NPI Program Manager – Cross-Functional Launch Lead

James Hardie Corporation; Wilmington (OH); On-site; USD 130,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Bonus eligibility

Paid time off

401(k) match

Wellness programs

Job summary

James Hardie Building Products Inc. in the United States seeks an experienced NPI Manager to lead development and launch of new products across multiple sites.

You will drive Stage-Gate milestones, manage cross-functional teams, and ensure alignment with quality, cost, and performance objectives for successful commercialization. As part of the Engineering organization, you will collaborate with R&D, Manufacturing, Quality, Procurement, Supply Chain, and Commercial teams to improve the NPI

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering required.
• 5+ years leading engineering, manufacturing, or technical teams.
• 2+ years in NPIs or product development in a manufacturing environment.
• Proven success leading large-scale NPI projects through Stage-Gate or similar process.
• Strong understanding of DFM, FMEA, Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, and process validation methodologies.

Responsibilities

• Lead multiple New Product Introduction (NPI) projects through the Stage-Gate process, ensuring milestones, deliverables, and launch objectives are achieved.
• Manage cross-functional project teams spanning Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality, Procurement, Supply Chain, and Commercial functions.
• Drive product commercialization efforts from concept development through full-scale production.
• Lead project reviews and provide executive-level updates on project status, risks, timelines, and key business decisions.
• Identify and mitigate technical, operational, and supply chain risks using structured problem-solving and risk management tools.
• Ensure Design for Manufacturability (DFM) principles are incorporated early in the product development process.
• Oversee production trials, validation activities, and manufacturing ramp-up across multiple sites.
• Partner with Manufacturing Engineering to develop scalable production processes and define capital investment requirements.
• Establish and monitor key performance indicators including quality, cost, manufacturability, and time-to-market.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives within the NPI process utilizing Lean, Six Sigma, FMEA, and other data-driven methodologies.
• Ensure compliance with applicable safety, environmental, and regulatory requirements.
• Promote effective knowledge transfer, documentation, and best practices across the organization.

Skills

Leadership

Project management

Cross-functional collaboration

Stakeholder management

Communication

Lean Six Sigma

FMEA

DFM

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering

Job description

James Hardie Building Products Inc. in the United States seeks an experienced NPI Manager to lead development and launch of new products across multiple sites.

You will drive Stage-Gate milestones, manage cross-functional teams, and ensure alignment with quality, cost, and performance objectives for successful commercialization. As part of the Engineering organization, you will collaborate with R&D, Manufacturing, Quality, Procurement, Supply Chain, and Commercial teams to improve the NPI