New Product Development Project Manager

Sauder Woodworking - Archbold, OH

Full-time

Archbold, OH

Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing

About the position

As the Project Manager for New Product Development (NPD) at Sauder Woodworking, you will oversee the launch of new products across various areas including, but not limited to, ready-to-assemble domestic products, innovation projects, and building products. Your responsibilities include project leadership, team mentorship, and managing the entire project lifecycle—from kickoff to post-launch analysis. The lifecycle includes requirements gathering, scheduling, scope and change management, risk identification, cost management, issues management, and compliance assurance. In this role, you will lead new product development projects from project initiation until six months after product launch and completion of a post-launch audit analysis. You will develop project timelines, manage milestones, and handle changes effectively. Scheduling and facilitating meetings, discussions, and decisions with team members will be crucial to set priorities and accomplish project objectives. You will also facilitate problem-solving for issues related to product development and manage financial objectives for the products within the project scope. Maintaining scope, schedule, and priority on visual management boards will be part of your daily tasks. You will ensure that the proper subject matter experts are involved in the project at the appropriate time and communicate the project requirements, expectations, and status to appropriate parties. Additionally, you will enter and maintain project-level information in company information systems, prepare documentation, and present projects at gating meetings. Facilitating the scheduling of items for production and product launch while balancing customer and internal expectations will be essential. You will manage risk identification and facilitate action plans to mitigate identified risks, serving as the primary point of communication for the project to the merchant and project team from project kick-off through launch. Lastly, you will recommend and potentially lead continuous improvement projects while building trusting relationships with team members.

Responsibilities

• Leads new product development projects from project initiation until 6 months after product launch and completion of a post-launch audit analysis.
• Develops project timeline and manages milestones and manages changes.
• Schedules and facilitates meetings, discussions, and decisions with team members to set priorities and accomplish the project objectives.
• Facilitates problem-solving for issues related to product development.
• Manages financial objectives for the products within the project scope.
• Maintains scope, schedule, and priority on visual management boards.
• Assures that the proper subject matter experts are involved in the project at the appropriate time.
• Communicates the project requirements, expectations, and status to appropriate parties.
• Enters and maintains project-level information in company information systems.
• Prepares documentation and presents projects at gating meetings.
• Facilitates the scheduling of items for production and product launch while balancing customer and internal expectations.
• Manages risk identification and facilitates the action plans to mitigate the identified risks.
• Serves as the primary point of communication for the project to the merchant and project team from project kick-off through launch.
• Recommends and potentially leads continuous improvement projects.
• Builds trusting relationships with team members.

Requirements

• A combination of related education and experience is preferred.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite is required.
• Experience with Project Management software and other departmental applications (SAP, MIRO, AdaptiveWork, Autodesk Vault) is a plus.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and work in a fast-paced environment.
• Solid negotiation and conflict resolution skills.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, with the ability to clearly communicate priorities and expectations to team members.
• Demonstrated skill to work effectively across teams.

Benefits

• 3 weeks of vacation
• Full benefits package beginning at 30 days
• 401(k)
• Company funded health savings account
• Free counseling
• Furniture discounts
• Tuition reimbursement