NPI (New Product Introduction) Manager

JOB TITLE: NPI MANAGER

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY: The New Product Introduction (NPI) Manager builds and leads Future Form Manufacturing's New Product Introduction (NPI) function, owning the end-to-end launch of new customer programs and new parts — from quote handoff through first-article approval and steady-state production release. This is a build role: the NPI Manager stands up the team, tools, and process needed to run launches reliably as Future Form scales across sites, then leads that team going forward.

This role bridges Engineering, Sales/Customer, Planning, Supply Chain, and Operations during the highest-risk phase of a program — the window where design intent, tooling, capacity, and delivery commitments are still being locked down. The NPI Manager is authorized to make schedules, and cost tradeoff calls on active launches without needing a sign-off for every decision. Judgment calls that carry material financial or contractual exposure (tooling ownership, termination terms, customer T&Cs) still route through Supply Chain leadership.

CORE VALUES: The following list of Core Values and Behaviors are necessary to meet the minimum requirements:

TEAMWORK

• Help each other succeed
• Communicate clearly and directly, listen well
• Encourage teammates
• Blameless problem solving

HONESTY AND INTEGRITY

• Honor your commitments
• Do the right thing
• Consistent in your attitudes and actions

LEAN

• Improve processes
• Open to new ideas
• Share information, and teach
• Expose issues

NUMBERS FOCUSED

• Deliver results
• Analyze data for improvement
• Take ownership and accountability
• Work smarter, not harder

EXCELLENCE

• Exhibit passion in serving customers
• Contribute solutions
• Sense of urgency
• Be the best at what you do
• Seek knowledge

FUN

• Be positive
• Celebrate achievements
• Don't take yourself too seriously

CHARACTERISTIC DUTIES:

Essential

• Build and lead the NPI function: define team structure, write job descriptions, and hire NPI Coordinators/Specialists as program volume grows.
• Own the NPI process gate-to-gate: quote handoff → design review → tooling/procurement → first article → production release → handoff to steady-state planning.
• Make real-time tradeoff calls on schedule, cost, and capacity during launch, and own the outcome of those calls.
• Run cross-functional launch reviews with Engineering, Sales, Planning, Supply Chain, and Operations; drive decisions in the room rather than deferring them to a follow-up meeting.
• Flag and escalate anything with contractual or financial exposure beyond launch scope — tooling ownership, termination-for-convenience terms, payment terms, liability caps — to Supply Chain leadership before it becomes a locked commitment.
• Own the risk log for every active launch: lead-time exposure, single-source dependencies, capacity conflicts, and customer acceptance windows — and drive mitigation, not just visibility.
• Partner with Engineering on manufacturability feedback before designs are locked, not after tooling is cut.
• Build and maintain the NPI playbook (gates, exit criteria, escalation paths, training materials) so launch execution scales with the team instead of depending on tribal knowledge.

• Recruit, onboard, develop, and manage performance of NPI team members as the function grows.
• Be the single point of accountability leadership or a customer can go to for where any active program stands.
• All other duties as assigned.

REPORTS TO: Chief Supply Chain Officer

WORKS WITH: Engineering, Sales, Planning, Supply Chain, Operations, Suppliers, Customers, Future Form Team Members

SAFETY REQUIREMENTS OF POSITION:

Follow all OSHA safety regulations and those set by Future Form Manufacturing

REQUIREMENTS OF POSITION:

Essential

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Operations, Supply Chain, Business, or related field (or equivalent work experience)
• 5+ years in NPI, program management, or manufacturing engineering in a job-shop or make-to-order environment; precision sheet metal or adjacent metals fabrication strongly preferred
• Demonstrated ownership of a program with real schedule/cost accountability — not just a coordination or PMO title
• Experience building or scaling a team or function, including hiring, onboarding, and developing direct reports
• Comfortable reading and flagging risk in commercial terms (tooling ownership, payment terms, liability) even without a procurement or legal background
• Ability to analyze data, identify risks, and make timely decisions in a fast-paced environment
• Experience working with ERP / MRP systems (NetSuite experience preferred)
• Effective communication and cross-functional leadership skills

Beneficial

• Prior people-management experience in a manufacturing environment
• Experience with demand planning, production scheduling, or capacity planning
• Knowledge of Lean manufacturing or continuous improvement methodologies
• PMP or APICS / ASCM certification (CPIM or CSCP)
• Experience with ERP implementations and system improvements

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS OF POSITION:

Sit 65%, Stand 15%, Walk 15%, and Bend 5%. Maximum (minutes): Sit 240, Stand 20, Walk 15, and Bend 5. Must have normal vision (with or without corrective lenses) and normal hearing (with or without hearing aid enhancement)

Working Environment: Shop and office environment. Moderate noise levels. Exposure to dust, heat, and cold when on the production floor.

This position will require drug testing per company policy.