Program Manager - New Product Development

Elkay; Downers Grove (IL); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive Salary

Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance

Matching 401(k) Contribution

Health Savings Account

Up to 3 weeks vacation

12 Paid Holidays

Annual Bonus Eligibility

Educational Reimbursement

Employee Stock Purchase Plan

Job summary

Elkay, based in Downers Grove, Illinois, is seeking a Project Manager for New Product Development to drive the execution and delivery of NPD programs from concept through launch. This role requires managing cross-functional teams, ensuring project schedules, costs, and quality targets are met.

The ideal candidate will possess over 8 years of experience in product development with a Bachelor’s degree in engineering or business, and will have strong leadership and communication skills.

Elkay offers competitive salary, comprehensive benefits, and an opportunity to engage in continuous improvement initiatives.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience leading complex cross‑functional product development programs.
• Demonstrated success managing schedule recovery and risk mitigation.
• Strong understanding of product development lifecycle and commercial launch requirements.

Responsibilities

• Own successful execution of NPD programs from initiation through launch.
• Drive achievement of program timing, cost, quality, and performance objectives.
• Facilitate communication across Engineering, Product Management, and other teams.

Skills

Cross-functional leadership

Project management

Risk mitigation

Communication skills

Organizational skills

Coaching and mentoring

Education

Bachelor’s degree in engineering, business or related field

Master’s degree preferred

Tools

PMP certification

Job description

Project Manager – New Product Development

Overall responsibility for driving successful execution and delivery of new product development (NPD) programs from concept through launch. The Program Manager serves as the cross‑functional leader responsible for achieving program objectives related to schedule, cost, quality, and launch readiness.

Reports to: Sr. Director, Product Management

Key Focus Areas

• Own successful execution of NPD programs from initiation through commercial launch
• Drive achievement of committed program timing, cost, quality, and performance objectives
• Develop and actively manage integrated program timelines, including critical path identification and recovery planning
• Proactively identify risks, develop mitigation strategies, and lead countermeasure activities to address deviations
• Drive timeline acceleration opportunities through understanding of cross‑functional dependencies and execution tradeoffs
• Enforce NPD process rigor, including stage‑gate deliverables, standard work, and launch readiness requirements
• Identify gaps in current NPD processes and standard work; partner cross‑functionally to improve execution effectiveness
• Hold cross‑functional teams accountable to commitments, deliverables, and action items
• Lead program escalation discussions with clear problem statements, options, recommendations, and recovery plans
• Facilitate effective executive and core team communication with clear prioritization of risks, decisions, and actions
• Coordinate across Engineering, Product Management, Operations, Sourcing, Manufacturing, Quality, Regulatory, and Commercial teams to ensure successful launches
• Drive decision‑making and issue resolution to avoid program delays
• Establish program governance, tracking mechanisms, and operating cadence to ensure visibility and accountability
• Support continuous improvement initiatives related to NPD execution and program management effectiveness

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, business or related field; Master’s degree preferred
• 8+ years of experience leading complex cross‑functional product development programs
• PMP certification a plus
• Demonstrated success managing schedule recovery, risk mitigation, and cross‑functional execution
• Experience operating within stage‑gate or formal NPD process
• Strong understanding of product development lifecycle, manufacturing readiness, validation processes, sourcing, regulatory considerations, and commercial launch requirements
• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills
• Energy and desire to deliver high‑quality projects on tight schedules
• Strong decision‑making and leadership presence with ability to influence at all organizational levels
• Strong interpersonal skills, positive attitude, and ability to engage and build trust in others
• Strong organizational skills and ability to multitask
• Strong ability to coach and mentor resources
• General understanding of mechanical product design and manufacturing

Benefits

• Competitive Salary
• Medical, Dental, Vision, STD, LTD, AD&D, and Life Insurance
• Matching 401(k) Contribution
• Health Savings Account
• Up to 3 weeks starting vacation (may increase with tenure)
• 12 Paid Holidays
• Annual Bonus Eligibility
• Educational Reimbursement
• Matching Gift Program
• Employee Stock Purchase Plan – purchase company stock at a discount

Equal Opportunity Employer – Minority/Female/Disability/Veteran