NPD Program Lead — HVAC Innovation (Hybrid)

SPX Cooling Technologies; Olathe (KS); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

PTO

Health insurance

401(k) match

Education assistance

Leadership development

Job summary

SPX Cooling Technologies is seeking an experienced NPD Program Manager to lead planning, coordination, and execution of new product development from concept to commercialization, partnering with Engineering, Product Management, Operations, Sourcing, Quality, Sales, and other stakeholders.

This role demands a strong engineering foundation, program management expertise, and the ability to drive complex cross-functional initiatives through the NPD process, while managing risks, milestones, and

Qualifications

• 7-10 years of progressive experience in engineering, product development, program management, or a related technical environment.
• Demonstrated experience leading complex new product development or engineering programs from concept through launch.
• Experience leading cross-functional teams and managing projects involving multiple technical and business disciplines.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to effectively communicate program status, risks, and recommendations to technical teams and business leadership.
• Strong ability to coordinate people and resources without losing focus on project priorities and deadlines.
• Excellent problem-solving and decision-making skills with the ability to identify issues, evaluate alternatives, and drive resolution.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and project planning or scheduling tools.
• Demonstrated commitment to safety, quality, continuous improvement, and operational efficiency.
• Ability to work effectively in both office and laboratory/test environments.

Responsibilities

• Lead multiple complex new product development programs from initial concept and project definition through design, validation, launch, and commercialization.
• Develop and maintain comprehensive program plans defining scope, deliverables, schedules, milestones, resources, dependencies, and key decision points.
• Establish clear ownership and accountability for project deliverables and ensure cross-functional teams execute against established commitments.
• Maintain appropriate rigor and discipline throughout the NPD process while balancing speed, technical risk, business priorities, and resource constraints.
• Lead cross-functional program teams consisting of Engineering, Product Management, Sourcing, Operations, Quality, Manufacturing, Sales, and other functions as required.
• Serve as the primary coordination point between technical and business functions throughout the product development process.
• Facilitate technical and business discussions necessary to resolve issues, evaluate alternatives, and maintain program momentum.
• Ensure technical requirements, customer needs, manufacturability, quality expectations, cost objectives, and commercialization requirements are appropriately integrated into program execution.
• Establish and manage program milestones, stage reviews, decision points, and other governance mechanisms required by the NPD process.
• Proactively identify technical, schedule, resource, cost, supplier, and execution risks and ensure appropriate mitigation and recovery plans are developed.
• Develop and maintain program metrics and reporting tools that provide visibility to project health, milestones, risks, resource needs, and overall NPD portfolio performance.
• Conduct regular program reviews with project teams and leadership, escalating critical issues and facilitating timely decisions when necessary.
• Champion consistent application of the organization's NPD process, tools, standards, and project management practices across development programs.
• Identify and implement improvements to NPD processes that increase execution speed, predictability, accountability, and overall effectiveness.
• Capture lessons learned from completed programs and integrate improvements into future product development activities.
• Partner with Engineering and business leadership to improve resource planning, project prioritization, portfolio visibility, and overall NPD execution capability.

Skills

Project management

Cross-functional leadership

Communication skills

Problem solving

Resource coordination

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Electrical, Civil Engineering

PMP or similar certification

Tools

Microsoft Office

Project planning tools

Job description

SPX Cooling Technologies is seeking an experienced NPD Program Manager to lead planning, coordination, and execution of new product development from concept to commercialization, partnering with Engineering, Product Management, Operations, Sourcing, Quality, Sales, and other stakeholders.

This role demands a strong engineering foundation, program management expertise, and the ability to drive complex cross-functional initiatives through the NPD process, while managing risks, milestones, and