Senior New Product Development Project Leader

Why You Will Love this Job

Lead the Future of Home Energy. Drive Innovation. Deliver Peace of Mind.

 

At Rehlko's Home Energy Division, we don't just develop products, we create solutions that help families stay safe and connected when they need it most. Our home standby generators provide seamless, automatic backup power during utility outages, ensuring homeowners can continue powering their home’s HVAC, home medical equipment, and refrigeration.

 

We're looking for a Senior New Product Development (NPD) Project Leader who is passionate about bringing innovative products to life and thrives on leading cross-functional teams through complex challenges. In this role, you'll help shape the next generation of home energy solutions, guiding strategic development programs from concept through launch while delivering products that make a meaningful difference in the lives of our customers.

 

If you're energized by innovation, inspired by purpose-driven products, and motivated by turning ambitious ideas into market-leading solutions, this is your opportunity to lead work that matters and help define the future of residential energy resilience.

This position offers a flexible hybrid work model and may be based out of either our Glendale, WI or Kohler, WI office.

As Senior NPD Project Leader you will be responsible for leading cross-functional teams in the development and launch of innovative new products while driving improvements to existing products. This role manages project scope, schedules, budgets, resources, and execution throughout the product development lifecycle, ensuring alignment with business objectives and new product development processes. The position serves as the central point of coordination among engineering, manufacturing, marketing, finance, and other stakeholders, facilitating decision-making, resolving complex challenges, communicating project status to senior leadership, and removing obstacles to successful project completion. Through strong leadership and influence, the Senior NPD Project Leader fosters collaboration, drives continuous improvement, and delivers high-impact product development outcomes.

Specific Responsibilities:

Project Management:

• Lead projects of moderate to very high complexity, risk and business impact.
• Specialized depth of skills and experience in the product design & development process.
• Provide structure and leadership for solving technically complex design and business problems.
• Proactively identify and plan for project risks, communicating risk clearly, early and appropriately to management
• Identify, negotiate, and manage outside design and development firms.
• Assist with managing portfolio timing, resource planning and budgeting.

 

Leadership

• Mentor other project leaders and team members of other functional areas.
• Challenge project teams to achieve innovative solutions.
• Willing and successful in taking moderate risks.
• Teach others about cultural differences and how to work effectively across cultures.
• Identify opportunities for organizational and process change and implement change.
• Work effectively when organizational structure or processes are unclear or conflicting.
• Lead brainstorming discussions
• Able to facilitate & resolve conflict, including cross-cultural.

 

Decision-making

• Make decisions with high levels of ambiguity.
• Chooses appropriate action and alternatives with rationale that is consistent with facts, constraints, and predicted consequences.
• Take independent action with insight into both regional and global business impact.
• Willing to speak up and raise concern in regional and global settings

Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in a product development related discipline (e.g. Engineering, Manufacturing, Marketing, Industrial Design or Business). MBA is a plus.
• Five or more years of experience in concurrent product development.
• Project Management Professional (PMP) certification is a plus.
• Two-to-five years of increasing responsibility for New Product Development project and personnel management involving a broad range of technologies and processes. 
• Must demonstrate an ability to build cohesive high-performance teams, improve design processes, and communicate effectively with associates and executives.

Applicants must be authorized to work in the US without requiring sponsorship now or in the future.

 

The Salary range for this position is $98,900.00-$125,600.00.The specific Salary rate offered to a candidate may be influenced by a variety of factors including the candidate’s experience, their education, and the work location.