Director of New Product Introduction (NPI)

Position Overview

GTI Energy is seeking a Director of New Product Introduction (NPI) to lead the end-to-end launch of new products, programs, and customer platforms across the organization. This role is responsible for managing cross-functional execution from customer handoff through design maturity, sourcing readiness, manufacturing readiness, pilot builds, and production launch. The Director of New Product Introduction will serve as a key customer-facing leader at the program level, ensuring GTI delivers technical credibility, execution confidence, and launch discipline throughout the product lifecycle.

Key Responsibilities

• NPI Strategy & Program Launch Leadership - Lead enterprise New Product Introduction (NPI) strategy across multiple concurrent customer programs and product launches. Own execution from project award through production ramp, ensuring scope, timing, cost, and quality targets are achieved. Establish structured launch plans, phase gates, milestones, and readiness criteria across engineering, supply chain, manufacturing, and quality. Drive successful handoff from quoting, commercial, or business development teams into execution.

• Customer-Facing Program Leadership - Serve as the executive-level point of contact for customers during new product launches and major program transitions. Lead customer meetings covering schedules, technical risks, readiness status, engineering progress, and launch plans. Build trust and confidence with customers through strong communication, accountability, and technical credibility. Support escalation management and rapid resolution of customer concerns during launch phases.

• Cross-Functional Execution - Lead cross-functional teams including Engineering, Supply Chain, Quality, Manufacturing, Operations, and Program Management. Ensure engineering deliverables support sourcing, fabrication, assembly, and system integration schedules. Coordinate supplier readiness, material availability, tooling, and manufacturing capacity for launches. Remove roadblocks and drive alignment across departments to maintain launch timelines.

• Technical Leadership & Product Readiness - Apply engineering judgment to assess technical feasibility, manufacturability, and launch risk. Ensure product designs support production scalability, quality, serviceability, and cost targets. Review design maturity, BOM readiness, documentation completeness, and change management controls. Support resolution of technical issues across electrical, mechanical, structural, and manufacturing disciplines.

• Manufacturing Readiness & Production Ramp - Ensure manufacturing readiness through pilot builds, pre-production runs, validation plans, and operator training. Partner with plant leadership to prepare facilities, staffing, tooling, and work instructions for launch. Drive First Pass Yield (FPY), throughput, cycle time, takt time, and on-time delivery during ramp phases. Lead launch war-room activities during critical production ramp periods.

• Risk Management & Continuous Improvement - Identify program risks early and implement mitigation plans across technical, supply chain, and operational areas. Lead structured problem solving using Root Cause Analysis, 5 Whys, Fishbone, and corrective action processes. Capture lessons learned from launches and improve future NPI processes. Standardize launch governance, metrics, and best practices across the organization.

• Leadership & Team Development - Build and lead a high-performing NPI organization including Program Managers, Engineers, and launch resources. Develop talent, establish accountability, and create strong execution discipline. Coach teams on customer communication, technical ownership, and cross-functional leadership. Support hiring and organizational design as GTI scales.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or related technical discipline.

• 10-15+ years of experience in New Product Introduction, Program Management, Engineering, or Operations leadership roles.

• Experience leading complex product launches in industrial manufacturing, contract manufacturing, modular systems, or engineered-to-order environments.

• Strong customer-facing experience at the program or executive level.

• Proven ability to lead cross-functional teams through high-pressure launch environments.

• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple concurrent launches and competing priorities.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with modular data centers, BESS, power generation platforms, or industrial infrastructure products.

• Background in fabrication, welding, assembly, electrical integration, or system-level manufacturing.

• Experience with ERP / PLM systems such as NetSuite or similar platforms.

• PMP, Lean Six Sigma, or related certification.

• Experience scaling NPI organizations in high-growth manufacturing environments.