New Product Introduction Manager

ProFound People; Adelaide; On-site; AUD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

ProFound People seeks a New Product Introduction Manager in Adelaide to bridge in-house design and production, ensuring buildability, cost efficiency, and compliance for new products.

You will influence design for manufacture, own launches, lead a small team of engineers, and drive production readiness with quality documentation and capital planning. Relocation may be required for interstate candidates.

Qualifications

• Engineering degree in mechanical/electrical/electronic/mechatronic or manufacturing.
• Proven track record bringing new products into volume production (NPI/manufacturing).
• Experience in regulated manufacturing (medical devices, aerospace, defence, rail, pharma).
• Hands-on experience qualifying and validating manufacturing processes.
• Skilled in FMEA and process risk management within a quality system.
• Ability to influence cross-functional teams without direct authority.

Responsibilities

• Get involved early in the design process to influence assembly and cost.
• Own product introduction projects end to end (planning, spend, progress).
• Prepare and present capital investment proposals.
• Define build and inspection methods and ensure equipment, documentation and staff are in place.
• Run initial production builds and complete process qualification with documented evidence.
• Stay close to products as volumes increase, address yield and efficiency issues.
• Collaborate with purchasing to bring in new suppliers and components.
• Lead process risk analysis and maintain compliance through audits.
• Keep design, operations, quality, purchasing aligned to stay on track.
• Lead and develop engineers while staying hands-on with technical problems.

Job description

An established Australian manufacturer of complex electromechanical products for a highly regulated market is now hiring a New Product Introduction Manager to bridge the gap between its in house design team and its production floor, making sure every new product can be built consistently, cost effectively, and to a standard that stands up to external scrutiny.

In this role you will be the person who makes sure a new design can actually be built once engineering is ready to let it go. Working alongside the designers well before a product is finished, you will influence how it is put together so it is easier to assemble, test, and service, then take responsibility for getting production ready for it. That means defining how each product will be built and checked, making sure the people and equipment are in place, running the first builds, and proving with documented evidence that the process consistently produces a compliant product. Once a product is in production you will stay close to it as volumes climb, chasing down the quality and efficiency issues that only appear at scale. You will work with purchasing on new suppliers and components, weighing up the risk they introduce, and lead the structured process risk analysis a formal quality system expects. Commercially, you will own your projects end to end, from building the case for capital investment through to tracking spend, timelines, and progress. Much of the role is about bringing people with you: design, operations, quality, and purchasing each have their own priorities, and you will be the one keeping them pointed in the same direction. You will also lead and grow a small group of engineers, but this is a project led role first. It suits someone who is as comfortable at a workbench working through a build problem as in front of senior management explaining where a project stands.

This is a full time, onsite role based in Adelaide. For interstate candidates, relocation is required.

Key Responsibilities:

• Get involved early in the design process, influencing new products so they are easier and more cost effective to assemble, test, and service.
• Take ownership of product introduction projects end to end, including planning, timelines, spend, and progress updates to senior management.
• Prepare and present capital investment proposals for new equipment and production capability.
• Define how each new product will be built and inspected, and ensure the right equipment, documentation, and trained staff are in place before launch.
• Run initial production builds and complete process qualification, producing the documented evidence a regulated quality system requires.
• Stay close to new products as volumes increase, resolving yield, quality, and efficiency issues on the production floor.
• Partner with purchasing to bring on new suppliers and components, weighing up the manufacturing and quality risk each one introduces.
• Lead process risk analysis and ensure manufacturing processes remain compliant through audits and ongoing design changes.
• Keep design, operations, quality, and purchasing aligned so launches stay on track and issues surface early.
• Lead, coach, and develop a small group of engineers while staying hands-on with difficult technical problems.

Requirements:

• Engineering degree in a mechanical, electrical, electronic, mechatronic, or manufacturing discipline, or equivalent.
• A track record of bringing new products into volume production, whether in an NPI, manufacturing engineering, industrialisation, or production engineering role.
• Experience in a regulated manufacturing environment such as medical devices, aerospace, defence, rail, or pharmaceuticals.
• Hands-on experience qualifying and validating manufacturing processes, and supporting production as output increases.
• Working knowledge of FMEA and process risk management within a formal quality system.
• Experience running engineering projects with accountability for budget, timeline, and capital spend.
• The ability to influence and align people across functions without relying on authority alone.
• A practical, curious approach to solving problems on the production floor.

Desirable but not essential:

• Medical device manufacturing experience and familiarity with standards such as ISO 13485.
• Experience introducing complex electromechanical products that require fine assembly, alignment, or calibration.
• Exposure to controlled environment or clean assembly.
• Experience running or contributing to design for manufacture and assembly reviews.
• Previous experience leading or mentoring engineers.