NPI Program Manager, R&D Test Engineering

nVent•Anoka, MN

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

nVent is seeking an NPI Program Manager, Test Engineering to join our PMO and play a critical role in ensuring successful execution of engineering test plans across our New Product Introduction (NPI) portfolio. This role owns planning, coordination and risk management of test activities across multiple in‑flight NPI projects spanning two businesses. This position is hyper‑focused on the test scope of NPI programs—partnering closely with Engineering and the on-site Test Lab to ensure testing is properly planned, prioritized, resourced, and executed against committed schedules. By owning upstream test planning and cross‑project coordination, this role helps prevent late surprises, capacity conflicts, and execution delays—ultimately improving time‑to‑market and on‑time delivery.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or a related field
Ideally 10+ years of experience in program/project management, NPI, or engineering operations
Strong understanding of engineering test processes and how testing fits into the product development lifecycle
Demonstrated ability to manage complex, cross‑functional plans with multiple stakeholders
Experience working with engineering teams and test or validation organizations
Strong communication, organization, and risk‑management skills

Responsibilities

Partner with engineering teams to define detailed, standardized test plans for each NPI project.
Ensure test plans are aligned with overall NPI schedules, milestones, and phase‑gate expectations.
Facilitate early engagement with the test lab to communicate upcoming test needs, priorities, and dependencies.
Maintain a centralized, portfolio‑level view of all planned and in‑progress testing activities across business units.
Track and communicate test readiness, execution status versus plan, and key risks to stakeholders.
Identify potential conflicts related to test timing, lab capacity, equipment availability, or cross‑project dependencies.
Act as the voice of the project to ensure test needs are understood and appropriately prioritized.
React with urgency when testing does not go according to plan, driving alignment on recovery actions.
Proactively identify test‑related risks early in the project lifecycle.
Drive coordination and resolution of test conflicts across engineering teams, lab resources, and programs.
Support contingency planning to mitigate delays in test execution and protect critical milestones.
Create and maintain standardized test planning templates, processes, and best practices.
Develop or enhance dashboards and reporting tools that improve transparency into test schedules, status, and lab capacity.
Drive continuous improvement in how test planning is integrated into the NPI lifecycle across businesses.
Support PMO efforts to standardize and scale NPI execution practices.