DescriptionSUMMARY / OBJECTIVE: The NPI Operations Manager is a senior global operations leader responsible for overseeing and aligning all operations departments worldwide that are accountable for non-released (NR) and new product introduction (NPI) readiness. This role ensures that each new or unreleased product is fully prepared for production-on time, on budget, and at the quality standards required-before handoff to volume manufacturing. Working cross-functionally with Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain, Sales, and regional Plant Managers, the NPI Operations Manager bridges the gap between product development and production, driving global consistency, speed-to-market, and operational excellence across all Samtec manufacturing sites.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS / RESPONSIBILITIES:Global NPI Operations Leadership
- Define and own the global NPI operations strategy and objectives, ensuring all manufacturing sites maintain aligned, scalable processes for transitioning new products from development into full production readiness.
- Lead the global operations representatives on NPI program teams as they collaborate with NPD Engineering to evaluate manufacturability, production feasibility, and operational risk during the product development lifecycle.
- Coordinate with Regional Directors and Plant Managers to align local NPI operations capacity, tooling, equipment, and staffing to support new product launch timelines.
- Lead global NPI readiness reviews to formally assess production readiness before any new product release to volume manufacturing.
- Provide incremental strategic goals (1-year, 3-year, 5-year) for all manufacturing sites globally as they relate to NPI capability growth, automation readiness, and product complexity scaling.
- Conduct regular regional NPI performance reviews with each manufacturing site to assess progress against launch milestones, process qualification status, and readiness metrics; create action plans as needed.
- Sponsor and monitor the development of key NPI operations talent globally, ensuring succession planning and bench strength within NPI-focused operations roles at all sites.
- Establish and govern separate operational lanes for new product development and customer-facing production orders on new products, ensuring dedicated capacity, resources, and scheduling buffers are maintained at all global sites so that early customer demand does not compromise or delay the engineering development and qualification process
New Product Introduction Process Management
- Oversee the global management of operations departments responsible for pilot builds, pre-production runs, and process/tooling qualification activities for all new and unreleased products.
- Drive the development and validation of manufacturing processes, work instructions, cycle times, capacity models, and quality control plans for new products in advance of production release.
- Partner with Engineering and Supply Chain to ensure component readiness, supplier qualification, lead-time management, and material availability are aligned to NPI launch schedules globally.
- Identify and resolve cross-functional constraints (tooling gaps, equipment qualification, workforce capability, regulatory approvals) that may delay NPI production readiness.
- Establish and track NPI-specific KPIs (e.g., First Pass Yield on pilot builds, NPI on-time launch rate, ECO cycle time, prototype-to-production transition time) across all global sites.
- Champion a culture of continuous improvement within NPI operations, leveraging LEAN principles to reduce waste in prototype and pre-production workflows.
Systems, Tools & Reporting
- Sponsor the development of NPI-specific systems, tools, dashboards, and reports required to manage product launch readiness globally, and drive consistency across all sites.
- In cooperation with other corporate directors, contribute NPI operations requirements to annual strategic plans covering personnel, manufacturing capability, supply chain readiness, quality, and long-range product development roadmaps.
- Oversee NPI-related capital expenditure planning and approvals, including tooling, equipment qualification, and process automation investments required to support new product launches globally.
"The responsibilities as defined are intended to serve as a general guideline for this position. Associates may be asked to perform additional tasks depending on strengths and capabilities."
REQUIRED EXPERIENCE- 7+ years in Manufacturing Production Operations or Engineering; connector or electronics manufacturing industry experience strongly preferred.
- Proven track record of managing global or multi-site cross-functional teams.
- Familiarity with NPI stage-gate processes, design for manufacturability (DFM), process failure mode and effects analysis (PFMEA), control plan development, and first-article inspection protocols.
- Must be familiar with global regulations, quality standards (e.g., ISO 9001, IATF 16949), and local manufacturing cultures, especially in Asia and Central America.
- Direct management experience utilizing LEAN methodologies in production environments; experience with Six Sigma or similar continuous improvement frameworks is a plus.
- Experience analyzing data and concisely presenting plans to Top Management.
- Demonstrated ability to manage capital investments, tooling qualification, and equipment readiness programs.
- Domestic and International travel as needed to perform the role.
- Must be able to sit/stand for at least 90 consecutive minutes; willingness to travel globally to manufacturing sites as required.
EDUCATION: - Bachelor's Degree in Engineering, Operations Management, Manufacturing Engineering, or equivalent is required.
- NPI process methodology training (stage-gate, APQP, or equivalent) is highly desirable.
