New Product Development Manager–Visionaire Lighting

Visionaire Lighting is a leading manufacturer of high-performance, specification-grade LED & HID outdoor lighting fixtures & poles.  Our markets include parking lots for office complexes, schools, and shopping centers; as well as auto dealerships, tennis courts, street lighting; and many other applications.

Visionaire Lighting’s plants are all vertically integrated and include die casting, sand casting, metal spinning and fabrication as well as a state of the art powder coat paint facility. A new LED lab and SMT assembly area assure quality and timely production of all of our LED products.

SUMMARY:           The position of New Product Development Manager (NPDM) has been established to lead the organization’s New Product Development Process by working directly under the Director of New Product Development in the creation of new products. The position will hold the central role in ensuring that all new products are developed and introduced throughout the supply chain and manufacturing facilities effectively, efficiently and in accordance with the established NPD procedures. The NPD Manager is accountable for the quality and effectiveness of new product and business process performance by leading the activities during the new product introduction phases and into launch.

REPORTING:  Reports directly to the Director of New Product Development.

Job Responsibilities:

The following reflects management’s definition of essential functions for this job but does not restrict the tasks that may be assigned. Management may assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time due to reasonable accommodation or other reasons. 

  • Lead, manage and facilitate New Product Development project teams
  • Act as a team member on 5-7 New Product Development projects of moderate to high levels of complexity, including projects with global teams
  • Provide structure and leadership for the team, and facilitate effective team meetings to manage conflict with a focus on resolution
  • Identify and address common group problems to improve team dynamics
  • Ability to lead and persuade others without direct authority
  • Be responsible for the planning, execution and monitoring of New Product Development project from kickoff to release for shipment through post launch audit.
  • Manage New Product Development project risk: Determine probability and impact of risks; Develop strategic plans to reduce impacts of risks; Track, monitor and document risk factors; Critical path analysis
  • Analyze category data and trends to find new product opportunities
  • Work cross functionally, as well as with outside suppliers, in order to create new product for the lighting market
  • Maintain work plans, schedules and budgets for New Product Development projects and periodically present status of each to management
  • Work closely with Design Engineers and Manufacturing Engineers to coordinate tight collaboration between the groups to ensure manufacturability, assembly, cost and process issues have been optimized
  • Facilitate and coordinate project activities to maximize use of best practices including team problem solving and decision making
  • Work closely with Engineering, Industrial Design, Manufacturing, Purchasing and Marketing team representatives to coordinate timely completion of early project phase activities
  • Researches emerging technologies to identify and validate market and technical opportunities.
  • Participates in brainstorming sessions, creative thinking activities, and investigation of new technologies.
  • Conducts competitors’ products teardown and performs cost analysis.
  • Evaluates findings to develop new concepts and builds prototypes to present to customers.
  • Performs concept validation and prototype evaluation.
  • Carries out extensive and complex research assignments that require the development of new or improved techniques and procedures.
  • Collaborates with Product line and Marketing Managers on new product ideas and concepts.
  • Support product development from concept to validation through feasibility, design, customer evaluations, testing, and certification/homologation
  • Review design proposals and provide feedback based on regulatory, corporate and customer requirements
  • Support production facilities by troubleshooting and providing solutions for current production programs
  • Improve Lighting design effectiveness by:

–        Providing accurate regulatory input

–        Accepting challenging programs and deriving innovative solutions

–        Contributing to cost reduction ideas

–        Providing robust designs

  • Identify and champion ideas/solutions for process improvements including but not limited to the New Product Development process

QUALIFICATIONS, EDUCATION, SKILL & EXPERIENCE:

  • BS degree in Physics, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Controls or related field
  • Minimum of 5 years of experience in product development related discipline
  • Experienced in computer-aided mechanical design and simulation similar to one of the following software
  • Minimum of 5 years of increasing responsibility for New Product Development project and personnel management involving a broad range of technologies and processes required
  • Results that demonstrate an ability to build teams, make sound decisions and drive action cross functionally

–        SolidWorks

–        AutoCAD

  • Experience with UL/ETL, CSA, NEC certification
  • Proficient with common Microsoft Office applications such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint
  • Knowledge of high intensity discharge, compact fluorescent and LED lighting components, technologies, materials and methods
  • Design simulation experience, including finite element stress, vibration, thermal, and /or mold filling analysis
  • Highly self-motivated to work diligently to achieve personal and company goals under a team environment
  • Knowledge of power supply design and coding is a strong plus
  • Experienced in ERP systems, Epicor system experience is a plus
  • Physical Demands: Ability to lift up to 50 pounds occasionally to prepare sample

TO APPLY PLEASE SEND RESUME, AND SALARY HISTORY TO:       [email protected]

EOE