THE POSITION:
The New Product Development Manager leads the development of new products from opportunity identification through commercialization and launch. This role conducts market and customer research, evaluates competitive products, and turns validated opportunities into clear product requirements, development plans, and business cases.
The manager owns the stage-gate process and drives cross-functional teams across engineering, sourcing, operations, sales, quality, finance, and marketing. The role keeps projects moving, makes risks and decisions visible, and ensures teams meet agreed milestones and product requirements.
Success means bringing commercially relevant products to market on time and within approved cost, quality, and business targets. The role is dedicated to product development, with Marketing as a partner on product positioning and launch needs.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:
• Own the new product development pipeline from initial opportunity through commercialization and launch.
• Establish and manage stage-gate reviews, project standards, decision points, and required documentation.
• Identify product opportunities through market research, customer and consumer insights, Voice of Customer (VOC), and competitive analysis.
• Translate opportunities into product concepts, requirements, specifications, target costs, and business cases.
• Build project plans covering milestones, timing, dependencies, resource needs, and approved budgets.
• Lead cross-functional project meetings and maintain clear accountability for decisions, actions, risks, and timing.
• Coordinate with engineering, sourcing, operations, quality, sales, finance, and marketing to keep development aligned with customer needs and company objectives.
• Work with domestic and international suppliers and factories to assess feasibility and support sourcing, development, testing, and production readiness.
• Coordinate prototypes, samples, testing, product approvals, packaging requirements, and engineering changes.
• Identify schedule, cost, quality, and supply risks early; develop action plans and escalate issues when needed.
• Review product cost, margin, and business case assumptions with the appropriate teams as projects develop.
• Support launch readiness, forecasting, handoff to production, and coordination with Sales and Marketing on product launch needs.
• Maintain accurate project schedules, status reporting, and launch readiness documentation.
• Travel domestically and internationally as needed to support product development and supplier work.
CANDIDATE QUALIFICATIONS:
• Experience leading consumer product development from concept through commercialization.
• Strong market research, customer insight, VOC, and competitive benchmarking skills.
• Experience managing stage-gate development and holding cross-functional teams accountable.
• Experience working with overseas suppliers, factories, or development teams.
• Big-box retail experience preferred.
MOST IMPORTANT TRAITS:
• Highly organized and execution-focused.
• Sense of urgency.
• Able to influence and align partners without direct authority.
LOCATION:
This position will be located in Redlands, CA at the Prime-Line Products facility
SALARY RANGE:
Salary range for this position is $90,000 - $115,000 based on experience.
