Job DescriptionJob SummaryThe Senior Director, Platform and New Product Introduction (NPI) is responsible for leading the strategic development, industrialization, and successful introduction of new products and platform technologies across the organization. This executive role drives cross-functional alignment among Engineering, Product Management, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Quality, and Operations teams to ensure products are launched on time, within budget, and meeting quality, cost, and performance objectives.
The Senior Director serves as the key leader for platform strategy and NPI execution, establishing scalable processes, governing product lifecycle management, and enabling operational readiness from concept through commercialization. This position plays a critical role in accelerating innovation while ensuring manufacturability, supply continuity, and operational excellence.
Key ResponsibilitiesPlatform Strategy and Product Lifecycle Leadership- Develop and execute platform strategies that support long-term business growth, product scalability, and technology roadmaps.
- Drive standardization and modularization initiatives to improve product reuse, reduce complexity, and lower development costs.
- Partner with Product Management and Engineering leadership to align platform investments with market and customer requirements.
- Oversee product lifecycle governance, ensuring effective transition from concept through production and end-of-life management.
New Product Introduction (NPI) Leadership- Establish and lead the NPI framework, stage-gate processes, and commercialization strategy across product portfolios.
- Drive readiness across engineering, manufacturing, supply chain, quality, service, and operations organizations for successful product launches.
- Ensure achievement of launch milestones, schedule commitments, quality targets, and financial objectives.
- Identify and mitigate technical, operational, and supply chain risks that could impact product launches.
Cross-Functional Program Management- Lead large, complex, cross-functional product development initiatives involving global teams.
- Coordinate executive-level decision-making and issue resolution throughout the product development lifecycle.
- Establish key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure NPI success, platform effectiveness, and operational readiness.
- Facilitate communication and alignment among business units, stakeholders, suppliers, and executive leadership.
Manufacturing and Operations Readiness- Partner with Operations and Manufacturing Engineering teams to ensure products are designed for manufacturability, quality, testability, and serviceability.
- Drive process validation, pilot builds, capacity planning, and production ramp activities.
- Ensure supply chain readiness, sourcing strategies, and supplier qualification activities are completed prior to launch.
- Lead lessons-learned and continuous improvement initiatives to improve future product introductions.
Financial and Resource Management- Develop and manage budgets, resource plans, and capital investment requirements supporting platform and NPI initiatives.
- Drive business case development and return-on-investment analysis for new technologies and product platforms.
- Optimize organizational resources while balancing innovation, speed-to-market, and operational efficiency.
Leadership and Organizational Development- Build, mentor, and develop high-performing teams across program management, NPI, and platform organizations.
- Establish a culture of accountability, collaboration, customer focus, and continuous improvement.
- Influence organizational strategy and serve as a trusted advisor to executive leadership.
Required Qualifications- Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Operations, Business, or related field.
- 15+ years of progressive experience in product development, engineering, manufacturing, operations, or program management.
- 8+ years of leadership experience managing large, cross-functional organizations and strategic initiatives.
- Proven experience leading New Product Introduction (NPI) processes in complex manufacturing or technology environments.
- Strong knowledge of product lifecycle management (PLM), stage-gate methodologies, and commercialization processes.
- Demonstrated experience working across engineering, operations, supply chain, quality, and product management functions.
- Strong financial, analytical, and strategic planning capabilities.
- Excellent executive communication, stakeholder management, and influencing skills.
Preferred Qualifications- Master's degree in Engineering, Business Administration (MBA), or related discipline.
- Experience in high-tech, medical device, semiconductor, industrial equipment, aerospace, automotive, or advanced manufacturing industries.
- PMP, Lean, Six Sigma, or Agile certifications.
- Experience leading global teams and managing international product launches.
- Expertise in PLM, ERP, and project portfolio management systems.
