Product Development Project Manager

Rite-Hite

Rite-Hite is the global leader in the manufacture and distribution of industrial loading dock and door equipment. Our innovative products and world class sales organization ensure solid, consistent growth, both for our company and our staff. We are always looking ahead to develop innovative new products and services to improve our customers' safety, security, and productivity.

Rite-Hite provides competitive compensation and a comprehensive benefits package with medical, dental, and vision coverage along with life and paid medical leave. We also provide a retirement savings plan that combines 401) with company match and profit sharing. Paid holidays, vacation, and up to five paid personal/sick days per year round out the package.

Rite-Hite is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer offering a drug free workplace for our customers and employees.

The Enterprise Project Management Office (EPMO) Program Manager for New Product Development (NPD) provides strategic leadership and hands‑on orchestration of complex, cross‑functional, system‑level engineering programs that span hardware, controls, software and manufacturing domains from concept through commercialization. This leader builds and manages integrated program plans across all functions to deliver innovative solutions that meet the highest safety, quality, cost, customer value and overall business impact.

The Program Manager fosters collaboration, innovation and learning across functions and drives execution through schedule integrity (capacity planning, critical path), proactively identifies and mitigates risks, ensures manufacturing and supplier readiness, and facilitates governance using Rite-Hite's New Product Development process and the appropriate Waterfall/Agile/Hybrid methods. Additionally, the Program Manager will help evolve and shape Rite-Hite's NPD process to scale appropriately for the various types of NPD projects and business needs while driving consistent adoption through the NPD stakeholder community.

The Program Manager integrates systems thinking, data‑driven decision‑making, and an iterative approach to accelerate value delivery and build a culture of transparency and continuous improvement.

• On‑time to launch: 90% of NPD stage gate milestones met; 85% of programs launch on or before target dates.
• Quality at launch and customer value: First‑pass build yield and early field performance meet or exceed targets; post‑launch defect rate/warranty within target thresholds while delivering tangible customer and market value.
• Business case realization: Internal program cost + orders, sales and margin aligned with business case; variance drivers identified with corrective actions.
• Readiness: Manufacturing, supplier, service and go‑to‑market readiness complete per integrated system‑level program plan; no critical "late surprises."

Strategic Leadership:

• Ensure alignment on requirements (VOC), product/feature scope and acceptance criteria.
• Apply systems engineering management principles to ensure integration across mechanical, controls, electrical, and software disciplines.
• Facilitate business and technical trade‑offs to protect customer value; escalate issues with data, options and recommendations.
• Act as a connector between strategy and execution, aligning engineering, product, and business roadmaps.
• Provide thought leadership on program management best practices and emerging trends and supporting technologies in the field.
• Support business unit annual capacity planning to help determine next fiscal year roadmaps and strategic plans.

Program and Project Management:

Aligned with the business unit strategy and roadmap, build and maintain integrated program plans across Product Management, Engineering, Marketing, Quality, Distribution, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Applications, Service, IT, HR, Legal/IP and Finance.

• Own the integrated program plan with explicit dependencies, resource loading and a continuously maintained critical path.
• Establish and manage scope/schedule/cost baselines with formal change control.
• Maintain a living schedule risk analysis…