Manager of New Product Introduction (NPI)

GTI Fabrication • Buffalo, NY

1d • Onsite

About The Position

GTI Energy is seeking an NPI Manager to lead programmatic execution of New Product Introduction initiatives across multiple product lines and customer programs. This role is responsible for driving projects through defined phase gates, coordinating cross-functional deliverables, managing timelines, escalating risks, and ensuring launch readiness from concept through production release. Unlike a highly technical engineering leadership role, the NPI Manager is a functional execution leader focused on program governance, milestone attainment, business readiness, and cross-functional accountability. This role ensures GTI moves products to market quickly, cleanly, and with operational readiness. The ideal candidate has strong experience leading product launches, engineering programs, manufacturing transfers, or complex cross-functional initiatives in industrial, manufacturing, OEM, or engineered-to-order environments.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Operations, Supply Chain, Business, or related discipline
• 6–10+ years of experience in Program Management, NPI, Product Launch, Operations, Engineering Project Management, or related leadership roles
• Proven experience leading cross-functional product launches or manufacturing transfers
• Strong experience with phase gate processes, milestone planning, and program governance
• Ability to manage multiple concurrent projects in fast-paced industrial environments
• Strong communication, organization, and executive presence

Nice To Haves

• Experience in modular manufacturing, data centers, power systems, BESS, fabrication, or engineered-to-order products
• Experience working closely with AME, Manufacturing Engineering, Quality, and Supply Chain functions
• PMP, Lean Six Sigma, APICS, or related certifications preferred
• ERP / PLM / project management system experience preferred
• Experience in hyper-growth manufacturing environments strongly preferred

Responsibilities

• NPI Program Leadership & Phase Gate Ownership: Lead multiple New Product Introduction programs from concept through pilot build, validation, launch, and production ramp. Drive projects through structured phase gate milestones with clear deliverables, owners, and due dates. Maintain overall program plans, timelines, readiness trackers, and critical path schedules. Ensure cross-functional teams meet commitments required for gate approvals and launch progression. Facilitate gate review meetings with leadership and stakeholders.
• Cross-Functional Coordination: Coordinate Engineering, AME, Supply Chain, Quality, Operations, Planning, Finance, and Commercial teams throughout product launch lifecycle. Drive accountability across teams for drawings, BOMs, tooling, sourcing, capacity, quality plans, and documentation readiness. Align internal resources to changing priorities in a fast-growth environment.
• Launch Readiness & Manufacturing Handoff: Ensure manufacturing readiness for new products including labor plans, routings, tooling status, training, work instructions, and material availability. Support pilot builds, first articles, validation runs, and production ramp plans. Confirm readiness of ERP data, BOM structures, inventory setup, and production controls. Coordinate successful handoff from development teams into sustained operations.
• Risk Management & Escalation: Identify launch risks related to schedule, design maturity, suppliers, quality, capacity, or cost. Build mitigation plans and drive closure with accountable owners. Escalate unresolved issues quickly with clear recommendations and decision needs. Maintain risk registers and executive visibility dashboards.
• Customer & Internal Program Communication: Provide regular status updates to executive leadership, commercial teams, and internal stakeholders. Support customer-facing program meetings where required regarding timelines, readiness, and milestones. Translate technical complexity into concise business updates and decisions. Maintain strong communication cadence across all functions.
• Continuous Improvement of NPI Process: Improve GTI’s phase gate process, launch governance, templates, readiness checklists, and reporting systems. Standardize launch metrics and lessons learned processes across product lines. Reduce missed milestones, late engineering changes, poor handoffs, and launch instability. Drive scalable NPI systems to support hyper-growth product expansion.
• Metrics & KPI Ownership: Track and report KPIs including on-time gate completion, launch readiness, engineering release timing, supplier readiness, first pass yield during launch, ramp. Build executive scorecards for NPI portfolio visibility. Drive corrective actions when programs fall behind schedule or readiness targets.
• Leadership & Influence: Lead through influence across matrixed teams without requiring direct authority over all functions. Build urgency, ownership, and execution discipline across program stakeholders. Coach functional teams on launch discipline and accountability expectations. Serve as a central quarterback for new product execution at GTI.

Benefits

• Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance
• 401(k) with company match (where applicable)
• Paid Time Off (PTO) and paid holidays
• Sick time in accordance with state and local requirements
• Company-paid life insurance and disability coverage
• Career advancement opportunities within a rapidly growing organization
• Exposure to advanced manufacturing, modular infrastructure, and large-scale industrial projects
• Collaborative, fast-paced environment with strong operational and engineering leadership
• Employee-focused culture centered on safety, quality, accountability, and continuous improvement

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager