Job Description:

The Program Manager will lead end-to-end NPI (New Product Introduction) programs, coordinating cross-functional teams to deliver products on schedule, within budget, and to required quality and regulatory standards. This role owns program plans, milestones, risk management, vendor coordination, and executive status reporting, ensuring smooth transitions from concept through design, validation, and launch.

Key Responsibilities

NPI Program Ownership & Planning

Develop and maintain integrated program plans, schedules, and milestone tracking

Define program scope, deliverables, dependencies, and success criteria

Establish cadence (program meetings, steering updates, stage-gate reviews)

Manage budgets at the program level (forecasting, tracking, change control)

Cross-Functional Program Leadership

Coordinate Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality, Regulatory/Compliance, Supply Chain,    and Operations

Drive issue resolution and decision-making across stakeholders

Facilitate requirements flow-down and alignment across teams

Ensure correct handoffs between development, verification/validation, and launch

Technical & Process Management (as applicable)

Track design progress, prototype builds, verification/validation activities, and readiness reviews

Support creation and maintenance of project artifacts (e.g., requirements, traceability summaries)

Ensure manufacturability considerations are incorporated early (DFM/DFA)

Vendor & Supply Chain Coordination

Coordinate supplier development, qualification, lead-time management, and scheduling

Track supplier deliverables, change notifications, and escalation needs

Support sourcing strategies and mitigate supply constraints for new launches

Program Reporting & Executive Communication

Provide regular updates to leadership (status, risks, mitigations, schedule health)

Maintain dashboards and stage-gate documentation

Present tradeoffs (scope/schedule/cost/quality) and recommend actions

Change Management & Continuous Improvement

Manage change requests and impacts to scope, schedule, cost, and quality

Track action items, decisions, and closure documentation

Identify process improvements to reduce cycle time and improve predictability

Required Qualifications

• 12 plus years managing end-to-end NPI programs or equivalent product introduction / development programs
• Proven ability to lead cross-functional teams and drive accountability to milestones
• Strong skills in project/program planning, scheduling, and risk management
• Experience with stage-gate or structured development processes (preferred)
• Strong proficiency with MS Project / Smartsheet / Jira / Asana or similar tools
• Excellent written and verbal communication for executive-level reporting
• Mandatory: Fluent English and Spanish (written and spoken), other European languages are a plus.
• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Operations, Business, or related field (or equivalent experience)

Preferred Qualifications

Experience coordinating verification/validation, design reviews, and readiness assessments

Familiarity with change control and document management practices

PMP or similar certification (or willingness to obtain)

Competencies / Skills**:

Program structure and follow-through

Risk-based decision-making

Stakeholder management and conflict resolution

Data-driven tracking and transparent reporting

Ability to operate effectively in ambiguity and tight timelines

At Nextpower, we are driving the global energy transition with an integrated clean energy technology platform that combines intelligent structural, electrical, and digital solutions for utility-scale power plants. Our comprehensive portfolio enables faster project delivery, higher performance, and greater reliability, helping our customers capture the full value of solar power. Our talented worldwide teams are redefining how solar power plants are designed, built, and operated every day with smart technology, data-driven insights, and advanced automation. Together, we’re building the foundation for the world’s next generation of clean energy infrastructure.

We are Nextpower