Innovation Pipeline Manager

What You'll Do

• Orchestrate the company's innovation pipeline from opportunity identification through commercial launch.
• Drive a disciplined stage-gate process that ensures projects are well-defined, prioritized, and executed efficiently.
• Partner with Sales, R&D, Engineering, Operations, and Quality to establish project objectives, ownership, timelines, milestones, and deliverables.
• Facilitate weekly innovation and project review meetings, ensuring clear agendas, actionable decisions, and timely follow-up.
• Monitor project progress, identify risks early, and help teams remove obstacles before they impact delivery.
• Create visibility across the organization by communicating project status, priorities, and key performance metrics.
• Promote accountability by ensuring every project has a defined owner, clear next steps, and measurable deadlines.
• Improve project readiness for both technical development and manufacturing while supporting successful commercialization.

What Success Looks Like

• Increase faster movement of projects through the innovation pipeline.
• Boost the conversion of opportunities into commercial successes.
• Enhance the quality of projects entering the development process.
• Achieve consistent stage-gate compliance across the project portfolio.
• Clearly define ownership, milestones, and next steps for every active project.
• Strengthen organizational alignment and transparency across functions.
• Reduce administrative coordination for the Director of R&D, allowing greater focus on technical strategy and innovation.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Industrial Engineering, Operations Management, Project Management, or a related discipline.
• Equivalent experience in STEM, operations, project management, manufacturing, or cross-functional program leadership will also be considered.
• Proficiency with project management software, ERP systems, Microsoft 365, dashboards, and data tracking tools.
• Experience in industrial manufacturing or a technical product environment.
• Experience coordinating cross-functional projects or new product development initiatives.
• Strong project management and organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Confidence leading teams and driving accountability, even without direct authority.
• Experience facilitating meetings, resolving conflicts, and building alignment across departments.