Project Manager - New Product Development

Zurn Elkay Water Solutions•Downers Grove, IL

18h•Onsite

About The Position

This position has 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. This role partners closely with Product Management, Engineering, Operations, Quality, Sourcing, Manufacturing, and Commercial teams to proactively drive accountability, manage interdependencies, mitigate risks, resolve execution challenges, and ensure adherence to the NPD process. The ideal candidate is a highly proactive leader who drives alignment, accelerates timelines, removes barriers, and owns program outcomes.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in engineering, business or related field
8+ years’ experience leading complex cross-functional product development programs
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
Candidate should have strong and effective decision-making skills
Strong leadership presence with ability to influence at all organizational levels
Strong interpersonal skills, positive attitude, an ability to engage and create trust in others to build and foster team relationships
Possess strong organization skills and ability to multitask
Strong ability to coach and mentor resources
Possesses general understanding in the areas of mechanical product design and manufacturing

Nice To Haves

Master degree preferred
PMP Certification a plus

Responsibilities

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