NPD Program Manager, WasteLABWork Mode: Onsite
Location: Onsite, four days per week- Kohler, WI
Job Summary:The Program Manager, WasteLAB & Innovation for Good offers a unique opportunity to serve as a senior execution leader at the center of Kohler's WasteLAB and Innovation for Good agenda, driving impactful, sustainability-focused programs from concept through launch. The Program Manager will own and orchestrate a global, cross-functional portfolio of new products, capital investments, and strategic initiatives, ensuring disciplined delivery through the Kohler Business Development Process while maintaining the agility required in fast-growing, lean environments. This position is ideal for a results-driven leader who thrives in ambiguity, influences across functions and regions, and enables outsized impact by translating strategy into execution, aligning investments to priorities, managing risk, and providing clear, decision-ready insights to senior leadership.
Responsibilities:
Portfolio & Program Leadership- Own the integrated WasteLAB and IfG project portfolio, aligning scope, timing, and investment to strategic priorities and global capacity constraints.
- Maintain a consolidated portfolio roadmap with clear interdependencies, milestones, and leadership decision points across regions
KBDP Stage-Gate Governance & Execution- Lead projects through KBDP stage-gate governance, ensuring high-quality gate deliverables and decision-ready materials.
- Own project charters, schedules, business cases, capital requests, and financial assumptions from concept through launch.
Execution Accountability- Establish integrated project plans with clear ownership, milestones, and dependencies across geographically distributed teams.
- Actively track commitments, drive accountability to deadlines, and escalate issues with clear impact assessments and recommended paths forward.
Risk & Issue Management- Identify and manage risks, assumptions, constraints, and dependencies across programs operating in dynamic environments.
- Partner cross-functionally and globally to remove barriers and sustain project momentum.
Flexibility to Support Project Needs- Adapt level of process, rigor, and documentation to align with KBDP expectations while meeting the specific needs, scale, and maturity of each project.
- Provide hands-on support where required, shifting between strategic planning, gate preparation, and detailed execution to ensure outcomes are achieved.
KBDP Maturity & Continuous Improvement- Reinforce consistent use of KBDP tools, deliverables, and operating cadence while maintaining pragmatism appropriate for lean, fast-moving teams.
- Enable teams to focus effort on high-impact work, driving disproportionate results relative to team size.
Executive & Stakeholder Communication- Deliver concise, action-oriented updates on portfolio health, KBDP gate status, risks, and required leadership decisions.
- Serve as a trusted execution partner to WasteLAB and IfG leadership.
Skills/Requirements - Four-year degree required; Business, Engineering, or Operations preferred.
- 7+ years of experience leading complex, cross-functional programs using KBDP or comparable stage-gate development processes.
- Demonstrated ability to flex approach, solve problems pragmatically, and deliver results in fast-moving, ambiguous environments.
- Strong executive communication skills and ability to influence across geographies and functions.
#LI-Onsite
#LI-BV1
We believe in supporting you from the moment you join us, which is why Kohler offers day 1 benefits. This means you'll have access to your applicable benefit programs from your first day on the job, with no waiting period. The salary range for this position is $138,150 - $217,050. The specific salary offered to a candidate may be influenced by a variety of factors including the candidate's experience, their education, and the work location. In addition, this position is eligible for a performance bonus/variable incentive compensation.
