Senior NPD Project Leader, Wellness Products

Senior NPD Project Leader, Wellness Products

Join to apply for the Senior NPD Project Leader, Wellness Products role at Kohler Co.

Work Mode:
Onsite

Location:

Onsite 4 days per week - Kohler, WI

The salary range for this position is $119,950 - $186,550. The specific salary offered to a candidate may be influenced by a variety of factors including the candidate’s experience, their education, and the work location.

As a member of the New Product Development (NPD) project team, this role will:

• Lead product development initiatives within the Wellness division for both North America and global markets, launching innovative new products and enhancing the quality, performance, and cost-effectiveness of existing portfolio of products.
• Manage cross‑functional teams through the Kitchen and Bath Development Process (KBDP) from concept through market launch, ensuring each program meets defined objectives and performance metrics.
• Develop, manage, and track project budgets in partnership with the team, including development expenses, capital tooling, and expense tooling, while guiding the team to deliver products that achieve established cost targets.
• Create and maintain detailed project schedules in alignment with the KBDP framework. Oversee project deliverables and tasks within each phase, proactively identifying, anticipating, and mitigating risks and issues.
• Provide clear, concise, and timely communication to senior management regarding project status, execution plans, risks, and process adherence.
• Define, facilitate, and support effective decision‑making processes for development teams. Coach project team members in developing and implementing cross‑functional solutions to complex challenges.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with senior leadership to ensure alignment on NPD objectives and to remove organizational obstacles to project success.
• Champion continuous improvement in creative problem‑solving and drive ongoing enhancements to the KBDP process and broader organization.

• Lead regional and global initiatives of moderate to high complexity, risk, and strategic importance to the business.
• Provide structure and leadership to address complex design and business challenges.
• Proactively identify potential project risks and develop mitigation plans, clearly and appropriately communicating risks to management in a timely manner.
• Ensure assigned projects are delivered on time and within approved financial parameters.

• Inspire and challenge cross‑functional teams to develop innovative solutions.
• Demonstrate sound judgment in taking calculated, moderate risks to advance project and business objectives.
• Identify and advocate for opportunities to improve organizational structures, processes, and ways of working.
• Operate effectively in environments with ambiguous, evolving, or conflicting structures and processes.
• Lead and facilitate effective brainstorming and collaborative working sessions.
• Facilitate conflict resolution and structured problem‑solving to drive alignment and progress.

• Make timely decisions in situations with moderate levels of ambiguity.
• Select appropriate courses of action based on a clear rationale aligned with available data, constraints, and anticipated outcomes.
• Take independent action with an understanding of both regional and global business implications.
• Confidently raise concerns and differing perspectives in regional and global forums.
• Present well‑formed options, scenarios, and recommendations to remove barriers and advance project objectives.

• Bachelor’s degree in a product development related discipline (e.g., Engineering, Manufacturing, Marketing, or Design) with a minimum of 8 years of experience in concurrent product development (project management, product design, process engineering or manufacturing engineering).
• Global product development experience is preferred, but not required.
• Ability to travel 5‑10% including internationally.

Applicants must be authorized to work in the US without requiring sponsorship now or in the future.

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