Innovation Program Manager

Job Overview

Eaton’s IS GOLF Pride US division is currently seeking an Innovation Program Manager. This is a Full Time onsite role based at our Pinehurst, NC headquarters! Relocation benefits are available from within the United States.

For five generations, Golf Pride® has been the global leader in golf grips. Throughout our history, Golf Pride® has believed in the importance of developing the best performing, most innovative grips for the world’s best golfers and amateurs alike. As the only brand that touches every golfer, we are obsessed with the connectedness of the hands to the club and this inspires every Golf Pride employee in everything we do.

Combine that passion with the resources of Eaton, a $20B global leader that powers businesses worldwide, and it makes for an exciting place to work.

The expected annual salary range for this role is $113,000 - $165,000 a year. This position is also eligible for a variable incentive program. Salaries are based upon candidate skills, experience, and qualifications, as well as market and business considerations.

We are seeking an Innovation Program Manager to own, in close partnership with Commercial Product Management and Lead Design Engineering, the front end of new product innovation for Golf Pride–branded products sold through major retail partners and direct‑to‑consumer channels. This role is the single‑point owner for front‑end standard work, portfolio management, and program delivery, while working in shared leadership with Product and Engineering to ensure concepts progress on time, at target cost, and aligned to the overall business plan.

This role works day‑to‑day with Commercial, Innovation, and Operations teams to plan, manage, and deliver the front end of the Golf Pride innovation pipeline.

• Lead retail‑focused innovation programs from the GIC in Pinehurst, working hands‑on and in close partnership with Commercial Product Managers, Design Engineering, and Operations leaders
• Define and implement how front‑end innovation is managed, including standard work, governance, and portfolio cadence
• Work across functions and regions to align priorities, timelines, and decisions, proactively anticipating issues and coordinating resolutions to keep programs aligned to the product strategy and business plan
• Play a direct role in evolving the Golf Pride product portfolio, influencing what advances into development and ultimately reaches the market
• Operate with explicit backing from senior leadership to drive alignment, decisions, and accountability in ambiguous environments

• Establishing and maintaining standard work for ideas, concepts, and early prototype development
• Managing the front‑end innovation portfolio, including prioritization, resourcing, and pacing
• Ensuring consumer‑ and customer‑led concepts are validated and ready for efficient handoff to downstream development teams

• Own the front‑end innovation portfolio, including project intake, prioritization, pacing, and governance, in partnership with Commercial Product Management to ensure alignment to product strategy and business priorities
• Facilitate structured reviews and decision forums with Product and Engineering leaders to ensure concepts meet strategic, consumer, technical, timing, and cost criteria
• Balance desirability, feasibility, timing, and business impact across the portfolio
• Operate with borrowed authority from senior leadership to drive execution of growth plans
• Put structure in place, hold peers and leaders accountable, and escalate when necessary to maintain progress, while reinforcing shared ownership and alignment to the agreed product plan
• Lead cross‑functional and senior stakeholders confidently through periods of ambiguity
• Serve as the primary integrator across Commercial, Innovation, Operations and external partners, actively coordinating dependencies, sequencing work, and resolving friction to keep teams aligned and moving together
• Partner with APAC‑based development and manufacturing teams to align early‑stage innovation with downstream execution
• Ensure clean handoffs to manufacturing‑site Program Managers for…