Project Manager-New Product Development

Knape and Vogt Manufacturing Company•Grand Rapids, MI

About The Position

Knape & Vogt is looking for a New Product Development Project Manager to join their industry-leading Marketing team. This role involves managing multiple concurrent New Product Development (NPD) projects from concept through commercialization. The Project Manager will develop, implement, and maintain comprehensive NPD project plans, schedules, milestones, critical paths, dependencies, and deliverables. They will work closely with Product Managers and cross-functional stakeholders to define project scope, objectives, requirements, and timing. The role requires translating NPD objectives into defined project activities, coordinating efforts across various departments (Product Management, Engineering, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Quality, Finance, Marketing, Sales), and tracking deliverables to ensure timely completion. The Project Manager will hold team members accountable, identify and mitigate risks, manage the critical path, and facilitate meetings to drive decisions and maintain momentum. They will also escalate issues when necessary and ensure adherence to Knape & Vogt's NPD process, applying an agile mindset when priorities change. Additionally, the role involves partnering with Product Management and Marketing to translate product strategy into executable plans, providing project insights, and maintaining alignment between product objectives, development, manufacturing, and commercialization. Communication and reporting are key, serving as a central point for project updates, maintaining visibility into project health, and developing standardized reporting tools. Continuous improvement of the NPD process, including applying Stage-Gate or Agile practices and serving as a subject matter expert for Microsoft Planner, is also a core function.

Requirements

Minimum of five (5) years of project management experience, with demonstrated experience managing or supporting New Product Development initiatives in a cross-functional environment.
Experience working closely with Product Management, Marketing, Engineering, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, and other functional stakeholders.
Demonstrated experience managing multiple concurrent product development projects, including project schedules, critical paths, milestones, dependencies, risks, and deliverables.
Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Business Administration, Product Management, Engineering, Operations, Project Management, or a related field
Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Planner and Microsoft 365 tools, including Teams, Excel, PowerPoint, and SharePoint; demonstrated ability to develop and maintain project plans, schedules, dashboards, and reporting tools.

Responsibilities

New Product Development Project Management
Manage multiple concurrent NPD projects from concept through commercialization
Develop, implement, and maintain comprehensive NPD project plans, schedules, milestones, critical paths, dependencies, and deliverables
Work with Product Managers and cross-functional stakeholders to establish project scope, objectives, requirements, timing, and key deliverables
Translate NPD objectives into clearly defined project activities, ownership, and timelines
Coordinate NPD activities across Product Management, Engineering, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Quality, Finance, Marketing, Sales, and other functional areas
Track project deliverables and ensure assigned activities are progressing according to committed timelines
Hold cross-functional team members accountable for deliverables, commitments, and milestone dates
Identify risks, resource constraints, dependencies, and schedule impacts early and facilitate mitigation or recovery plans
Manage the project critical path and proactively communicate activities or decisions that could impact overall project timing
Facilitate NPD meetings that drive decisions, establish clear next steps, assign accountability, and maintain project momentum
Escalate unresolved issues, resource constraints, and timing risks when necessary
Ensure projects consistently follow Knape & Vogt's established NPD process and required project documentation
Evaluate project progress and recommend adjustments when necessary to achieve NPD objectives
Maintain disciplined project execution while applying an agile mindset when priorities, requirements, or business conditions change
Product Management and Marketing Partnership
Partner closely with Product Managers throughout the NPD lifecycle to translate product strategy, market requirements, and business objectives into executable project plans.
Support Product Management in advancing priority product initiatives through the NPD process
Provide project insights, timing implications, risk assessments, and cross-functional input that help inform product development decisions
Maintain alignment between product objectives, technical development activities, manufacturing requirements, and commercialization timing
Support Product Managers in evaluating project feasibility, timing, dependencies, and resource requirements
Ensure project execution supports Product Management's commercialization plans and market objectives
Coordinate with Marketing resources as needed to ensure NPD timing and product development milestones support downstream commercialization activities
Maintain visibility across the NPD portfolio to help Product Management and Marketing understand project timing, competing priorities, resource constraints, and potential business impacts
Project Communication and Reporting
Serve as the central communication point for assigned NPD projects
Provide clear, concise, and timely project status updates to Product Management, cross-functional teams, and leadership
Maintain visibility into overall project health, critical path, milestone completion, schedule variance, risks, dependencies, resource constraints, and key decisions. Clearly communicate what is on track, what is at risk, what decisions are required, and who owns the next action.
Develop and maintain standardized NPD dashboards and executive-level status reporting
Report project issues together with recommended solutions, recovery plans, and potential business impacts
Maintain current project documentation, meeting notes, decisions, action items, and accountability
Process Management and Continuous Improvement
Support the continued development and improvement of Knape & Vogt's NPD process
Identify opportunities to improve NPD speed, consistency, accountability, communication, and cross-functional execution
Apply Stage-Gate, Agile, or hybrid project management practices appropriately within the NPD environment.
Serve as the subject matter expert for Microsoft Planner as the NPD project management platform, establishing standardized project structures, workflows, schedules, and reporting
Develop and maintain NPD project templates, tools, documentation, and best practices
Establish consistent practices for critical path management, risk tracking, issue resolution, status reporting, and project governance
Support visibility into the overall NPD portfolio, including project priorities, resource needs, timing conflicts, and dependencies