Zack Vogtner

-Provides leadership and strategic vision for CMP product line development and product lifecycle management
-Creates ideation sketches and concept renderings in early phases of product development to effectively communicate desired aesthetics, human factors (user interface; ergonomics), packaging and overall design intent to project teams, customers and corporate executives
-Develops working prototypes and proof-of-concept validation exercises
-Evaluates and resolves initial technical feasibility, design optimization, and production challenges
-Assures competitiveness and innovation of products and processes from a technological and design standpoint
-Collaborates with cross-functional project teams at brainstorming, design inception, and major design reviews to optimize product performance and reliability
-Interacts with industry professionals to collect VOC (voice of the customer) data that can be leveraged to define or improve product marketing specifications for improved customer experience and product performance
-Identifies potential intellectual property (IP) opportunities and conflicts during design and product development
-Drafts patent applications and continuations to enable allowance of broad blocking claims
-Manages patent/trademark portfolio, IP policies, and external IP service providers/attorneys
-Directs prosecution of pending applications and oversees the filing of all IP correspondence and key documentation
-Works with Marketing, Sales, and Engineering to develop intellectual property strategies to protect critical brands, products, and technology features
-Prepares plans for the defense of potential intellectual property challenges
-Participates in patent hearings and negotiations

-Manage the domestic operations of the engineering department (up to 10 direct reports)
-Confer with sales, marketing, and manufacturing staff to define project specifications and procedures
-Recruit employees; assign, direct, and evaluate their work; and oversee the development and maintenance of staff competence
-Coordinate and direct projects, creating plans and goals related to each
-Monitor quality control procedures including root cause analyses, inventory containment, and corrective actions
-Communicate with the injection molding plant in Shanghai, China to coordinate project schedules and ensure on-time product launch
-Analyze the pool, spa and bath markets for opportunities to introduce innovative products, develop concepts, create renderings, and present ideas to clients
-Consult with clients to design and develop their ideas
-Direct, review, and approve product designs and changes
-Manage projects requiring third party certification such as UL, IAPMO, CSA and NSF
-Perform patent searches, review drafts of company patent applications and act as liaison with the company patent attorney

-Responsible for surveying the pool, spa, and bath markets for opportunities to introduce innovative products, developing concepts, creating renderings, and presenting ideas to customers and company executives
-Assist clients in developing their ideas into products that can be manufactured
-Design and develop new products for the company’s product lines
-Manage new products from development through production by maintaining correspondence with engineers in our manufacturing facilities in China
-Perform quality control inspections on prototypes and first articles, and report deficiencies to the manufacturing facilities
-Manage projects requiring third party certification such as UL, IAPMO, CSA and NSF
-Perform patent searches, review drafts of company patent applications and act as liaison with the company patent attorney
-Design the company trade show booth and graphics
-Create and manage all company advertisements for print and web
-Design marketing materials for the company's products including point of purchase displays, brochures, flyers, cut sheets, and banners
-Responsible for corporate and product branding including design of company logos as well as product logos, labels, instructions, and packaging
-Design, layout, and photograph products for the CMP product catalogs