Head of Innovators of Comfort

Shape the Future of Comfort

At Ekornes, innovation has always been central to our success. We have strong brands, highly skilled teams and a proud tradition of developing products recognized for comfort, quality and craftsmanship.

To strengthen our ability to create future growth and bring relevant innovations to market, we have established a new Global Category & Product Development organization. The organization connects category leadership, consumer insight, design, innovation, product development and project execution more closely.

Our ambition is to create clearer priorities and accountability, stronger cross-functional collaboration and a more effective path from consumer and market opportunities to commercially successful products.

Building on the capabilities and experience of our existing teams, we are now looking for leaders who can develop people and expertise, provide clear direction and strengthen innovation and execution across Ekornes.

 

Define the future of comfort

As Head of Innovators of Comfort, you will lead Ekornes’ long-term innovation agenda and the multidisciplinary team responsible for exploring and developing future comfort technologies, product platforms and concepts beyond the current category roadmaps.

Reporting to the Chief Product Officer, you will establish a clear innovation direction, build a focused portfolio of strategic opportunities and lead these through exploration, validation and proof of concept.

You will work closely with Category, Design & Consumer Insight and Product Development to ensure that future opportunities are grounded in consumer needs, brand relevance, technical feasibility and commercial potential. You will also ensure effective transfer of validated opportunities into the relevant category and product development roadmaps.

This role requires a leader who can create direction in an uncertain and exploratory environment, develop multidisciplinary talent and turn long-term possibilities into focused and tangible innovation opportunities.

 

Key Responsibilities

• Lead, develop and set clear direction and performance expectations for the Innovators of Comfort team.
• Define and drive Ekornes’ long-term innovation agenda and roadmap.
• Build, prioritize and actively manage a focused portfolio of future innovation opportunities.
• Identify emerging consumer needs, technologies, materials, business models and market developments relevant to the future of comfort.
• Develop and validate future comfort concepts, technologies and product platforms.
• Lead exploration, rapid prototyping, feasibility studies, experimentation and proof-of-concept activities.
• Establish clear criteria for progressing, stopping or transferring opportunities into category and product development roadmaps.
• Ensure that innovation opportunities are assessed against consumer relevance, brand fit, technical feasibility, scalability and commercial potential.
• Build strategic partnerships with universities, research institutions, suppliers, start-ups and technology partners.
• Strengthen front-end innovation methods and capabilities across Ekornes.
• Ensure close collaboration and effective handover to Category, Design & Consumer Insight and Product Development.
• Promote a culture of curiosity, experimentation, disciplined learning and constructive challenge.

 

What We Are Looking For

• Master’s degree in Engineering, Product Development, Industrial Design, Technology or a related discipline.
• Minimum 8–10 years of relevant experience in innovation, R&D, advanced product development or technology development.
• Proven people leadership experience, including the ability to develop multidisciplinary teams and create direction in ambiguous environments.
• Demonstrated ability to define innovation or technology roadmaps and translate long-term opportunities into focused execution.
• Experience building and prioritizing an innovation portfolio and making decisions under uncertainty.
• Strong understanding of consumer-led innovation, concept development, experimentation and validation.
• Experience with emerging technologies, advanced materials, product platforms or new manufacturing opportunities.
• Ability to connect consumer insight, technology, design, brand relevance and commercial opportunity.
• Strong strategic thinking combined with a pragmatic and hands-on approach to exploration and prototyping.
• Strong collaboration and influencing capabilities across functions, disciplines and organizational levels.
• Ability to build and manage external partnerships and professional networks.
• Curious, courageous and externally oriented, with the ability to challenge established assumptions and inspire others around future opportunities.

 

Why Join Us?

This is an opportunity to shape the future of Ekornes and explore what comfort can mean for the next generation of consumers. You will work at the intersection of consumer insight, technology, design, ergonomics and manufacturing to develop future opportunities that can strengthen Ekornes’ long-term competitive position in comfort-led innovation.

Place of work: Sykkylven, Norway

If you have any questions about the position, please contact Chief Product Officer Hanne Rolling Nymand at Hanne.Rolling.Nymand@ekornes.com.

Apply by September 14th, 2026. To apply, please email your application to career@ekornes.no.

Ekornes is the largest furniture manufacturer in the Nordic region, headquartered on the west coast of Norway. We design and produce furniture marketed under the brands Stressless®, Svane®, and IMG® Comfort. Stressless® is among the most recognized furniture brands in the world.

Ekornes operates sales offices in 13 countries and collaborates with over 4,000 retailers serving 48 markets worldwide. We have eight manufacturing facilities located in Norway, the USA, Thailand, and Lithuania, and employ approximately 3,000 people.