Project Leader, New Product Development

JPW Industries • La Vergne, TN

4h • Onsite

About The Position

As a global leader in woodworking, metalworking, and material processing equipment, JPW Industries is committed to innovation, quality, and empowering its teams to deliver exceptional results. This role sits at the center of product development efforts, leading new product initiatives from concept through launch. The Project Leader will operate as the “CEO of the project,” driving alignment, managing risk, and ensuring successful execution across cross-functional teams and external partners.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or related field, required
• 5-10+ years of experience in product development and project leadership
• Proven ability to independently lead complex, cross-functional projects
• Strong technical acumen with the ability to guide and challenge engineering decisions
• Experience working in hybrid development environments with both internal teams and external suppliers
• Strong leadership, communication, and problem-solving skills
• Ability to operate with a high level of ownership and accountability

Nice To Haves

• PMP or equivalent project management certification preferred
• Familiarity with CAD tools, including SolidWorks, preferred

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end execution of new product development projects from concept through launch and post-launch stabilization
• Own project scope, schedule, budget, and execution, ensuring delivery on time, within cost targets, and to defined quality standards
• Develop and manage project budgets, monitor financial performance, and drive corrective actions as needed
• Ensure market inputs are robust and actionable, partnering with Product Management to validate product direction and customer needs
• Translate Voice of the Customer into clear, prioritized, and testable engineering requirements
• Maintain alignment and clarity of requirements across all stakeholders
• Collaborate with internal engineering teams and external suppliers to develop and refine product concepts
• Drive design decisions and trade-offs balancing performance, cost, manufacturability, and timeline
• Ensure solutions meet both technical requirements and business objectives
• Identify, assess, and mitigate technical risks throughout all project phases
• Ensure appropriate engineering rigor at key development gates, including concept, design freeze, and pre-production
• Lead validation strategies to confirm product performance, reliability, and compliance
• Drive alignment across engineering, marketing, supply chain, quality, manufacturing, and supplier partners
• Influence stakeholders and drive accountability without direct authority
• Manage projects involving both internal teams and external supplier-led development
• Ensure quality and reliability considerations are built into the development process early
• Drive readiness for production, including validation, tooling release, and launch execution

Benefits

• Competitive Pay + Annual Bonuses
• Comprehensive Benefits: Medical, dental, vision, life insurance, disability, telehealth, and more from Day 1
• Retirement Plans & Employer Contributions
• Generous PTO + Paid Holidays
• Career Development & Learning Opportunities
• Team Member Appreciation Events
• A Culture That Values Integrity, Teamwork & Innovation

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Number of Employees: 101-250 employees