NPI Program Manager, R&D Test Engineering

Anoka, Minnesota

• Partner with engineering teams to define detailed, standardized test plans for each NPI project.
• Ensure test plans are aligned with overall NPI schedules, milestones, and phase‑gate expectations.
• Facilitate early engagement with the test lab to communicate upcoming test needs, priorities, and dependencies.
• Maintain a centralized, portfolio‑level view of all planned and in‑progress testing activities across business units.

• Track and communicate test readiness, execution status versus plan, and key risks to stakeholders.
• Identify potential conflicts related to test timing, lab capacity, equipment availability, or cross‑project dependencies.
• Act as the voice of the project to ensure test needs are understood and appropriately prioritized.
• React with urgency when testing does not go according to plan, driving alignment on recovery actions.

• Proactively identify test‑related risks early in the project lifecycle.
• Drive coordination and resolution of test conflicts across engineering teams, lab resources, and programs.
• Support contingency planning to mitigate delays in test execution and protect critical milestones.

• Create and maintain standardized test planning templates, processes, and best practices.
• Develop or enhance dashboards and reporting tools that improve transparency into test schedules, status, and lab capacity.
• Drive continuous improvement in how test planning is integrated into the NPI lifecycle across businesses.
• Support PMO efforts to standardize and scale NPI execution practices.

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or a related field
• Ideally 10+ years of experience in program/project management, NPI, or engineering operations
• Strong understanding of engineering test processes and how testing fits into the product development lifecycle
• Demonstrated ability to manage complex, cross‑functional plans with multiple stakeholders
• Experience working with engineering teams and test or validation organizations
• Strong communication, organization, and risk‑management skills