Innovation Program Manager

Whirlpool - Benton Harbor, MI

Full-time - Mid Level

Benton Harbor, MI

10,001+ employees

Electrical Equipment, Appliance, and Component Manufacturing

About the position

The Innovation Program Manager at Whirlpool Corporation is responsible for executing the strategic innovation roadmap for the cleaning category, specifically focusing on laundry and dish products. This role involves leading cross-functional teams, managing innovation projects from concept to implementation, and ensuring alignment with key stakeholders such as Marketing, Design, and Engineering. The position is based in Benton Harbor, MI, and requires a strong background in engineering and project management to drive successful product innovations.

Responsibilities

• Manage Whirlpool's global product innovation agenda for dishwashers and washing machines.
• Lead ADI Innovation projects from Pre-A0 to A2 phase, ensuring contributions from stakeholders and translating business needs into technical solutions.
• Supervise and collaborate with global cross-functional teams to ensure project success.
• Plan and execute design sprints, control project budgets, and report status to executive leadership.
• Ensure project development activities are completed on time, meeting cost, quality, and performance targets.
• Make technical decisions for issue resolution within project guardrails.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering.
• 2+ years of experience in a manufacturing environment.

Nice-to-haves

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Chemical, or Electrical Engineering.
• Master's Degree in Engineering or PhD.
• PMP certification.
• Agile Certification.
• System Engineering Certification.
• Opex 6Sigma certification.
• Excellent communication and problem-solving skills.
• Product/technical domain knowledge.
• Passion for innovation mindset.
• Experience with startup or research projects or development of new technologies.

Benefits

• Flexible Friday - Option to work extra hours Monday through Thursday to finish work early on Friday.
• Two-Week Work from Anywhere - Minimum of one-week increments for a total of two weeks per year.
• Sabbatical - Four weeks paid leave after every five years of service.