Program Manager

Polaris Industries; Elkhart (IN); On-site; USD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Bennington Marine is seeking a Product Development Process (PDP) Program Manager to lead the PDP across its portfolio of new product initiatives. This role acts as the central coordinator for cross-functional product development from opportunity identification through production launch and post-launch review.

The ideal candidate drives project execution, governance, risk mitigation, and schedule adherence in a matrixed organization, aligning Product Management, Engineering, Manufacturing, Supply

Responsibilities

• Own and facilitate the execution of the PDP for all assigned product development programs.
• Ensure successful completion of PDP deliverables, gate reviews, approvals, and launch milestones.
• Lead development and maintenance of integrated project timelines, critical paths, resource plans
• Monitor project progress against approved business objectives, budgets, schedules, and resources
• Drive timely decision-making and resolution of issues that impact project scope, timing, cost, or quality.
• Coordinate the efforts of Product Management, Engineering, Industrial Design, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Procurement, Marketing, Finance, and Quality throughout the product development lifecycle.
• Establish clear accountability for deliverables, milestones, and action items across functional teams.
• Facilitate regular project core team meetings and drive follow-up actions to closure.
• Communicate project status, risks, opportunities, and resource constraints to leadership.
• Lead the scheduling, preparation, and administration of Product Council meetings and PDP gate reviews.
• Develop executive-ready presentations and the supporting documentation for project approvals and major business decisions.
• Ensure product scope, business cases, technical requirements, and readiness criteria are appropriately defined for each PDP phase.
• Track and document project decisions, risks, assumptions, and mitigation plans.
• Partner with Product Management and Finance to develop and maintain product business cases.
• Evaluate product opportunities based on strategic fit, customer demand, competitive position, margin potential, investment requirements, and organizational capacity.
• Support prioritization decisions within the product development portfolio.
• Monitor project financial performance, including development costs, tooling investments, capital expenditures, and launch assumptions.
• Collaborate with Engineering and Operations teams to assess design feasibility, technical readiness, manufacturability, supplier readiness, and launch risks.
• Coordinate launch readiness reviews to ensure all product, commercial, operational, and marketing deliverables are completed prior to production release.
• Support validation activities including prototype evaluation, design validation, production validation, certification requirements, and production ramp-up activities.
• Ensure successful transfer of products from development into production and commercialization.
• Maintain awareness of emerging market trends, customer needs, competitive products, and technology developments within the marine industry and adjacent industries.
• Facilitate incorporation of competitive intelligence and innovation opportunities into development roadmaps
• Partner with Product Management to identify opportunities for differentiation and value creation.
• Lead project post-mortem and lessons-learned reviews following product launches.
• Recommend improvements to PDP processes, project management practices, governance, reporting tools, and resource planning methodologies.
• Drive increased organization-wide project visibility and execution discipline.

Job description

JOB SUMMARY:

VISA Sponsorship and/or Relocation Assistance are not available.

The New Product Development (NPD) Program Manager is responsible for leading the execution of the Product Development Process (PDP) across Bennington Marine's portfolio of new product initiatives. This role serves as the central coordinator for cross-functional product development activities from opportunity identification and concept development through production launch and post-launch review.

The NPD Program Manager ensures projects progress successfully through all PDP gates, maintaining alignment among Product Management, Engineering, Industrial Design, Manufacturing, Purchasing, Quality, Finance, Sales, and Marketing teams. The position drives project execution, governance, risk mitigation, schedule adherence, resource coordination, and launch readiness to deliver innovative products that meet customer needs, support growth objectives, and achieve financial targets.

The ideal candidate is a highly organized leader who excels at driving accountability in a matrixed organization, managing complex development programs, and balancing strategic priorities with execution excellence.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES :

Product Development Process Leadership

• Own and facilitate the execution of the PDP for all assigned product development programs.
• Ensure successful completion of PDP deliverables, gate reviews, approvals, and launch milestones.
• Lead development and maintenance of integrated project timelines, critical paths, resource plans
• Monitor project progress against approved business objectives, budgets, schedules, and resources
• Drive timely decision-making and resolution of issues that impact project scope, timing, cost, or quality.

Cross-Functional Program Management

• Coordinate the efforts of Product Management, Engineering, Industrial Design, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Procurement, Marketing, Finance, and Quality throughout the product development lifecycle.
• Establish clear accountability for deliverables, milestones, and action items across functional teams.
• Facilitate regular project core team meetings and drive follow-up actions to closure.
• Communicate project status, risks, opportunities, and resource constraints to leadership.

Product Council & Governance

• Lead the scheduling, preparation, and administration of Product Council meetings and PDP gate reviews.
• Develop executive-ready presentations and the supporting documentation for project approvals and major business decisions.
• Ensure product scope, business cases, technical requirements, and readiness criteria are appropriately defined for each PDP phase.
• Track and document project decisions, risks, assumptions, and mitigation plans.

Business Case & Strategic Evaluation

• Partner with Product Management and Finance to develop and maintain product business cases.
• Evaluate product opportunities based on strategic fit, customer demand, competitive position, margin potential, investment requirements, and organizational capacity.
• Support prioritization decisions within the product development portfolio.
• Monitor project financial performance, including development costs, tooling investments, capital expenditures, and launch assumptions.

Product Feasibility & Launch Readiness

• Collaborate with Engineering and Operations teams to assess design feasibility, technical readiness, manufacturability, supplier readiness, and launch risks.
• Coordinate launch readiness reviews to ensure all product, commercial, operational, and marketing deliverables are completed prior to production release.
• Support validation activities including prototype evaluation, design validation, production validation, certification requirements, and production ramp-up activities.
• Ensure successful transfer of products from development into production and commercialization.

Innovation & Competitive Intelligence

• Maintain awareness of emerging market trends, customer needs, competitive products, and technology developments within the marine industry and adjacent industries.
• Facilitate incorporation of competitive intelligence and innovation opportunities into development roadmaps
• Partner with Product Management to identify opportunities for differentiation and value creation.

Continuous Improvement

• Lead project post-mortem and lessons-learned reviews following product launches.
• Recommend improvements to PDP processes, project management practices, governance, reporting tools, and resource planning methodologies.
• Drive increased organization-wide project visibility and execution discipline.

Equal Opportunity Employer Minorities/Women/Protected Veterans/Disabled