NPD Project Manager II

About the role

The NPD Project Manager II is responsible for planning and executing product development activities including new product introductions, cost reduction, technology integration, and lifecycle product support. The position requires strong technical and cross-functional product development and business process knowledge, superior people leadership skills, functional and project management experience, proficiency in quality systems, and business planning knowledge.

This leadership role partners equally with various departments to drive disciplined decision-making, phase-gate execution, and predictable delivery of customer-focused products, and is responsible for planning and executing product development project plans which ensure superior products for Customers.

Responsibilities

• Provide project management leadership to teams for new product development projects including creating schedules and building product development plans
• Implement product requirements into project scope, design and product realization requirements
• Lead key project execution, in primary collaboration with engineering and product management for new product development or similar product initiatives
• Plan and execute multiple large, complex projects to meet or exceed schedule, project cost, scope and quality commitments
• Achieve target product cost for Generac and product life cycle cost for Customers
• Effectively execute and provide suggestions for improvement the product development process
• Define and drive Risk and Mitigation plans for projects
• Facilitate collaboration between departments to identify and harvest new product development concepts, technologies, techniques, standards and procedures
• Manage attributes and decisions such as make vs. buy, shipping and logistics cost, and bidding process
• Actively participate in identifying and implementing continuous process improvements of the Generac NPI phase/gate process
• Identify, evaluate and document “lessons-learned” during the project and communicate best practices and lessons learned to project team members on future projects

Requirements

• Minimum Qualifications: Bachelor’s degree OR equivalent work experience
• 7 years of progressive work experience in new product development, program/project management, product management, of machinery, generators, or other powered products & systems
• 5 years of project management experience in product development supporting complex, cross functional product development initiatives

Preferred Qualifications

• Demonstrated leadership of full lifecycle NPD programs using a formal phase-gate style process
• Experience driving cross-functional alignment without direct authority
• Exposure to industrial, commercial, or powered products environments

Skills

• Advanced level ability to deliver results while working simultaneously on multiple projects
• Advanced level ability to lead the transformation from product requirements into a product design and realization plan
• Demonstrated ability to influence people and cross functional teams who are not direct reports
• Strong understanding of engineering technical issues/needs, manufacturing, supply chain, service, customer service, financial, sales, and marketing as related to product design and development
• Advanced communication skills both within cross functional teams and with leadership stakeholders
• Self-driven, highly motivated, flexible and with a high capacity to learn