitions and partnerships translate into successful commercial offerings. Success will require balancing long-term portfolio vision with disciplined execution and measurable business outcomes.

The position also represents an important leadership opportunity within ACS Publications. The organization anticipates continued investment in product strategy and corporate development capabilities over time, creating the opportunity to build and scale the function while serving as a trusted advisor to senior leadership.

Ultimately, the Senior Director will help shape how ACS Publications evolves beyond traditional journal publishing into a broader portfolio of scientific information products, AI-enabled solutions, data services, and adjacent commercial offerings, creating new sources of customer value and long-term growth.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and execute long-term product portfolio strategy aligned with ACS Publications' growth objectives, customer needs, and evolving market dynamics.
• Identify new business opportunities across scientific information services, AI-enabled products, research workflow solutions, data products, and adjacent markets.
• Drive customer, competitive, and market analyses to identify whitespace opportunities and define strategic investment priorities.
• Own product portfolio planning, prioritization, pricing strategy, commercialization planning, and lifecycle management to maximize revenue growth and long-term value creation.
• Partner closely with Marketing, Sales, Editorial, Technology, R&D, and Finance to successfully bring new products and capabilities to market.
• Oversee corporate development activities including acquisition sourcing, strategic partnerships, opportunity evaluation, financial modelling, due diligence, and executive recommendations.
• Evaluate build-versus-buy-versus-partner decisions by assessing strategic fit, customer value, technology capabilities, financial returns, and execution risks.
• Support post-transaction integration planning to ensure acquisitions and partnerships translate into scalable products, platforms, and commercial success.
• Shape ACS Publications' AI strategy by identifying opportunities to leverage proprietary scientific content and data assets to create differentiated customer value.
• Prepare executive-level presentations, business cases, and investment recommendations for the Publications Leadership Team and other senior stakeholders.
• Lead and develop a high-performing team across product strategy, product management, and corporate development while fostering collaboration across a highly matrixed organization.

Candidate Profile

ACS Publications seeks a commercially oriented product and strategy executive who combines strong product leadership with demonstrated experience driving business growth through innovation, portfolio strategy, and strategic investment. The successful candidate will be equally comfortable developing long-term strategic vision and leading complex initiatives from concept through commercialization.

This individual is likely to come from a technology-enabled business operating at the intersection of software, data, information services, digital platforms, or research tools. While experience within scientific publishing is valuable, ACS is equally interested in leaders who bring fresh perspectives from adjacent industries where data, content, AI, and technology have transformed customer value propositions and business models.

The ideal candidate is fundamentally a builder, someone who has repeatedly identified emerging market opportunities, developed compelling product strategies, launched new offerings, and delivered measurable commercial outcomes. They understand how to balance customer needs, technology capabilities, financial returns, and organizational priorities while operating effectively across highly matrixed organizations.

Exposure to mergers and acquisitions, corporate development, partnerships, venture investing, or strategic finance is highly desirable, though the role is ultimately centered on product-led growth rather than transaction execution alone.

In terms of the performance and personal competencies required for the position, we would highlight the following:

Experience & Background

• 12+ years of progressive leadership experience spanning product strategy, product management, corporate development, strategy consulting, or related commercial leadership roles.
• Demonstrated success developing and commercializing new products, platforms, or technology-enabled services that generate measurable revenue growth.
• Experience managing product portfolios, establishing product roadmaps, pricing strategies, investment priorities, and commercialization plans.
• Strong understanding of data-driven business models, SaaS, digital platforms, information services, or AI-enabled products.
• Experience evaluating market opportunities through customer research, competitive analysis, financial modeling, and strategic planning.
• Exposure to mergers and acquisitions, strategic partnerships, venture investments, or corporate development activities, including business case development and due diligence.
• Experience working effectively across product, technology, commercial, finance, and executive leadership teams within complex matrixed organizations.
• Financial acumen with the ability to develop business cases, evaluate investment opportunities, and communicate effectively with executive leadership.
• Experience leading product organizations or strategy teams through periods of transformation, innovation, or rapid growth.
• MBA or other advanced degree preferred.

Leadership Characteristics

• Strong commercial orientation with a passion for building businesses and creating customer value.
• Strategic curiosity and market awareness, with the ability to identify emerging trends before they become mainstream.
• Analytical rigor combined with pragmatic decision-making and strong execution discipline.
• Outstanding executive presence and communication skills, capable of influencing senior stakeholders across technical and non-technical audiences.
• Comfort operating in ambiguity while bringing structure, prioritization, and momentum to complex initiatives.
• Collaborative leadership style with the credibility to influence across highly matrixed organizations.
• Entrepreneurial mindset balanced by thoughtful governance, disciplined investment, and long-term value creation.
• Genuine enthusiasm for ACS's mission and the opportunity to shape the future of scientific information and research enablement.

Setting Strategy

• The ability to create and articulate an inspiring vision for the organization, not only for the areas they are directly responsible for, but the enterprise.
• The inclination to seek and analyze data from a variety of sources to support decisions and to align others with the organization's overall strategy.
• An entrepreneurial and creative approach to developing new, innovative ideas that will stretch the organization and push the boundaries within the industry.
• The ability to effectively balance the desire/need for broad change with an understanding of how much change the organization is capable of handling; to create realistic goals and implementation plans that are achievable and successful.

Executing for Results

• The ability to set clear and challenging goals while committing the organization to improved performance; tenacious and accountable in driving results.
• Comfortable with ambiguity and uncertainty; the ability to adapt nimbly and lead others through complex situations.
• A risk-taker who seeks data and input from others to foresee possible threats or unintended circumstances from decisions; someone who takes smart risks.
• A leader who is viewed by others as having a high degree of integrity and forethought in their approach to making decisions; the ability to act in a transparent and consistent manner while always considering what is best for the organization.

Leading Teams

• The ability to attract and recruit top talent, motivate the team, delegate effectively, celebrate diversity within the team, and manage performance; widely viewed as a strong developer of others.
• The ability to persevere in the face of challenges and exhibit a steadfast resolve and relentless commitment to higher standards, which commands respect from followers.
• A leader who is self-reflective and aware of their own limitations; leads by example and drives the organization's performance with an attitude of continuous improvement by being open to feedback and self-improvement.

Relationships and Influence

• Naturally connects and builds strong relationships with others, demonstrating strong emotional intelligence and an ability to communicate clearly and persuasively.
• An ability to inspire trust and followership in others through compelling influence, powerful charisma, passion in their beliefs, and active drive.
• Encourages others to share the spotlight and visibly celebrates and supports the success of the team.
• Creates a sense of purpose/meaning for the team that generates followership beyond their own personality and engages others to the greater purpose for the organization.

This role is based in our Washington, D.C. office. A reasonable rate of total compensation for this position is between $250,000-$280,000 per year.

ACS currently provides the following benefits for this position: paid vacation leave, paid sick leave, paid holidays, health insurance, flexible spending account or health care savings account, dental insurance, life insurance, vision insurance, retirement benefits, short- and long-term disability, and 4-week work from anywhere; each benefit is subject to the terms of the applicable program. Additional benefits may apply based on skills, experience, and location.

Any actual offer of employment, reflecting the total compensation package and benefits, will be made in the sole discretion of ACS. ACS reserves the right to amend or modify its employment benefits and compensation structure at any time.

Nomination and Application Procedure
ACS invites inquiries, nominations, and applications for this position. Interested candidates should confidentially submit a curriculum vitae and letter of interest (Adobe PDF files preferred) to: ACS_SeniorDirector@russellreynolds.com