NPD Engineering Manager

DJ Products, a growing Central Minnesota manufacturing company is seeking a Manager- NPD Engineering to lead the creation, improvement, and—most importantly—the commercialization of new products. This role owns the engineering execution of the New Product Development (NPD) lifecycle from concept through launch, ensuring products are designed for performance, manufacturability, quality, cost, and on-time market release.

• Own and continuously improve the New Product Development (NPD) lifecycle (gates, deliverables, design reviews, change control) with clear accountability and speed to market.
• Lead engineering execution from concept, requirements, and prototyping through validation, manufacturing readiness, launch, and post-launch improvements.
• Drive commercialization by partnering with Operations, Quality, Supply Chain, Sales/Marketing, and Finance to deliver launch plans, cost targets, and market-ready product configurations.
• Translate customer and market needs into engineering requirements; ensure designs meet regulatory/safety standards and customer expectations.
• Establish and maintain robust documentation (BOMs, drawings, specifications, test plans/reports, work instructions) to support scalable production.
• Lead design verification/validation activities, including risk analysis, tolerance stack-ups as applicable, and hands-on lab/field testing.
• Prioritize engineering work based on business impact (revenue, margin, customer value, risk reduction) and actively manage project scope, schedules, and resources.
• Build and lead a high-performing NPD engineering team through coaching, clear direction, technical review, and performance development.
• Develop strong external partnerships with suppliers and contract manufacturers; evaluate and qualify new technologies, processes, and components.
• Create policies and processes that improve efficiency and product quality without introducing unnecessary bureaucracy.

• Proven experience leading NPD engineering teams and taking products from concept through launch and commercialization.
• Strong project leadership skills, including schedules, budgets, resource planning, and cross-functional stakeholder management.
• Demonstrated capability in design for manufacturability (DFM/DFA), cost reduction, and transition to production (pilot builds, process readiness, quality plans).
• Solid technical foundation in mechanical/product engineering principles; ability to review designs and ensure technical accuracy.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills; able to provide clear, concise direction and influence across the organization.
• Experience partnering with suppliers and outside vendors (sourcing, qualification, quality, and ongoing performance management).
• Analytical and detail-oriented problem solver with a track record of driving root-cause corrective actions and continuous improvement.
• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering (Mechanical preferred) or equivalent experience; advanced degree and/or relevant manufacturing experience a plus.