New Product Introduction (NPI) Manager
Waters Corporation•Taunton, MA
•$96,000 - $160,000
About The Position
The New Product Introduction (NPI) Program Manager is responsible for leading end-to-end program delivery for new products transitioning from R&D into manufacturing. This role ensures successful post-launch production by tightly managing program schedule, product requirements, budget, and cross-functional resources. The NPI Program Manager serves as the central orchestrator across R&D, Operations, Quality, Supply Chain, and Commercial to drive execution, mitigate risks, and ensure readiness for sustained production.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Science, or related technical discipline (advanced degree preferred)
- 8+ years of experience in NPI, product transfer, or complex manufacturing program management
- Proven experience leading phase-gate product development and launch programs
- Strong understanding of manufacturing readiness, validation, and regulatory environments
- Demonstrated experience managing cross-functional teams and large programs
Responsibilities
- Lead the full lifecycle of NPI programs from development through production readiness and post-launch stabilization
- Establish and maintain integrated program plans, milestones, and deliverables aligned to business objectives
- Oversee receiving site phase-gate acceptance, ensuring clear entry/exit criteria and decision-making rigor
- Provide structured program governance with regular status reporting, risk tracking, and escalation management
- Develop and own the integrated NPI master schedule across all functions
- Identify critical path activities and proactively manage dependencies and constraints
- Ensure alignment of R&D timelines with manufacturing readiness and product transfer milestones
- Drive accountability for on-time delivery and escalate risks to timeline adherence
- Ensure product requirements, specifications, and success criteria are clearly defined, documented, and transferred
- Partner with R&D and Quality to ensure completeness of design outputs, documentation, and validation requirements
- Confirm manufacturing readiness, including process definition, work instructions, and acceptance criteria
- Drive closure of gaps in product definition prior to launch
- Track program financial performance and identify cost risks and opportunities
- Drive cost-efficient product transfer and launch execution
- Align with cross-functional teams (R&D, Manufacturing, Quality, Supply Chain, EHS) to deliver program objectives
- Identify resource needs and resolve capacity constraints across sites and functions
- Act as primary liaison between stakeholders to ensure alignment and accountability
- Ensure complete and successful transfer of products into manufacturing, including all processes, materials, and documentation
- Oversee production readiness reviews and first-pass yield performance post-launch
- Drive rapid resolution of issues during initial production ramp
- Ensure long-term manufacturing stability and scalability
- Ensure compliance with EHS, ISO, and regulatory standards throughout the NPI lifecycle
- Engage EHS and Quality early to proactively address risks to manufacturing and safety
- Lead improvements to NPI and product transfer processes, including standard work and best practices
- Implement lessons learned and drive standardization across programs
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
