Technical Program Manager, Product Introduction; NPI
Listed on 2026-02-15
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Engineering
Manufacturing Engineer, Product Engineer, Quality Engineering
Location: Clarksburg
About Forterra
At Forterra, we are unleashing autonomy at scale to transform the battlefield. Our mission is to build the foundational platforms that enable an intelligent ecosystem to coordinate, adapt, and execute with speed and precision even in the uncertainty and disruption of modern conflict. In an era marked by rapid technological change and evolving threats, we design for flexibility, survivability, and operational dominance.
Forterra delivers weapons, sensors, and battlefield effects through integrated autonomous networks reaching operational areas faster, safer, and without placing human lives systems operate with distributed control, dynamic routing, and real‑time responsiveness, enabling sustained advantage across complex mission environments.
Forterra is seeking a technical program manager to lead our New Product Introduction (NPI) efforts within the production operations organization. This role is critical in ensuring that new products are seamlessly integrated into our production processes, meeting all quality, cost, and delivery targets.
The ideal candidate will have a strong background in manufacturing engineering and project management. You will be responsible for interfacing with engineering and vehicle integration teams to ensure that internal customer demands are met during the design, prototyping, and development phases, and bridging the hand‑off to the production teams to ensure that products are optimized for efficiency and scalability. Your role will involve close collaboration with design, quality, supply chain, and production teams to ensure that new products meet all necessary specifications and standards.
This is a high‑impact role that requires a strategic thinker with excellent problem‑solving skills and the ability to drive projects to successful completion. If you are passionate about manufacturing engineering and have a proven track record in NPI, we would love to hear from you.
What you’ll do- Own New Product Introduction execution from design handoff through prototype, pilot, and transition to production.
- Drive BOM maturity, including make/buy decisions and long‑lead risk identification.
- Partner with engineering, manufacturing, supply chain, and quality to ensure products are build‑ready, scalable, and cost‑aligned.
- Lead material readiness for prototype and pilot builds, including ERP coordination, purchase order support, and inventory allocation.
- Participate in design reviews, configuration control, and lifecycle gate reviews, driving issues to closure.
- Observe prototype and pilot builds firsthand to identify manufacturability, assembly, test, and quality gaps.
- Collaborate with stakeholders to reduce complexity of supply chain through commonality optimization & component/supplier rationalization.
- Lead cost engineering activities to converge the bottoms‑up cost curve to product cost, maximizing the total cost of ownership (TCO) across the product lifecycle.
- Bachelor's degree in engineering or another related technical degree.
- 3+ years of experience in new product introduction, mechanical engineering, production & manufacturing environment, or equivalent work experience.
- Excellent cross‑functional communication skills across design, manufacturing, and technician teams.
- Experience creating or optimizing integration and assembly processes for large, complex systems.
- Hands‑on, floor‑oriented problem solver who thrives in fast‑moving environments.
- Experience with Arena PLM, Net Suite ERP, and JIRA.
- Experience with Bill of Material structures and Configuration Management standards/rules.
- Ability to read and interpret drawings, models, and schematics.
US Salary Range: $120,000 – $170,000
Location
On‑Site in Clarksburg, MD
The salary range for this role is an estimate and is based on a wide variety of compensation factors. The salary offered to candidates will vary based on a variety of factors including (but not limited to) relevant work experience, education, specialized training, critical expertise, training, and more. Equity in Forterra is included in most of our full‑time, high‑demand roles and is therefore considered…
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