Product Innovation Manager - manufacturing

New Product Innovation Manager

Reports to Manager

Title:

Director of Marketing, North America

This position can be located at either Wauwatosa, WI or Radnor, PA

The New Product Introduction (NPI) Manager is responsible for leading cross-functional efforts to ensure successful launches of new products across the organization. This role manages the end-to-end process from concept to commercialization, ensuring alignment, readiness, and execution excellence, working collaboratively with the entire Marketing Team and R&D. The NPI Manager is responsible for project planning, risk mitigation, data readiness, and post-launch evaluation, ensuring that new products meet customer expectations and business goals.

• Manage major transitional projects including CAPEX and product transitions
• Lead cross-functional teams through the product development lifecycle ensuring quality work outputs from all functions
• Manage timelines, budgets, and deliverables to ensure on-time and on-budget launches.
• Ensure the quality of marketing executables including 360 degree launch activation plans, pricing strategy, and needs based marketing
• Effectively communicate project status and progress to North America and Global Leadership
• Identify risks and develop mitigation plans.
• Manage changes in scope, design, or timelines and communicate impacts to stakeholders.
• Conduct post-launch evaluations to assess performance, gather feedback, and identify improvement opportunities for future launches.

• Own and optimize the NPI process, including stage-gate reviews, documentation, and approvals.
• Gather team input to build the business case for new products and champion through stage-gate process
• Drive the new product and service ideas generation and selection process
• Ensure compliance with internal standards and external regulations.
• Work in tandem with leadership and category management to develop (3-5 year innovation plans) by product category / segment

• Act as the central point of contact between departments to align product specifications, packaging, pricing, and go-to-market strategies
• Facilitate communication and resolve roadblocks during development and launch phases.
• Support market sizing and develop shopper / end-user insights to ensure that we've appropriately scoped the market opportunity
• Complete post-launch assessment and next steps (assessing if we achieved the benchmark revenue, secured the planned customers, etc)
• Supplement Category Manager Voice of the Customer work to frame up innovation opportunities and end user unmet needs
• Link to the global team on the product roadmap and represent the region on global product developments

• Through collaboration with Category Managers, maintain a product development roadmap that drives market share growth and channel expansion
• Drive product portfolio management processes
• Oversee or coordinate product setup in ERP systems, including SKUs, BOMs, pricing, and supply chain parameter
• Ensure data accuracy and readiness for commercialization.
• Ensure SKU management and launches align with product lifecycle

• 7+ years of experience in product development, commercialization, or project management

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Engineering, Marketing, or related field, MBA a plus

• Strong understanding of ERP systems and product lifecycle management.
• Excellent communication, organizational, and leadership skills.
• PMP or similar project management certification is a plus.
• Understanding of Stage Gate style processes
• Able to effectively organize, prioritize, and delegate work effectively within a team in a fast-paced environment with minimal supervision
• Must be able to act independently, while collaborating with a variety of internal and external teams
• Leadership skills with experience and comfort in owning cross-functional projects
• Ability to move projects from concept to completion
• Excellent communication and presentation skills
• Strong experience with MS Office:
  Excel and Power point
• Highly collaborative and have a strong sense of teamwork
• Must be able to navigate a matrix organization serving multiple segments to optimize engagement in projects to drive results
• Must be able to travel up to 20% of time

• Supports the site HES policy and complies with all regulatory and internal requirements
• Participates in HES activities provided by site management and Arkema Inc. (e.g., Behavioral Base Safety, Safe Start, etc.)
• Supports and promotes the reporting of all health, safety, environmental, near-miss, accident or injury incidents

• Must be able to remain in a stationary position 50% of the time

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