Innovation Program Manager

What You’ll Do

We are seeking an Innovation Program Manager to own, in close partnership with Commercial Product Management and Lead Design Engineering, the front end of new product innovation for Golf Pride–branded products sold through major retail partners and direct-to-consumer channels. This role is the single-point owner for front-end standard work, portfolio management, and program delivery, while working in shared leadership with Product and Engineering to ensure concepts progress on time, at target cost, and aligned to the overall business plan. This role works day-to-day with Commercial, Innovation, and Operations teams to plan, manage, and deliver the front end of the Golf Pride innovation pipeline.

Why This Role Is Special

Lead retail-focused innovation programs from the GIC in Pinehurst, working hands-on and in close partnership with Commercial Product Managers, Design Engineering, and Operations leaders
Define and implement how front-end innovation is managed, including standard work, governance, and portfolio cadence
Work across functions and regions to align priorities, timelines, and decisions, proactively anticipating issues and coordinating resolutions to keep programs aligned to the product strategy and business plan
Play a direct role in evolving the Golf Pride product portfolio, influencing what advances into development and ultimately reaches the market
Operate with explicit backing from senior leadership to drive alignment, decisions, and accountability in ambiguous environments

Primary Focus

• Establishing and maintaining standard work for ideas, concepts, and early prototype development
• Managing the front-end innovation portfolio, including prioritization, resourcing, and pacing
• Ensuring consumer- and customer-led concepts are validated and ready for efficient handoff to downstream development teams

Key Responsibilities

• Program & Portfolio Management:
• Own the front-end innovation portfolio, including project intake, prioritization, pacing, and governance, in partnership with Commercial Product Management to ensure alignment to product strategy and business priorities
• Facilitate structured reviews and decision forums with Product and Engineering leaders to ensure concepts meet strategic, consumer, technical, timing, and cost criteria
• Balance desirability, feasibility, timing, and business impact across the portfolio
• Authority, Alignment & Accountability:
• Operate with borrowed authority from senior leadership to drive execution of growth plans
• Put structure in place, hold peers and leaders accountable, and escalate when necessary to maintain progress, while reinforcing shared ownership and alignment to the agreed product plan
• Lead cross-functional and senior stakeholders confidently through periods of ambiguity
• Cross-Functional & Global Integration:
• Serve as the primary integrator across Commercial, Innovation, Operations, and external partners, actively coordinating dependencies, sequencing work, and resolving friction to keep teams aligned and moving together
• Partner with APAC-based development and manufacturing teams to align early-stage innovation with downstream execution
• Ensure clean handoffs to manufacturing-site Program Managers for development, industrialization, and ramp-up
• Process Excellence & PMO Integration:
• Develop, document, and continuously improve standard work, tools, and governance for front-end innovation
• Partner closely with the Head of PMO to ensure alignment with enterprise NPD processes and systems
• Support PMO-led initiatives that improve speed, decision quality, and delivery predictability across the innovation pipeline

Qualifications

• Basic (Required) Qualifications:
• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution
• 5+ years of program or project management experience
• Must be legally authorized to work in the U.S. without company sponsorship now and in the future
• PREFERRED Qualifications:
• 10+ years of relevant program or portfolio management experience
• PMP or equivalent certification
• Program Management experience in performance-driven consumer products or golf
• Deep familiarity with stage-gate systems, portfolio governance, and collaboration tools (e.g., Teams, Jira, Wrike, Workfront)
• Passion for building structure that enables creativity
• Proven ability to lead cross-functional teams and influence without direct authority
• Strong analytical, organizational, and communication skills
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and project/portfolio tools (e.g., Project, Teams, SharePoint, Excel)